If North opens 2♠ (Weak two, 6-10 points, 6 card suit, no side 4-card Major)
East should Pass (a double would be for takeout) and South must Pass because you need 15 points to bid on after partner’s weak two (when you are in a hole stop burrowing)
Now West has the perfect balancing or re-opening takeout double which North Passes and which East must Pass as well. East’s hand is such bad news for declarer that it is OK to leave the takeout double in and convert it to a penalty double.
South can see the Storm clouds gathering over his partner and is probably worth one try at rescuing into 3♥ , which even if doubled converts a minus 300 score for 2♠ -2 into minus 100 for 3♥ X-1.
If North Passes and East opens 1♠ (rule of 20)
South can Double or overcall 2♥ . A double followed by a Heart bid would show a strong suit and a strong hand so I prefer the overcall of 2♥ to the takeout double.
West now also has two choices: 3♣ or 2 No-Trumps. I prefer 3♣ because West has only one Heart stop and the quality of East’s Spades is unknown.
If West bids 3♣ then East cannot pass and must bid 4♣ at which point West should remember they forced East to bid and ask themselves whether they have any strength not already shown by their 3-level change of suit. The answer is not really and West should Pass.
If West bids 2 No-Trumps then East could Pass and trust their partner but with a probable lack of entries to the Spade suit in No-Trumps should probably bid 3♠ which West should Pass.
|