[pescetom]

MP

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Both sides play a mainstream system of 5 card majors 2/1 GF.
What hand does the 2♠ of South show, in terms of HCP, distribution and spades support?

[hrothgar]

Three card support
4-9 HCP or so

Stronger hands with 3 card support would cue bid 2D
Hands with 4 card support either

1. Jump to 3!S
2. Cue bit 2N
3. Make a fit showing jump
4. Make a jump cue bid

[sfi]

Similar answer here, although I would only raise to 2S with 4-card support and an uninteresting flat hand.

[LBengtsson]

sfi, on 2022-May-25, 17:31, said:

Similar answer here, although I would only raise to 2S with 4-card support and an uninteresting flat hand.

Interesting answer. I am curious why on such a hand you do not raise to the level of the fit, even pre-emptively? I can work out one reason myself that partner may have overcalled on 4M only at the one level, but that happens so rare. At both MP and IMPs you have to fight for the part score, and giving the opps. a free level of bidding to compete makes their life easy, I guess. Can you guide me why on something like ♠Kxxx ♥xxxx ♦xx ♣xxx you do not raise pre-emptively to 3♠, especially at white/white, white/red. I can understand why you may be cautious at red/white and 2♠ is enough.

I understand that we hold the last/fourth suit, spades, and we can always bid one more if we choose without raising the level of the bidding, but is that not bad bridge bidding your hand twice in this type of auction? As long as partner knows that 3♠ is purely an obstacle for the opps. to negotiate. I always believe that it is for the overcallers, not the opening bidder and responder, to take pre-emptive action as soon as a fit is found on such hands.

[sfi]

It's not the preemptive hands I would not raise to 3 on, although something like Kxxx xxx xxx xxx could have too many losers. The bit of shape with the doubleton makes your hand much safer.

The hand I'm more thinking about is something like Kxxx QJx Qxxx xx, where we have some defence and enough values to maybe even buy the contract in 2S. I don't want partner to push to 4 after either a preempt or a mixed raise (3D), unless their hand warrants it. I'll certainly push to 3S with that hand, but you could make it defensive enough that I probably wouldn't even do that in some cases (xxxx QJx Kxx Qxx, for example).

[DavidKok]

You could make it even worse - ♠9843, ♥Q64, ♦KQT8, ♣JT. Anything higher than 2♠ is a poor gamble to take on that hand, in my opinion (even if you have 3♦ available as a mixed raise).

[fromageGB]

"5 card majors 2/1" does not have any bearing on the method of advances when responder has doubled, so ask what it is. While I expect 3 spades, it could be an utter rubbish hand if they are playing anything like transfers after the double. This gives them 2 bites at a 2♠ bid, so 2♥ would be transfer with a normal unopposed 2♠ bid (probably something like 8 to 11 if you often overcall lighter than an opening hand), while the 2♠ advance is a weaker preempt, perhaps 3-7. If it matters to your bid, though it probably doesn't, ask.

It is unlikely to be 4 card support unless it is too weak to make a bid that shows 4 cards.

Distribution in the remaining suits is likely to be anything. A weak 3 card support will not have a bid to show a shortage, for example, and cannot bid his own longer suit.