[jillybean]

I've been playing 12-14NT with a run out for a while now but it has never come up because the opps let us off the hook, or worse, the run out is forgotten for disastrous results.
Tonight, playing with a new partner, it came up and worked, maybe not perfectly but it worked for 12 of the 18 MP's
2S-2

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1NT (X) Pass says no 5 card suit
XX is SOS

Would anyone consider bidding 2♥/2♦ ?

[nullve]

In a parallel universe:

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[mw64ahw]

I have Dig-Out Bridge Convention - Bidding and Responses (bridgebum.com) in my arsenal, but have yet to use it except when I was experimenting with a Kamikaze NT

In this case 1NT-(X)-2♣-(P)-2♠ so no 2♦/2♥

[sfi]

It feels like the opponents might have chanced a couple more doubles. If they would all be penalty, doubling 2D and 2S looks normal. If takeout, South should be doubling 2C and then it's hard for you to escape quite as easily.

Don't get me wrong - I like a good runout system as much as anyone. But here they let you off the hook in a different way.

[DavidKok]

Ah, I ran into that under the name of Dig-out Spelvic (one of my favourite three runout systems of the 51 on that website). The asymmetry between the auctions 1NT-(X)-P-(P) and 1NT-(P)-P-(X) makes it somewhat inconvenient, so my partner refuses to play it.

[mw64ahw]

DavidKok, on 2021-August-12, 07:23, said:

Ah, I ran into that under the name of Dig-out Spelvic (one of my favourite three runout systems of the 51 on that website). The asymmetry between the auctions 1NT-(X)-P-(P) and 1NT-(P)-P-(X) makes it somewhat inconvenient, so my partner refuses to play it.

Yep I remember that site from a long time ago when I was researching escape sequences

[Winstonm]

Timid opponents always help.

[jillybean]

Winstonm, on 2021-August-12, 08:05, said:

Timid opponents always help.

Oh absolutely, this pair didn't know what to do once we started the run out.

[mycroft]

Is it time to put in a plug for "ensure you know how far a penalty double of NT forces you" again?

While I'm okay with "1NT" as an agreed answer (it's not my favourite, but it's better than *not* having an agreement), something like 2♦ or 2♥ certainly makes "wriggling off the hook" harder, especially when there's nowhere to go.

I agree with many that, provided the second double is "cards", South should 100% double 2♣ (at which point, N-S only have red cards in their boxes - despite the vulnerabililty, North with a minimum should be taking the plus rather than looking for 600; counting on South, if stronger, to look for 3NT herself instead of "showing cards"). I believe that South should double 2♠ if she can't double 2♣ for some reason; she doesn't know what the best score for them is, but it sure isn't 2♠-n for 50 a trick.

But if North's double is "equal or better", then it's likely 20-20 out there, and not safe. Which, of course, is why I don't play the double as "equal or better".

As the opening side, we either get to 2♣ undoubled, or 2♥x; assuming they don't save us, which is quite possible with the 3-3 heart break. Sometimes there's no out.