DOUBLES
Opponents open the bidding with 1 of a suit and you hold the other 3 suits
You DOUBLE which is always for take out.
Example. Opponents open 1♦ . You hold 4/4/1/4 with 13 points in the other 3 suits. DOUBLE-You are saying to partner--- "Make a bid, I have support for any suit you care to name."
You can have as little as 11 points, but ONLY with very good shape 5/4/0/4. The zero being in the suit bid of course.
NB. When you double one major you guarantee a 4- card holding in the other major.
There is one exception to this rule.
You have a suit that is strong enough to bid over partner’s suit, which he will bid.
Let me illustrate this with a hand. : -
♠ x
♥
xx ♦
AKQJxxx ♣ AKx
Opposition open 1♥ . You double. This is because you are strong enough to bid 5♦
if partner bids 4 spades. He will KNOW you have this hand and not fight you. This is the rule. If you double for a take out and then bid your own suit after he bids a different suit, then you must be strong.
Change the hand and leave out the K♣ and you are not strong enough to bid 5 ♦ over 4♠ . The only first bid available is 2♦ .
You cannot bid 3 ♦ as this would show a weak 6-card suit with less than 9 points such as AKxxxx . this is known as a
Weak Jump Shift You may have learned that you need 15 to 17 points to overcall 1NT. A word of warning about doing this without looking closely at your hand. See where a source of tricks can be found, and look where you could run to if doubled. A flat hand (4/3/3/3) with scattered 15 to 17 points and maybe only A xx in opponent’s suit-to me is flirting with disaster. I would urge you to pass, and await developments.
Indeed if you have scattered values 11 to 15 points in 4 suits----PASS! A chance to speak may come later. This is particularly true if you have to bid over one of a major, and do NOT have 4-card support for the other major. The reason for this you will see now, in seeing what your partner will respond.
Your partner has made a take-out double. How do you know how far to bid?
Assume he has 13 points and is 4/4/4/1. The singleton being in the suit that is doubled. Bid what you think you can make!
Let us see what action to take after the auction
1♥ -- X (from partner) –Pass---you?
You have a 4-card Spade suit. You MUST assume partner has 4 spades and has a minimum of 13 points.
From referring to the description of his possible hand type above, you will know that if he has more than 13 to 15 points he will invite, or will bid another suit which in turn will show a very big hand.
The first point to make is this. There is a difference with responding to a take out double and responding to an opening bid. If your partner opens and you have under 6 points you have to pass, right? No such luxury is available when responding to your partner’s take out double. YOU HAVE TO BID EVEN HOLDING NO POINTS.
0 to 6 points bid 1♠
7 to 9 points bid 2♠
10 to 12 points bid 3 ♠
13 points bid 4 ♠
Visualise partner’s hand as having the minimum requirements for a take out double.
There will be times when you are unclear of what action to take. For example, your partner has doubled a minor and it is possible he has only one major. You have both majors, so how can you ask him which 4-card major he holds? The answer is to cue bid the opening minor.
1♦ --X—P--2♦
P---2♥
This response says he has 4 hearts and may or may not have 4 spades. On the other hand 2♠ will say he has 4 spades and denies 4 hearts. Note partner has made a minimum bid even if he has more than 13 points. This is to allow you to play in a low level major suit contract should you have under 8 points. Holding more points you can invite or bid game if you are strong enough.
Your partner has doubled the opening 1♥
