July 2019 - 48

Newer Players

Ask Jerry
BY JERRY HELMS

askjerry@jerryhelms.com

jerryhelms.com

Hi Jerry,
We had a terrible result on a hand
the other night, and I realize I have
no idea how to handle the situation
when it comes up again. I'd appreciate your advice.
Partner opens 1NT (15-17) and my
RHO doubles (equal value hand). My
hand was:

cy to merit its inclusion, preferring
instead to use double as some type of
conventional takeout. Since others,
including myself, do like the double
as penalty, it may be relevant to point
out what a penalty double of a strong
notrump should actually look like.
After RHO opens 1NT, holding:

♠4 3 ♥Q 7 ♦8 7 5 4 ♣J 9 7 6 5.
I thought my choices were either
pass or redouble (SOS). I passed.
LHO smiled as he passed. Partner
shrugged and passed. We were down
three. My hand might have been:

I would not consider doubling unless partner winked at me and told
me which of my four suits he held five
cards or more including one of the high
honors. Just pass, and hope to go plus.
However, holding:

♠4 3 ♥J 7 ♦8 7 5 4 ♣A Q 9 6 5,

♠K Q J 10 6 3 ♥A 3 ♦Q 10 7 ♣A 6,

in which case we would be fine.
Because the most I could hold
would be 10 points, how do I tell
partner whether I have zero, 10, or
somewhere in between? I've been
told that I should always pass the
double, but that doesn't seem right,
because that leaves partner totally
in the dark. Is a redouble by me really SOS or does that bid belong to
the notrumper? Have I overlooked
another possibility?
Final question: Why do we torture
ourselves with this game?
TF

I would consider this a clear-cut penalty double. The opponents are unlikely to sit for 1NT doubled, but if they do,
I'm pretty sure they're going down. If
they run to a new suit, I can always bid
spades now, clarifying the nature of my
very strong hand.
Notice on the first example, with no
clear-cut lead, why would I double,
announcing where the strength was?
If partner has something, they're going
down. If partner has nothing, at least
we don't enter the auction and get
doubled in whatever contract we end
up in.
When you do face a penatly double,
there are many different options available, but a relatively simple agreement
is as follows, which is basically Systems On:
1) An immediate bid of 2♣ is Stayman-ish. For instance, holding:

Hi TF,
As always, any partnership agreement is always superior to no agreement! Some of your opponents, including many top-flight players, do
not think a penalty double of a strong
notrump occurs with enough frequen-

48 Bridge Bulletin July 2019

♠K J 9 ♥A Q 5 ♦K J 8 4 ♣Q 5 3,

♠7 6 4 2 ♥Q J 5 ♦J 8 6 4 3 ♣5,
bid "Stayman," and pass any response
opener makes. We might be in trouble
but we are probably in less trouble
playing in a suit contract.
2) The immediate bids of 2♦ or
2♥ remain as transfers. With a weak
hand, and a five-card or longer major,
scamper to the hoped-for safety of your
five-card or longer suit. Holding:
♠8 5 3 ♥Q 7 5 3 2 ♦10 8 7 4 ♣3,
transfer to hearts.
3) A redouble asks the opening
notrump bidder to bid 2♣, which you
will either pass, holding long clubs, or
convert to 2♦, holding long diamonds.
If the opening notrump bidder has a
good five-card suit of his own, he is
permitted to bid it, but does so at his
own peril. The hand in your question
would qualify for a redouble, planning
to pass partner's 2♣ bid.
If you hold moderate, balanced
values, you can pass and hope the opponents have made a mistake. Perhaps
something like:
♠J 10 7 ♥Q 7 6 ♦J 10 4 ♣Q 6 4 3.
You may be going down, but you have
no clear path for escape. Even better:
♠Q J 10 ♥K 3 ♦J 10 8 4 ♣Q J 5 3.
If it were permissible (it is not!), I
would smile and pass, because I strongly suspect they have made a mistake.
Final answer to your Final Question:
Ritual floggings were practiced by the
Spartans and other religious sects as
a type of catharsis. Perhaps bridge is
simply a modern extension of this! ◾
http://www.jerryhelms.com
July 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2019
