Modern Bridge DOUBLES. (other than Takeout Double )

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1 DOUBLES (other than Takeout Double ) Negative Doubles Reopening Double Doubles of Preemptive Bids The Lebensohl 2NT Response Balancing Double Lead Directing Double Responsive Double Support Doubles and Redoubles Action Doubles Redoubles Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

2 Convention Card Overview: Doubles Areas Over opponents takeout doubles, we play 1 and 2 level new suit bids are forcing one round. [1 Dbl 1...] or [1 Dbl 2...]. We play that jump shifts (into a suit, not NoTrump), are all weak and preemptive. [1 Dbl 2...] or [1 Dbl 3...] Special Doubles. Negative, Responsive, Penalty, Action and Support Doubles are indicated thusly: Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

3 DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE Double has become the most flexible bid in competitive bridge. It is used in many ways other than for penalty. We will look at these doubles: (Takeout Doubles were included with Overcalls). Negative Doubles Reopening Double Doubles of Preemptive Bids and the Lebensohl 2NT Responses Balancing Double Lead Directing Double Responsive Double Support Doubles Action Doubles Redoubles NEGATIVE DOUBLE The Negative Double is a form of Takeout Double, used to show a holding of two other suits, neither one long enough to bid. It is used only by 3 rd hand in response to a suit opening and an intervening suit call, and is focused on major suits. N E S 1 1 Dbl South has bid a negative double, showing 4 Spades and some number of Clubs. 1 3 Dbl South has made a negative double, showing 4 Spades, less than 3 Hearts and some number of Clubs. A 4 card suit is not long enough to bid in such situations, so the Negative Double is almost always used to show four card suits, especially major suits. Bid With 5, Double with 4. In a situation where a double would be a Negative Double, but responder bids a suit, it shows at least 5 of that suit. The easy rule is: Bid with 5; Negative Double with 4. N E S South has not bid a negative double, and shows 5 or more Spades. Her hand is unlimited in strength, and forcing. Reopening. By using Double in this situation as negative, i.e., showing two other suits, we lose the occasional opportunity to penalize an intervening call. 1 3 Dbl South has made a negative double, not a penalty double of Diamonds. Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

4 In order to not lose this opportunity for penalty doubles, the other part of Negative Doubles is that, if 3 rd and 4 th hands both pass, the opener is required to either bid something or re-open the bidding with a double. (A Reopening Double.) If 3 rd hand wants to penalize the overcaller, she then passes the re-opening double. For example: 1 3 P P South has passed, setting up a required reopening by North. Dbl P P... South has passed the reopening double, for penalty of the 3 Diamond overcall. Like Responsive Doubles and Action Doubles and Support Doubles, the Negative Double is played thru some level, often 3 Spades. This means a double of overcalls beyond that level is for penalty: 1 4 Dbl South has made a penalty double of Diamonds. (See the example with a 3 overcall above.) Strength. A Negative Double primarily shows distribution, specifically the presence of two unbid suits. However it has a minimum HCP range of about 8, and no effective maximum, as it is a forcing bid, so opener can t pass unless 4 th hand bids. 1 1 Dbl P 1 P 4 South has a opening hand, but only 4 Spades. When North shows her 4 Spades, South bids the game. 1 1 Dbl P 2 P P South has a minimum hand with 4 Hearts. When North shows her 4 Hearts, South passes. Doubling a Preempt With a hand that would double a one level opening bid, double any preempt for takeout. 'Any' means at any level -- two, three, four through the level you state on your convention card. This shows approximately an opening hand, and specifically shows 4+ card length in unbid major suits. Any time your opponents preempt, bidding room is lost and you must expect some disasters from time to time. Remember your competition has the same problem, so you should preempt whenever feasible. Visualization. It s important at such times to visualize your partner's hand and opponents' likely distribution. Don't forget that the preemptor has guaranteed a weak hand and a long suit -- where are the missing points and the cards in the other suits? They have to be in your Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

5 hand, your partner's hand and in the other opponent's hand. If you have a near opener, why can't your partner have one as well? Example Double of Preemptive Bids: N E 2? East's Hands xx AJT xx xxxx Axxx AJxxx KQJx KJx KJx AKx xxx Kxx Double as take out for Hearts -- not for penalty. Double as take out for Hearts Double as take out for Hearts The Lebensohl 2NT Convention Your LHO has opened 2, weak. Your partner has doubled. Now what? You can have anything from zero up to an opening hand or better. How to stop when weak is the real problem: you know partner has an opener equivalent and Hearts, so with a medium to strong hand you can just bid Hearts if you have them. If not, partner has cards in the other suits except Spades, so you can choose from your best suit and bid at the level you think you can make. Sometimes you can leave the double in for penalty. But how do you stop at the three level in your weak Diamond 6 bagger? The Lebensohl 2NT Response Convention. In the situation where your partner has doubled a weak 2 bid, third hand has passed and you are weak, use a Lebensohl 2NT call (Alertable, of course). [2 Dbl P 2NT*...] When you bid 2NT in this situation, partner is required to bid 3. You then pass if clubs is your suit, or bid 3 if that is your suit. Partner is then warned that you are weak and have only a longish Club or Diamond suit to offer. She proceeds at her own peril, knowing your hand and strength. Adjuncts to Lebensohl 2NT: All bids by responder at the two-level are weak. In the case where opponent opened a weak 2 and partner doubled for takeout, you could have 4+ Spades and a weak hand. If that s the case, bid at the two level, showing your hand is weak, but with Spades. [2 Dbl P 2 ] or [2 Dbl P 2 ]. Partner knows about the fit, and that you are weak in HCP. Responses at higher than the 2-level show strength. If you have a moderate hand (10+) and Spades, for example, you can bid 3 : with a good hand, bid 4. [2 Dbl. P 3 ] or [2 Dbl. P 3 ]. Not bidding 2NT (Lebensohl) shows you have some strength: the level to which you bid is an approximation of what you think you can make, given an average double by your partner. She can go on with an above-average hand, of course. Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

6 When 2 nd hand doesn t double, but makes an overcall. Partner could have a decent suit and some points, but not enough points or shape to double. Now, with Lebensohl 2NT in the background, her overcall is just that: an overcall, promising nothing much beyond the suit bid and some points appropriate to the vulnerability situation. Responder (4 th seat) can then be cautious, knowing partner didn t have an opener equivalent, and has shown her suit. Lebensohl 2NT is off in the passout seat. Why? Because 2 nd hand has already passed, showing neither a doubling-strength hand nor a suit worth competing with. [2 P P 2NT...] this 2NT is not Lebensohl, but natural, offering to play in NoTrump. Lebensohl 2NT is off if 3 rd seat bids. Third seat often advances the preempt, as in [2 Dbl 3... ] Why is Lebensohl off? Because the need for 4 th seat protection (the responder to the double) is gone. The problem arose in the first place because there was a double as the last call, and to pass means 4 th seat has to be able to beat the weak 2-bid or bid something else. That need is gone if 3 rd seat bids, so any bid by 4 th seat shows strength and cards, in an effort to compete, double for penalty or bid game. Example Lebensohl 2NT Sequences. Dbl P 2 West has a weak hand with Hearts. 2 Dbl P 3 West has a decent hand with hearts, but not enough to go to game opposite an average double by East. 2 Dbl P 3 West could have bid 2 Spades with a weak hand, but chose to bid 3 instead, showing a 10+ or so hand. 2 2 P 4 East just made a Spade overcall with a modest hand, but West bid game, showing a 15+ or so hand. 2 Dbl P 2NT* P 3 P P West is bailing out in Clubs - - she s weak. 2 Dbl P 2NT* P 3 P 3 West is bailing out in Diamonds - - she s weak. 2 Dbl P 2 West is bailing out in Spades - - she s weak. Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

7 Doubling Preempts and Responding at Levels Higher Than Two We must indicate on the convention card how high we are using takeout doubles rather than penalty over a preempt bid: 3 Spades is usually the limit of such agreements. Responses to 3-level takeout doubles have no special convention: responder can pass if she s sure she can beat the contract, or must bid something if she can t. For this reason (no escape convention), doubling a 3-level bid for takeout must be done with caution, knowing we may force partner to the 4-level, even with a weak suit. PENALTY DOUBLES Usually Optional. Penalty doubles are rare below the 3-level. They may occur against balancing opponents, as partner can leave in any double if he feels defending against opponents is better than taking the push to a higher level. One Doubles; The Other Passes. Sometimes, one partner makes a double as part of a bidding sequence and the other decides to leave it in. (This is called a penalty pass.) This way, the opponents don't know who has the trumps against them. Often, the doubler is not the one with opponents trump tricks. Of course, leaving in such a double means having trump tricks in the opponent s suit, not points. Example Penalty Double Sequences In these examples, <-- indicates the decision to play for penalties. 1 P 1NT 2 4 Dbl P P <---A penalty pass 1 Dbl 3 Dbl Looking for a major suit fit a Responsive Double P P <--- The penalty decision 1 P 2 3 P 4 Dbl P P <--- A penalty pass by North 3 P P Dbl P P <--- A penalty pass by East East has a Club stack, but couldn t double originally as it would have been for takeout. Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

8 Penalty Doubling All By Yourself Be very careful doubling for penalty all by yourself, especially on a contract that would double the opponents into a game. You should be able to see a 2-trick set in your own hand. You must have trump tricks, not just side suit tricks, because one or the other of the opponents will be short or void in your sure trick suit. Only Aces are sure tricks, and not always at that. Don t count on your unbid partner for one trick somewhere - - she won t have it. LEAD DIRECTING DOUBLE Doubles of conventional bids, such as responses to Stayman or Blackwood, are lead directing. 1NT P 2 Dbl "East, lead Clubs" says West 4NT P 5 Dbl East, lead Hearts", says West. Failure to double an opponent s artificial bid is also informative. If you don't double a Blackwood response, for example, your partner will assume you aren't particularly interested in a lead of that suit - he will not assume you are asleep. 1 P 3 P 4NT P 5 P West isn't especially interested in a Diamond lead. BALANCING DOUBLE Balancing situations arise as a result of an effort to force opponents to play every hand at 2 Spades or higher, especially with favorable vulnerability. Balancing Doubles are a form of Takeout Double, often used in the pass-out seat (the last person to pass). Balancing takes place in two forms: Balancing Doubles and Balancing Bids. (Covered in the Balancing Lesson.) Balancing Double Situation: When opponents try to stop at low levels, a double in the pass out seat should be regarded as balancing and may not be a full takeout strength call, even if it s that hand's first opportunity to bid. Strength Requirements for a Balancing Double. Any HCP range. Use depends on the prior bidding, vulnerability, etc. Always shows the suits not bid and guarantees 4 of any unbid majors if opponents bid a major; at least 4 3 in the majors if they bid only minors. Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

9 Examples of Balancing Doubles 1NT P P Dbl A pass out seat double: 10 to 14 balanced 1 P 1NT P P Dbl Asking West to compete; in Spades if possible 1 1 1NT P 2 P P Dbl West can t raise Spades, but has values in minors P P 1 P 2 P P Dbl P 2... West is unwilling to let NS play in two of a minor REQUIRED DOUBLE Whenever opponents obviously sacrifice by bidding over your voluntarily bid game, your side must double for penalties even if opponents occasionally make a doubled contract. Otherwise, you are a sitting duck for opponents to steal you blind. Examples: 1 P 2 Dbl North must double or bid 5 1 P 3 P 4 West or East must Double or bid 5. Pass lets N/S steal the hand. RESPONSIVE DOUBLES A Responsive Double shows support for suits implied by partner s takeout double, and occurs most often when third hand raises opener s suit. Example: [1 Dbl 2 Dbl. ] A Responsive Double. Responsive means a responder has support for anything partner wants to bid: a sort of retakeout double call. In the sequence above, the responsive doubler has support for Spades, Hearts and Diamonds, but not a long suit in any of them. But he has 8+ points and wants the Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

10 takeout doubler to choose the strain. It is not alertable, and is played thru (up to) some level specified on the convention card: 3 Spades, for example. [2 Dbl 3 Dbl ]. A Responsive Double, not penalty. Some play it that third seat doesn t have to raise if he make any limited bid: [1 Dbl. 1NT Dbl.] Responsive Double. As many modern players bid 1NT with almost anything as a competitive move, the Responsive Double should be used in this style. Playing it when third hand introduces a new suit is dubious, as opponents are both unlimited. [1 Dbl. 1 Dbl.] Responsive Double? 2 nd hand has implied Hearts by his double. A responsive double in this situation would have to be for Spades and Diamonds, but why doesn t 4 th hand just bid one of them rather than making a Responsive Double? Probably because she only has a 4 card suit, not 5. Also, where are the points coming from for all 4 players to bid? SUPPORT DOUBLE AND REDOUBLE The Support Double is used to show 3-card support for a major suit bid by 3rd hand, usually after a minor suit opener. They are alertable at this time. 1 P 1 2 Dbl.* 1 P It can also be shown as a redouble: 1 P 1 Dbl Red* North has 3 Hearts in support of South s unlimited 1 Heart call. With 4 Hearts, North would bid Hearts at some level. North does NOT have 3 Hearts. North has 3 Hearts in support of South s unlimited 1 Heart call. With 4 Hearts, North would bid Hearts at some level. Support Doubles could conflict with the use of Action Doubles. To avoid confusion, we play that if a double by opener could be a Support Double, it is. If it can t be a Support Double, then it s a Action Double. (See examples below.) Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

11 ACTION DOUBLE The Action Double is a very useful call, promising a hand with more strength than it has yet shown, but with no rebiddable suit and no new suit to bid. It can be used by an opener or an overcaller. Its main strength is that it conveys a specific message without taking any bidding space, and provides a way to bid without inventing a bid that may mislead partner. Strength: when used by opener, the strength promised is about 1NT (15 to 17) range. When used by an overcaller, it shows opening hand strength. (13+) 1 1NT P P Dbl. East has a good hand - probably an opener - -, but nothing further to bid. West can now raise Spades with just 2, or show another suit, confident that his partner has stuff to compete with. 1 P 1 2 Dbl. North has a better than minimum opener, but nothing further to bid. She didn t open 1NT, so there s probably some distribution. Use the Action Double through 3 Spades, the same as for Negative Doubles and Responsive Doubles. Examples: Action Double or Support Double? 1 P 2 Dbl... This could show 3-card support of Spades in the New Minor Force pattern, so it does: it s NOT a Action or Penalty Double. 1 P 2 Dbl... 1 P 2 Dbl... Responder didn t bid a major, so this is a Action Double, showing a strong hand, not a Support double. Responder didn t bid a major, so this is a Action Double, showing a strong hand, not a Support double. Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

12 REDOUBLE A redouble is a quadruple call: doubling a double. It is almost never used in its original connotation, but has some special meaning assigned to it. (See Support Double above). A common use is in response over a takeout double of an opening suit bid: there it shows about 10+ and a lack of support for opener s suit. (Redouble Implies No Fit on the convention card.) 1 Dbl Red... South has 10+ but not support for North s Hearts. Support means any 3 or more Heart cards. Sometimes, redouble is used as a please rescue me call, when a player gets penalty doubled and wants her partner to bail her out somewhere - - anywhere. As we don t get into these situations, we have no need for this use of Redouble. Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

13 Self Quiz - Doubles Describe the points and distribution for the E/W hands and analyze what's happening. A. 1 Dbl P 2 P 4 All pass East: points distribution West: points distribution What's happening? B. 1 Dbl 1NT 2 All pass East: points distribution West: points distribution What's happening? C. P P 1 P 1NT Dbl 2 2 All pass East: points distribution West: points distribution What's happening? D. 1 Dbl P 1 P 2 All pass East: points distribution West: points distribution What's happening? E. 1 Dbl P 1 P 1... East: points distribution West: points distribution What's happening? Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

14 A. 1 Dbl P 2 P 4 All pass Self Quiz - Doubles - Answers East: points 17+ distribution West: points 8 to 10 distribution What's happening? East has an opener plus: West has a good dummy for Spades B. 1 Dbl 1NT 2 All pass East: points 12 + distribution West: points 8+ distribution What's happening? West didn't have to bid, so she has a decent (long) Diamond suit C. P P 1 P 1NT Dbl 2 2 All pass East: points 10 to 11 distribution West: points 8+ distribution What's happening? E/W have Spades again: North can't fight them with only 2 Hearts D. 1 Dbl P 1 P 2 All pass East: points 19+ distribution West: points 0 to 7 distribution What's happening? East with a BIG hand is making an invitation for West to bid game with 6+ points E. 1 Dbl P 1 P 1... East: points 16+ distribution West: points 0-7 distribution What's happening? East has a big hand with 5 Spades and 3 or fewer Hearts. Double and bid again shows 18+ Bob McConnell, 2009 Doubles Other than Takeout v

SPECIAL DOUBLES After Overcall Penalty Negative thru 3 Spades Responsive thru Support Dbl. / ReDbl. thru 2 Spades*

SPECIAL DOUBLES After Overcall Penalty Negative thru 3 Spades Responsive thru Support Dbl. / ReDbl. thru 2 Spades* I don t know what s Special about these doubles, other than they aren t for Penalty. (Actually,