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and 1 
.
There is some risk in a vulnerable double of 1 
with only 12
notrump points and 12 suit points at hearts. You have a balanced
hand; if partner is also balanced and broke, the opponents can exact
a penalty that is significantly better than the value of their game.
A safer agreement might be 15 suit points for the vulnerable takeout
double of 1 . However, we double with 12; Standard American
doubles with 12, and we structure responses with that agreement.
The takeout double is a descriptive bid. If one of the majors has been bid, the other major is the anchor suit. If neither major has been bid, both majors are anchor suits. Over a double, many opponents respond preemptively, and occasionally an opponent psyches a major suit. Over our descriptive doubles, preempts are less effective. Advancer can unerringly bid a major and find four-card or better support. Advancer exposes a psychic response either by doubling or by making his planned bid in that suit. Advancer is able to limit bid his hand. He can bid three-card majors. The rigid enforcement of distribution requirements makes a few hands difficult to bid. We are glad to pay this price in order to bid accurately over takeout doubles.
The primary purpose of the takeout double is describe the hand in order to find the maximum offensive contract. An incidental accomplishment may be to push the opponents to an unmakable contract. The purpose of defensive (a misnomer) bidding is to evaluate offense accurately. You misjudge by a trick or so because you do not know
x x x
1 ?
Double 1 . The anchor suit is spades. Pass 1 or 1 . If
the bidding had gone 1 — Pass - 1 , you would double because you
have four cards in each unbid suit. If the bidding went 1 — Pass
- 1 , you pass.
1-bid ?
We double openings in all four suits with this hand. If you
are vulnerable, you do not have to double 1 . For a major suit
double, there is one anchor suit. Over a double of a major, we hope
that advancer does not have to bid 2 with only four clubs. We use
1NT as choice of minors to minimize this risk.
1 ?
The 11 notrump points is short 1 point for the double.
Nevertheless, it is a reasonable double of 1 or 1 . Don't worry
about a 2 advance from partner. Our double asks for the majors
and partner should bid a three-card major rather than an indifferent
six-card club suit.
1 Dbl 2 Pass Pass ?
Bid 2 as your second takeout bid. Your first double showed
4-4 in the majors. 2 announces a four-card diamond suit. Partner
can now choose between the three suits.
1 ?
This is really an automatic double of 1 or 1 . The
distribution counterbalances the shortage of points. Before passing
your takeout double for penalties, partner must recognize that this
might be your hand. With this hand you could bid spades and then
hearts. By bidding 1 , you show five cards with your first bid.
By doubling, you show eight cards in one bid. The double here may
cause the eager doublers to misjudge your offensive strength. As a
result, your partner may wrap a low-level double with overtricks.
Even if he should be set, this dummy may unnerve the opposition when
it crashes onto the table. There is nothing wrong with a double
with thirteen cards in the major suits. The best I have done is
twelve cards.
1 ?
Double a minor opening. You can bid hearts later. Bidding 1
instead of doubling will lose a spade fit.
1 ?
Bid 1 . The double of 1 shows exactly four spades (possibly five poor spades). With five spades, you bid the suit, and with
three spades, you find some other bid. The overcall can have the
same high-card strength as a double. An overcall implies a non-doubling distribution.
1 ?
Bid 1 . With 14 or more high-card points, it is advisable to
get into the bidding. Because we cannot double with only three
spades, we must overcall in a suit or bid 1NT. With 15-18 notrump
points and this distribution, you have the option of 1NT or 1 . I
decide between notrump and a four-card suit overcall on individual
cases and seem to get it right. If the bidding proceeds:
1 1 2 Pass Pass ?
you can now balance with a double. The distribution for later doubles is not rigidly controlled. Partner will expect three spades and five hearts.
1 ?
I double 1 . If partner bids 2 , I will try 2 . Reverse the
minors and I make a top and bottom bid.
1 ?
I do not double a minor and then bid spades to show this strong
hand. I make a strong jump overcall of 2 (showing a suit that can be raised with two-card support). If partner passes, we do not have
game. (When we first play together, I allow you to check weak jump overcalls. If you are observant you will see that I never make a weak jump overcall. Unless your charm counteracts my bad luck, you should observe that our weak jump overcall results are bad.)
1 ?
Now you may feel stuck, but we do allow a takeout double of a
minor with 19 points and not 4-4 in the majors. Over advancer's
heart bid rebid the minimum number of notrump. Doubles without four
cards in both unbid majors are rare. Incidently, a 1 overcall may
work better than the double.
1 ? 1 ?
Bid 2 over 1 (top and bottom), but double 1 .
The double has shown four cards in each unbid major. Advancer
limit bids as though he were raising opener's second suit. Advance
over a double of 1 , 1 , or 1 with four or more in a major as
follows:
Note that over these low level doubles, a one-level bid is available for a weak hand. Over each advance, if the doubler can count 25 suit points, he bids game; if he can count 23 points, he invites game. Thus, the doubler needs 14 suit points to bid game over a 3-level major advance, and 16 suit points to invite game over a 2-level advance. The no-no's are to raise a 2-level advance with 14-15 suit points, and to raise competitively with four trumps.
The 1NT advance after a minor suit double shows 7-10 notrump points and denies a four-card major. (Occasionally, 1NT has slightly less.) The jump in a minor invites game. The jump in a minor is rare. Advances are unchanged by an intervening redouble. A pass indicates that advancer doesn't know what to do. (Hasn't he read these notes?) It suggests a distaste for the cheapest anchor suit. The meaning of advancer jumps are unchanged by a redouble. If the opponent bids, advances are in principle unchanged. A bid at the one-level shows the upper limit of the 0-6 suit point range, and a non-jump advance at the two- or three-level will be made on slightly less than the required count.
1NT over a major suit double is artificial and asks partner to bid his longest minor. 1NT tends to be a weak hand, and advancer does not care if the opponent's block the notrump bid or the overcaller's answer. Reasons for the 1NT bid include:
Advancing in Hearts over 1 Bid 1NT, then 2 0-6 suit points 2 7-10 suit points 3 11-12 suit points 4 13-up suit points.
On the following hands the bidding starts:
1 Dbl Pass ?
These are maximum 1 advances over a takeout double. If the double
had been raised, you would bid 2 . If the opponent had bid 1 you
would double. It doesn't matter that you cannot beat 1 as they
won't play 1 , and it is important to know if there was a psyche.
1 Dbl Pass ?
Bid 2 . You have 7 suit points. Partner does not raise
because, "I had four trumps". We are bidding the combined holdings.
If partner has a minnie, the jump preempts the opponents.
1 Dbl Pass ?
Bid 3 . If RHO preempts with 3 , you still find a spade fit.
Partner will read a 3 bid as 9-11 suit points. With 1 more point
you must take a position and underbid with 3 or overbid with 4 .
1 Dbl Pass ?
Bid 4 over the double.
1 Dbl Pass ?
Bid 1 rather than 1 . When partner doubles 1 , he is apt
to be short in diamonds. You can bid 2 later.
1 Dbl Pass ?
On your aggressive days, you might jump to two-of-a-major, and
on other days, you bid only one-of-a-major. But which major? A 1
advance will probably lose the spade suit. So I bid 1 and 2 the
next time, and we find the best major in competition. This
principle also applies when you intend to bid only once. In a
competitive auction and after a 1 advance, overcaller can show
five hearts on the way to 2 , but he can't show five spades after
a 1 advance without going past 2 . The next question is why
don't we bid 2 to let partner choose the major. We could but
don't because
1 Dbl Pass 1 2 ?
Don't bid again. You have described this hand. If partner has
a maximum 1 bid, he will bid again. Had the advance been 1 , 2
is okay. The fifth spade furnishes the necessary safety. A
non-competitive raise to the two-level shows about 18 suit points.
1 Dbl Pass ? 1 Dbl Pass ?
Over a double of 1 , bid 1 . Over a double of 1 , bid 1NT
to find the best minor.
1 Dbl Pass ?
Over a double, jump to 3 . The minor suit jump shows an
invitational hand and a strong suit. It is nonforcing. Minor jumps
are a matter of judgment rather than point count. With anything
less I would bid 2 sending the message that clubs are trump. With
longer diamonds and after a major opening, you could investigate
with 1NT and then bid 3 .
1 Dbl Pass ?
Over a 1 double, bid 1NT. You want partner to pick the best
minor which you will raise. In the old days you might have cue-bid
to find the best minor. If RHO bids 2 , or 3 , a responsive
double asks for the better minor.
South West North East 1 Dbl 1 Dbl Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass Pass Pass
These are East-West hands from long ago when it is was common
to psyche a major over a takeout double. Here, North-South got
confused by their own strategy. They have most of the cards just
like in the newspaper. South had a 1 opening and West a normal
double. North psyched 1 and ran into a prepared natural defense
that was improved upon at the table. With his suit being bid,
East's double sounded stronger than it was. South's pass confirmed
that North had psyched hearts (South's without heart support always bid), and West bid spades to obtain the lead if North tried notrump
next. The spade bid allowed North to slop out of the auction with
a pass. East continued with 2 , and South, and North-South went to
their grave with 25 high-card points.
1 Dbl Pass ?
Bid 2 which shows 7-10 suit points. If the bidding went
1 Dbl 2 ?
I would bid 3 as I think I must inform partner right now that we
have a heart fit. The other choice is a responsive double and then
3 to show a hand weaker than the direct 3 bid.
1 Dbl Pass ?
Aim toward hearts rather than diamonds. I suggest 1NT and then 2
over 2 .
1 Dbl Pass ?
Here is a hand on which you might have wanted to bid 1NT naturally. Now the 1NT bid finds at least a seven-card minor suit fit.
The distribution required for doubling is not changed if you are a passed hand. Your notrump count is less than 12 points; how much less depends on the vulnerability, your distribution, (your partner's disposition), and at what level your partner will be forced to bid. About three times out of four, the opponents will play the hand. Sometimes the double enables you to push the opponents to an unmakable contract, and other times it talks them out of game. Occasionally, the double will find a good part-score or even game for you.
Pass 1 Pass 1 Dbl Pass ?
This example shows that a passed hand can be good. East should
jump to 2 whereupon East-West should stagger to 4 . The jump
robs the opponents of bidding space. Here, they may miss a good 5
save.
Pass Pass Pass 1 ?
It is routine to double one-of-a- minor when not vulnerable and a passed hand, and I am apt to double even if vulnerable. The early double when the hand fits the pattern reduces the need for balancing.
Pass 1 Pass 1 ?
West should double at any vulnerability. He has limited his
hand with the first pass, and he now has an opportunity to show his
distribution at a low level. It is safest to come in when the level
is low and North-South have not yet judged their offense and
defense. East may have a strong hand, as shown, but the wrong
distribution to bid. East needs to be invited into the bidding — then he can compete vigorously and perhaps reach the reasonable
game. If West passes, North-South have the values to reach 3 the
next time around. A double is still takeout, but is much more
dangerous.
The other distribution showing bid of 1NT (unusual notrump) is not unreasonable with the West hand. With unfavorable vulnerability, West definitely wants to double because this lets East-West out at the lowest level on misfits. I prefer the double because it tends to slow non-thinking opponents, whereas the unusual notrump will accelerate them into game, and I lose my "feel of the table".
LHO deals and opens one-of-a-suit which is passed around to you. RHO has less than 6 high-card points, and it is relatively safe to enter the auction. Partner probably did not bid because he did not have the right distribution to overcall or double, and not enough points to bid 1NT. We guess that he has less than 13 points. Because we overcall light, we do not need to go out of the way to balance. Our bidding is effectively unchanged in the pass-out position.
The three minor modifications are:
1 Pass Pass ?
Double either minor opening.
1 Pass Pass ?
Bid 1 .
1 Pass Pass ?
Double. The spade suit is not good enough to bid, so balance with a double with 4-3 in the majors.
Partner, in advancing over the double at the one- or two-level should assume 12 suit points and 4-4 in the majors. With strength to bid at the three-level or higher, he should consider a cue-bid, or a jump only to the two-level. For example, with 13-14 suit points at a major, he should invite game with a bid followed by 3-of-the-major. A hand with a recommended auction:
1 Pass Pass Dbl Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3
Note that a cue -bid sounds stronger than the direct jump to the 3-level, and that a two-level bid invite is accomplished only when our suit is spades and partner bids hearts over the cue -bid.
1 Pass Pass Pass
This example is an attempt to show that the 1NT reopening by
East on 10-12 points is wrong. West is about as good as he can be
for a pass. He did not bid because he liked hearts. Whether we do
better defending against 1 or 1NT depends on the vulnerability and
West's low hearts.
1 Pass Pass ?
Bid 1NT. Two features argue for 1NT here:
1 Pass Pass ?
A 2 overcall at any vulnerability in the pass-out position.
In the immediate position and vulnerable I would pass. The overcall
should be safe because
Rules:
or less
at the start of the auction, and can come down as the auction
proceeds. Exceptions relate mostly to doubles of artificial bids
when the opponent's are known to have 15 or more points.
The exceptions to a double being takeout are:
and artificial responses.
Flannery is the strength of an strong notrump opening."
and higher at your first turn to bid are
business. Doubles of the other suits at the 4-level at your first
turn to bid are takeout.
Thus a double of 1NT after a suit opening, live or dead, is a takeout double. If opener rebids a broken six-card suit and we have a stack then we collect points at 50 a trick. Perhaps the best way of stating our philosophy is that we aim toward our best offensive contract, and the opponents can push us around before we agree on a suit.
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