February 2022 - 62

Advanced Players
Mike's Advice
Two useful doubles
Auction 1
North-South vulnerable, South
deals:
West North East
1k Dbl
South
1l
2k ?
This one came up in a practice session
on BBO. South has the following
attractive hand:
A 9 7 k2 lA 10 8 7 4 'A K 8 4.
What should South do? Here are
some possible choices:
Pass: You have way too much to
pass. This hand is definitely
worth a call.
2: Partner has four spades.
You might do well in a 4-3
fit.
3': Partner promises spades.
He may not have club support,
but if he doesn't like
clubs, perhaps he can go
back to diamonds.
3l: Just awful. You have interest
in two other suits. Aside
from that, 3l ought to show
a better and longer suit.
Double: Perfect - as long as partner
understands. This is similar
to a support double, but it
offers a bit more than that.
Partner knows that you have
three spades; you would
bid them with four. At this
point, however, you don't
have a sure home, so you
need a good hand to double.
It allows partner to choose
from clubs, diamonds or
spades.
This double is an interesting
application of the support double.
Usually when responder bids a major,
he has at least four. When responder
62 | Bridge Bulletin | February 2022
makes a negative double of 1k, he is
known to have exactly four spades. As
already noted, your side is on slightly
tenuous ground because your spade
fit may well be a 4-3 fit.
The big key is that opener's double
tells responder about his shape and
values in one bid. In this layout, I
put your partner's hand in the South
position:
 A 9 7
k 2
l A 10 8 7 4
' A K 8 4
 Q J 10 4
k Q 8 7 5
l Q 9
' J 3 2
Partner has the worst possible
distribution for you, but your double
still works nicely. Partner can't support
your minors, but knowing you
have three spades lets him bid 2. It
may make. It may not. Certainly it's
a better contract than 3' or 3l. A
big bonus is that if partner had better
hearts, he could choose to pass your
double for penalty.
The next auction is oddly similar.
It's a good test for a partnership.
Auction 2
None vulnerable, South deals:
West North East
3' Pass
Pass
South
1l
?
K Q 9 5 kA J 4 lA Q J 9 8 '9
It's right to double. No controversy
here. You hope that your partner has
good clubs and can pass. If he does,
you should get a nice penalty. The
auction continues:
3' Pass
BY MIKE LAWRENCE
michaelslawrence.com
West North East
South
1l
Pass Dbl
Pass 3l 4' ?
Your partner showed something in
diamonds but didn't show any values.
Your RHO gets back in with a 4'
bid. Is your hand good enough to act
again? If so, what should that call be?
The only bid that seems to fit is
4l. You can't bid 4; that would be a
huge overbid. But you do have a call
that works. It's double.
Here's the layout:
 8 4
k K 8 7 2
l K 10 6 5
' 10 4 2
 K Q 9 5
k A J 4
l A Q J 9 8
' 9
When you double, your partner
should appreciate, both logically or
by having a definition for this double,
that you are confirming extra values.
Your first double didn't necessarily
show a strong hand. It was expected
that you would reopen with most
hands that included a singleton club.
But when you double 3' and then
double 4', you are only showing that
your hand is way better than a minimum.
It isn't for penalty.
What should North bid over your
second double? He might bid 5l. He
has, after all, good trumps and two
useful kings, and he hasn't promised
a thing so far. Or he might try some
science by bidding 4k. It is not logical
continued on page 68
http://www.michaelslawrence.com
February 2022

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