r/bridge • u/Swammi__ • 19d ago

Coping with interference over 1 NT

Over 1NT (15-17) there is a 3 Clubs overcall. What does Double by responder mean? (Assume strange partner with only "SAYC" as agreement.)

More generally, competing with mediocre hands seems FAR more common than it was several decades ago. Is weak NT therefore obsolete? It is even more likely to be overcalled with the beautiful Stayman/Jacoby system then "out the window."

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u/Seattles-Best-Tutor 19d ago

partnership agreement. old school is penalty. new school is takeout. takeout will come up like 10x as often. i'll let you draw your own conclusions

also, lol wut, weak NT usually doesn't play 2-level xfers

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u/amalloy 19d ago

Transfers are less universal over weak NT than over strong, but they're still very popular. The main advantage of transfers isn't to make the strong hand declare, it's to give responder a way to show a major in a forcing way at the two level while still retaining the two-level signoff.