[blml] Situation normal, all...

[David Burn]

[EL]

Case 2:  [West has opened 2S and North has undercalled 2D] N-S are playing
transfer overcalls of regular opening bids (but not of weak 2-bids).  P-2D
would be an ordinary weak 2-bid, but 1S-2D would show hearts.  N substitutes
a 3D call, and the TD informs S that he is free to bid as he likes.  From
that alone, S knows with 100% certainty that N thought he was opening, not
overcalling, and is explicitly allowed to use this information in choosing
his further calls ("Law 16D does not apply" (L27B1(a)), nor does L16B, which
applies only to information "made available" by his partner).

Why should S in case 2 be permitted to have and use information that S in
case 1 may not?

[DALB]

In the normal run of events, a 3D overcall of a weak 2S bid would show
rather more in the way of values than a weak 2D opening would show. Does
Eric (and does Ton) suggest that North is allowed, in effect, to make a weak
3D overcall by "opening" 2D first and apologising for thinking that it was
his deal, while if he has a real 3D overcall, he simply bids 3D? No wonder
Grattan has anxieties about "plain opportunities for exploratory bidding
sequences not available in a normal auction".

David Burn
London, England