April 2024 - 66

Advanced Players
Bidding Matters
Relearning bridge - part 49
N
ot long after I started playing
duplicate, I became interested
in the bidding gadgets
that other pairs were using. When
I asked a more experienced partner
if we could add some of these bids to
our system, he cautioned that I wasn't
" ready. " (Translation: " You need to
stop making mistakes with the stuff
we're already playing. " )
He did, however, offer useful explanations
of the purpose of the conventions
and the meanings of the bids.
Even if you prefer a simple system,
it's helpful to keep up with current
bidding trends - not just because a
partner might ask you to play a popular
convention, but because you'll
probably encounter opponents who do.
A working knowledge of their methods
will give you a better understanding of
the types of hands they're showing.
Keeping track of modern doubles
can be challenging because there are
so many different meanings. You can
start with a general guideline: When
in doubt about the meaning of an
opponent's double, if the auction is at
the three level or lower - and if you're
playing against an experienced pair -
it's probably not purely penalty.
You may also find it beneficial
to become familiar with the most
widely used conventional doubles. In
previous issues, we covered some of
the more common agreements, many
of them so popular that experienced
players consider them standard. Here
are some other uses that are played
by many pairs:
A
LHO Partner RHO You
Dbl
2c
B 1NT 2c (1)
(1) One long suit
(2) Hearts
C
1h
3d
Dbl
When your RHO competes over
partner's strong 2c opening (Auction
A), your double can be used to show
an ultra-weak, " double negative " response
- worse than two queens (or as
some define it, no ace or king). If your
RHO doubles, redouble has the same
meaning. If you instead pass, it shows
positive values and is forcing to game.
The main advantage of this agreement
is that opener has immediate
information about game prospects.
There's also no need for an awkward
second-negative response later.
In B, there's little value in using this
double to show a diamond suit or ask
for a lead. Instead, many pairs play this
as, " Bid your unknown suit, " showing
constructive values and support for
unbid suits. Here, RHO has shown
hearts, so you're promising at least
three cards in clubs, diamonds and
spades. If RHO had doubled 2c, you
can redouble to send the same message.
This meaning applies any time
partner has an unknown suit. If
2s
2d (2) Dbl
BY KAREN WALKER
kwbridge.com
his 2c overcall is DONT (clubs and
another suit), your double of 2d would
encourage him to compete in his
second suit (diamonds or spades). You
might hold:
sA 10 5 4 h9 4 3 dQ 9 5 2 cJ 3.
A lesser-known but potentially
valuable convention defines the double
in C as asking for a stopper in the
opponent's suit. Proposed by Marty
Bergen, the " Thrump " (THRee notrUMP)
double is used when partner
opens one of a suit and your RHO preempts
with 3d, 3h or 3s. It shows at
least 10 points, no biddable five-card
major and no stopper in their suit.
The Thrump double solves the
problem of what to respond with a
hand such as:
sK 4 hJ 3 d8 5 2 cA K J 9 7 4.
The disadvantage is that you no
longer have a negative double available,
but pairs who play this convention
consider that an acceptable
tradeoff. The reasoning is that when
your auction has been jammed to the
three level, looking for 3NT is more
practical than showing a four-card
major - and even if you do have a major-suit
fit, 3NT may play better.
These and other doubles with specialized
meanings should be alerted.
Keep in mind, though, that some
pairs add their own variations - or
invent totally new meanings - so it's a
good idea to ask for an explanation. 2
66 | Bridge Bulletin | April 2024
http://www.kwbridge.com
April 2024

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