Doblinger

Takeout Doubles


Direct double of one-of-a-suit opening is takeout double. This shows at least a mimimum opening hand with 3-4 cards support for each of the unbid suits, or very strong hand with 16HCP or above.

RESPONSE

  • Any mimimum new-suit bid: 0-9 HCP.
  • 1NT: 6-9 HCP, promises a stopper in the enemy suit, denies 4-card or longer unbid major suit.
  • Jump in a new suit: 10-12 HCP, invitational.
  • 2NT: 11-12 HCP, promises a stopper in the enemy suit, denies 4-card or longer unbid major suit, invitational.
  • Cue-bid: 13+ HCP, forcing.
  • 3NT: 13-16 HCP, promises good stoppers in the enemy suit, denies 4-card or longer unbid major suit.
  • Double Jump in a new suit: Less than 10 HCP, good 6-card suit, preemptive.
  • Pass: Convert takeout to penalty.

RESPONSES IN COMPETITION

  • Over Redouble, responder may:

o        Pass: Allow doubler to rescue himself, or

o        make normal response.

  • Over an Intervening bid, responder may:

o        New Suit: 6-9 HCP, or

o        Double: Penalty.

o        Normal response, or

o        Pass.

REBIDS BY TAKEOUT DOUBLER

  • Pass: < 15 HCP.
  • Single Raise: 16-18 HCP, with 4-card support.
  • Jump Raise: 19-20 HCP, with 4-card support.
  • New Suit: 16+ HCP, 5-card suit, invitational.
  • Jump in a new suit: Strong hand with 6-card or longer, invitational.
  • All NT Bids: Very strong hand with stoppers in the enemy suit. 1NT: 18-20 HCP; jump to 2NT: 21-22 HCP; non-jump to 2NT: 19-21 HCP.
  • Cue-bid: 21+ HCP, forcing.

 

 

Negative doubles

After a suit overcall of partner's one-level suit opening, an immediate double (through 4D) is for takeout with 7+ HCP at 1-2 level and 9+ at 3-4 level.

  • If there is exactly 1unbid major, double promises at least 4-card in that suit.
  • If there are 2 unbid majors, double promises at least 4-card in one of the majors.
  • If both majors have been bid, double promises at least 4-card in each minor suit.

REBIDS BY OPENER

  • Any minimum bid: Natural, non-forcing.
  • Any jum bid: 16-18 HCP, invitational.
  • Cue-bid: 19+ HCP, forcing.
  • Pass: Converts the negative double into penalty.

REBIDS BY NEGATIVE DOUBLER

  • 1NT or new suit: Natural, maximum 10 HCP, non-forcing.
  • 2NT, single raise, or jump preference: 11-12 HCP, invitational.
  • Cue-bid: 13+ HCP, forcing.
  • Any game bid: Natural and sign-off.

 

 

Lead-Directing doubles

  • Double of an artificial suit (or a penalty double of a natrual suit): Ask for the lead of that suit.
  • Double of NT: Penalty, ask for the lead:

1.    Leader's bid suit;

2.    Doubler's bid suit;

3.    Dummy's 1st suit;

4.    Leader's weaker major suit;

 

 

Lighter Double

Double of a voluntarily bid suit slam: Penalty, ask for the lead:

1.    A suit suit bid by dummy or declarer;

2.    leader's longest suit;

3.    Never a suit bid by doubler.

 

 

Maximal Doubles

These occur in highly competitive auctions, such as:

part opp you opp
1S   2H  2S   3H
 X

The double is used as an invitational bid. Partner is expected to either bid 4S with a maximum, 3S with a minimum or pass for penalties.

A direct bid by partner of 3S is not invitational--- just competitive.

NOTE: The maximal double is used in its original form only when the opponents have given you no room to make a game try. Thus, in 1S-2D-2S-3D; 3H would be the game try (nothing about hearts) and double would be for penalty.

 

 

Negative Slam Doubles

After a competitive auction where the opponents land in a slam and you and partner have raised a suit preemptively, a double by the immediate hand after the slam bid shows 0 defensive tricks. Partner
leaves it in with 2 tricks or sacrifices with 0 or 1 trick.

With 1 or more tricks, the immediate hand after the slam bidder passes. With 0 tricks, partner doubles which the first partner can leave in with enough setting tricks OR take out for a sacrifice. 
With 1 or more tricks, partner passes. 

Why should partner pass? Well, if your partner does have 1 trick and you have 1 trick then the opponents are down in a slam-- which should be a good score in matchpoints since most of the other players will be making their game contracts.

 

 

Responsive Double

The responsive double is so named because it's a double in response to partner's takeout double
after the opponents have bid and raised a suit. Sounds complicated? Here it is in bidding format:

(1H) - X - (2H) - X 

The responsive double is based on the principle that a penalty double here is usually unrewarding.
Therefore double shows scattered values with at least 6 points and interest in locating a fit.
After a major suit opening, a responsive double shows both minor. 
After a minor suit opening, a responsive double shows both major (4-4).

This is the easy way to use it. Here is how I use the system:

After (1S) - X - (2S) there can be a problem what 3H now means. Is it to play, or is it invitational?
To solve this problem I use 3H directly as a playing bid (6-9 HCP). If you wish to make an invitational bid in heart, you first have to double (responsive), and then bid 3H over partners 3C/3D.

Example:
(1S) - X - (2S) - X (responsive double)
(P) - 3C/3D - (P) - 3H : Invitational in heart.

If the opponents bid 3S before you have the chance to bid 3H, you must double to show an invitational hand in heart. 

You seldom double 1S if you don't have 4 cards heart or a strong hand. But after 1H you may double with only 3 card spade since spades is the highest suit. 
After (1H) - X - (2H) I use 3S as an invitational bid with 5+Spades. If you have an invitational bid with only 4 card spades you first has to double (responsive) and then bid 3S over partners 3C/3D.

Note that a double by advancer is responsive only when the opponents have opened a one-bid and
raised it. Some players also use the responsive double when partner has made a simple overcall in a
suit. Modern Bridge Conventions by Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek gives an excellent list of
bidding situations in which double is NOT responsive:

(1C) - X - (1S) - X
RHO has bid a new suit. (Optional treatment)

(1C) - 2S - (3C) - X
Partner has made a jump overcall.

(2H) - X - (3H) - X
LHO has opened with a preempt

(1D) - 1NT- (2D) - X
Partner has overcalled in no-trumps.

How high to play responsive doubles is a matter of partnership agreement.

 

 

Snap Dragon Doubles

After a competitive auction where the LHO opponent opens, partner overcalls and RHO responds a new suit, a double would show the 4th suit (at least 5) and support for partner (usually 3) Of course, the snap dragon doubler is not expected to have many hcp. 

Examples:
opp part opp you
1H   1S   2C   x ; Showing diamonds and spade support
1S   2C   2D   x ; Showing hearts and club support 
1S   2C   2D  2H ; DENIES club support (else snap dragon)
1S   2C   2D  3C ; tends to deny having hearts

 

 

Support Doubles

After the bidding proceeds:

1C - (Pass) -1H - (2D)
 ? : how do you raise hearts?

If you decide to support hearts, it is important to distinguish the number of hearts that you have in support. This is possible playing Support Doubles. In this situation, you double with 3-card support and therefore a direct raise shows 4-card support. This show of length has proven to be important in competitive bidding situations. For further discussions on this see the section on support doubles in Better Bidding with Bergen, Volume 2, Competitive Bidding, Fit Bids, & More. Also the reasons for explicitly showing the length of support is well outlined in To Bid or Not to Bid, The Law of Total Tricks by Larry Cohen.

Support redoubles are a variant of this. If right hand opponent doubles then a redouble can be defined to show 3 card support while a raise promises 4 card support.

Although the Support Double and Support Redouble do not promise extra values, it should be of note that a bad hand does not necessarily have to make these support bids.