February 2023 - 69

Special Contributor
Dear Billy
BY BILLY MILLER
dearbilly@aol.com
dearbilly.org
Dear Billy,
Subject: doubles. Even
long-standing partnerships have
bidding misunderstandings from
time to time.
This auction occurred in a
recent BBO game. Pard opened
1NT (15-17) in first seat, followed
by pass, pass and a 2l (natural)
balance in fourth seat. The 1NT
opener then doubled.
We were not on the same page. I
assumed it was penalty and it was
intended as takeout. I checked
online and found very little on
the topic. Would appreciate your
opinion.
Curious George,
The Diamond Dealer
Dear Peculiar Jeweler,
This is a very good question on a
situation rarely covered. My favorite
treatment is as follows. If I open 1NT
and the next hand overcalls naturally
and the bidding comes around to me,
a double by me should be takeout. The
reason: I am sitting under the bidder
and not optimally placed for defense.
Here's an example of this auction:
1NT-(2k)-Pass-(Pass); Dbl. This
is takeout. My hand should look like
this:
A Q 9 4 k7 3 lK J 10 7 'A Q 2.
The double suggests support for the
other suits, and a weak, short holding
in the opponent's suit. Partner
should only leave the double in with
a good four-card heart holding in the
opponent's suit, typically with 5-7
HCP. A hand like:
7 3 kQ J 9 5 lA 6 4 '10 9 5 4
is perfect for converting the double.
This hand has a solid-looking three
defensive tricks. Without that obvious
defense, partner should pull to
his lowest, longest suit or to 2NT in a
scramble situation.
On the other hand, if I open 1NT
followed by two passes and fourth
seat balances with (say) 2k, a double
by me is for penalty. A hand like:
A 2 kK J 10 9 lA K 3 'Q 10 9 3
would be perfect. This looks like five
to seven defensive tricks. My honors
are sitting over the heart bidder.
Here's the most critical point:
Nothing matters more than you and
partner being on the same wavelength
and, secondarily, using proper
judgment when making these calls.
I'm pretty sure that some experts
might agree to play all doubles by the
opening notrumper as takeout. I do
not!
Dear Billy,
At MP scoring, left-hand opponent
dealt and opened 1k, partner
overcalled 2l nonvulnerable,
RHO passed, and I bid 2 as
nonforcing according our agreement.
I held:
A Q 9 8 3 k7 5 4 l5 'K Q 10 6.
Opener passed, partner raised
to 3, and I bid game. We lost the
first three tricks (the kA K and
the 'A) and then the K (which
was offside) when partner put
down the following dummy:
J 4 2 kJ 8 lA K Q 8 3 'J 8 3.
I told partner that he should
have passed with nothing extra,
but he replied that he was correct
to support spades with honor-tripleton
and his strong diamond
suit, and I was the one who
should have passed with only 11
HCP and so-so spades.
However, I consider that partner's
three-bid is invitational
because he is not obliged to bid,
and I have to accept the invitation
because my hand is maximum for
my nonforcing two-level advance.
What is your opinion?
A Confused Advancer
Dear Confucius,
The problem is that partner does not
have the values for his first bid.
The worst hands to make a two-level
overcall are the ones that are based
on five-card suits with 11-13 HCP
and 5-3-3-2 in shape. Yuck! When
you get up to 14-15 HCP, bending
the rules a little is OK. In my book,
a two-level overcall should be based
typically on a good six-card suit and
be very close to an opening bid. One
of these requirements can be bent but
not both. I'd have no second thoughts
of overcalling 2l with:
J 10 2 k4 3 lA K Q 9 8 5 '7 5
or with:
A Q 4 k5 4 3 lA K Q 10 5 '7 6.
A two-level overcall has totally different
standards than does a one-level
overcall. Many players do not see
the difference and act quite shocked
to hear this news. Will your partner
take this to heart? I hope so!
I agree that your partner should
have dropped you in 2 in keeping
with your agreement that the 2
advance was not forcing.
February 2023 | Bridge Bulletin |
69
http://www.dearbilly.org
February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2023
