November 2022 - 64

Advanced Players
Bidding Matters
Relearning bridge - part 32
W
auctions?
1 West Partner East You
Pass
1k Dbl
2 1k Pass
Pass Dbl
3 1l Pass
1NT Dbl
4 1k Pass
2k Dbl
2k Pass
1k Pass
1NT Pass
Doubles have always been one
of the most difficult concepts for
beginners to grasp. The first hurdle
is learning to tell the difference
between takeout and penalty doubles.
Even when you know a double is takeout,
though, the inferences and specific
meanings can change depending
on the auction.
As you gain experience, you may
find that experts have different (and
better) treatments for some of the
doubles that you were " sure " were
for takeout. Doubles made by passed
hands, as in the four auctions above,
are often misinterpreted.
The simplest and most logical
meaning for a delayed, low-level double
is that it's for takeout, but with a
hand that wasn't quite strong enough
to act at its first turn to call. That's
the obvious message in auction No.
1. Partner is showing around 10-11
points and at least four cards in each
black suit.
No. 2 is also takeout, but doesn't
promise as much strength. In No. 1,
64 | Bridge Bulletin | November 2022
1l Pass
hat type of hand do you
expect partner to hold for
his double in each of these
partner was entering a " live " auction,
so he should have maximum values
for his previous pass. Here, he's
balancing over a dead auction, which
means he's essentially bidding your
values as well as his own. With the
right distribution, he might be quite
weak in high cards.
It may seem that No. 3 should also
be a light takeout, but there are key
differences between this and the
first auction. One is that partner's
first pass did not deny opening-bid
strength. The widely accepted meaning
for this double is that it's a good
hand (at least 13-14 points) that was
too short in responder's suit to make
a first-round takeout double. A typical
hand might be:
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BY KAREN WALKER
kwbridge.com
A 9 7 6 k4 lK Q 4 2 'A J 8 3.
Some prefer to guarantee at least
three cards in opener's suit in case
partner wants to pass for penalties,
but that restriction leaves you no way
to describe a hand such as:
Q J 6 4 kA 4 lA 3 'K J 7 5 3.
You'd like to have a better diamond
stopper and perhaps a bit more
strength for an immediate 1NT overcall.
The alternatives - an off-shape
takeout double or a 2' overcall with a
weak suit - are even more misleading.
With either of these hands, your
best strategy is to pass and hope to
make a more informed decision later.
If either opponent responds or rebids
spades or clubs, you'll know it was
probably wise to stay silent.
If LHO responds 1k, though, you
have an easy re-entry into the auction
over any low-level rebid by opener. A
delayed double in this type of auction
is takeout for the black suits, showing
good high-card strength and heart
shortness. That's as close to a perfect
description as you can hope for.
Although the double in No. 4
" sounds like " a light takeout, the
prevailing wisdom is that it should be
purely for penalty - a hand such as:
8 kK J 10 7 3 lA Q 4 'K Q 10 7.
The reasoning is that if you had
heart shortness but were too weak to
make a one-level double, your hand
can't be strong enough to justify
barging into a non-fitting auction at a
higher level.
This meaning is easy to miss at
the table, though, and not everyone
agrees, so it's a good idea to discuss it
with your partner.
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November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2022
