[Liversidge]

Yesterday I opened 1♦ with 13 points, an unbalanced hand and ♦J9xxx. LHO doubled, my partner passed, RHO (new partner) bid 2♣ and LHO bid 2♦, which his partner passed after some hesitation.
Turned out LHO had ♦AKQTxx and 17 points and made his contract. We are all novices and the discussion afterwards was about whether that was the right bidding from LHO. I thought that as RHO's response showed a weak hand (0-5) and Clubs she had nothing more to say so should take the 2♦ bid as 'to play', but none of us had come across this situation in play or in study.
We all play Acol/Weak No trump.

[eagles123]

I think the first double by LHO is really bad, why would you want to make a takeout double with AKQTxx in a suit that one of your opponents has bid!

after that I think the vast majority of players would take 2d over 2c as either

- any force
- raise in clubs
- asking for a stopper in diamonds

I think using it as wanting to play in 2d is just a total waste of time

Eagles

[helene_t]

The 2♦ bid is a general forcing bid, showing a strong (17+ or so) hand with no suit to bid, or some very strong hand.

LHO could have made a 1NT overcall, or double followed by 2NT if his hand was too strong for that. Alternatively (probably best), just pass. Having six cards in the opponents' suit he can be pretty sure that his partner is able to keep it open, unless he is very weak in which case defending 1♦ undoubled should be ok. He might be able to bid diamonds naturally in the next round if he starts with a pass, but not if he starts with double.

BTW 2♣ is not 0-5 points but more like 0-7 or 0-8.

[billw55]

I think that about 98% of players now use double of an opening one bid as takeout. Following up with a bid of opener's suit usually shows a very strong hand of unspecified type (almost equivalent to a 2♣ opening).

Short version, I think LHO's bids were very bad.

[gordontd]

 billw55, on 2014-October-08, 06:25, said:

I think that about 98% of players now use double of an opening one bid as takeout.

I think that's a massive underestimate.

[Cyberyeti]

 eagles123, on 2014-October-08, 06:02, said:

I think the first double by LHO is really bad, why would you want to make a takeout double with AKQTxx in a suit that one of your opponents has bid!

after that I think the vast majority of players would take 2d over 2c as either

- any force
- raise in clubs
- asking for a stopper in diamonds

I think using it as wanting to play in 2d is just a total waste of time

Eagles

Not necessarily, one approach with the hand he had is to treat it as a balanced 18-20 and start with a double, intending to rebid 1N over 1M.

2♦ is of course normally forcing and very big.

[1eyedjack]

An initial "trap" pass of 1m followed by bid of that oppo minor suit next time is more likely to be treated as natural. Particularly where the 1m opener could be on fewer than 4 (which I realise is not the case here). Similar principles apply in 4th suit after (1m)-P-(1M) to you, and you have biddable length in RHO's major.

[chasetb]

 billw55, on 2014-October-08, 06:25, said:

I think that about 98% of players now use double of an opening one bid as takeout. Following up with a bid of opener's suit usually shows a very strong hand of unspecified type (almost equivalent to a 2♣ opening). Short version, I think LHO's bids were very bad.

 gordontd, on 2014-October-08, 06:31, said:

I think that's a massive underestimate.

2% can never be a massive underestimate; I would say 99% because in a few Indy tournaments on BBO I have had a huge hand, X'ed then cuebid their suit, and was passed. I can barely understand if it's Clubs, but can't fathom Diamonds or Hearts (or Spades, but haven't had that happen in an Indy... yet).

[gordontd]

 chasetb, on 2014-October-09, 00:00, said:

2% can never be a massive underestimate; I would say 99% because in a few Indy tournaments on BBO I have had a huge hand, X'ed then cuebid their suit, and was passed. I can barely understand if it's Clubs, but can't fathom Diamonds or Hearts (or Spades, but haven't had that happen in an Indy... yet).

I said 98% was a massive underestimate (as would be 99%), not 2%.

[paulg]

A good rule for novices and beginners is that you can never play in a suit bid naturally by the opponents, so it is a cue bid that is always artificial and forcing. As you gain more experience you'll learn the very few occasions when it can be natural (often in the balancing seat) but this is not one of them.

Once you accept that a cue bid is artificial, then the likely meanings are as eagles123 covered.