The English word "cleave" has exactly opposite meanings (i.e., "join" and "separate") depending on the context in which the word appears. Similarly, Doubles in bridge can have exactly opposite meanings (i.e., "I want partner to pass" and "I want partner to take this double out by bidding hir length") depending on the context of this particular auction.
The most basic double is the Penalty double, which asks partner NOT to bid (i.e., to "leave in" the double). The idea is to increase the Penalty for the opponents' failure to fulfill their contract. Penalty doubles come in two forms:
When the opponents make an Artificial bid (such as Stayman 2♣, or Jacoby 2♦ / 2♥ response to 1NT, or Ace-showing response to Blackwood) a Double implies
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The thing which distinguishes these Penalty doubles is that the opponents DO NOT Intend to play in the bid strain. Hence, it is the Opponents who usually "pull" (i.e., remove, run from) such doubles.
If the opponents Cuebid partner's suit artificially, a Double shows Length/Support in partner's suit if NOT vulnerable, an Honour in partner's suit (lead directing) if vulnerable.
#3 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | 2 | Dble | – 3+ Hearts, if NOT vulnerable, | ||
– ♥A, ♥K or ♥Q, if vulnerable. |
A double of 1NT in direct seat is Penalty, showing
Doubles of 4♠ opening bids are always Penalty, since one can bid 4NT over an opening bid of 4♠ to ask for partner's longest suit. Doubles of game-level bids later in the auction also tend to be Penalty.
#4 | West | North | East | South | |
1NT | Pass | 4 | Dble | – Penalty. |
Doubles after OUR side has made a natural NoTrump bid are usually Penalty.
#5 | West | North | East | South | |
1NT | 2 | Dble | – Penalty. |
Doubles of a 3rd or 4th suit bid are usually Penalty.
#6 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | 1 | 2 | Dble | – Penalty in standard methods. |
#7 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | Pass | 1 | Pass | ||
2 | Pass | 2 | Dble | – Penalty. |
A Co-Operative (or "optional") double is one which simply "shows good cards". A double of any 4-level or higher opening bid Other than 4♠ (see above) are Co-Operative. When in doubt, leave the Co-Operative double in. Bid only if you have an rather long suit (5+cards or more) in a distributional hand.
#8 | West | North | East | South | |
5 | Dble | – Co-Operative. |
A double of 1NT in the balancing seat is Co-Operative too, showing 13-15 HCPs in a flat hand. Partner will leave the double in, unless weak with a long suit.
#9 | West | North | East | South | |
1NT | Pass | Pass | Dble | – Co-Operative. |
Takeout Doubles are identified by Doubler's desire to hear partner Take Out the double to hir longest suit, with particular attention to any unbid Major suit.
Unlike the Penalty and Co-Operative doubles (above), the Takeout Double comes in many forms.
This Double comes, when partner has not yet bid (other than a PASS) and the opponents have opened in a suit below the 3NT level. Depending on the level of the opening bid, Doubler shows a near opener (if at the 1-level) or a full opener (if at the 2- or 3-level).
#10 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | Dble | Pass | 1 | ||
Pass | 1NT | – 19-21 flat. |
Indeed, if Advancer (South) makes a minimum-showing response, ANY rebid by Doubler shows an extra strength.
#11 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | Dble | Pass | 1 | – 0-8 points, Hearts. | |
Pass | 1 | – 16-24 (else PASS). |
Doubles of a 1NT response (not to be confused with doubles of 1NT OPENINGS) are also simple takeout doubles.
#12 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | Pass | 1NT | Dble | – takeout. |
For hir part, Advancer can pass the takeout double ONLY with 8+ points and significant length and strength in the opponents' suit (Trap Pass). Otherwise, Advancer must bid — even with zero HCPs and NO good suit.
#13 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | Dble | Rdbl | 2 | xxxx xx xxx xxxx |
Note that a Redouble does NOT relieve Advancer of the responsibility of bidding hir long suit, if s/he happens to have one.
Stronger Advancers Should Jump in a long suit (9-12 HCPs, invitational) or cuebid the opponents' suit (with 13+ points).
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With a guard (stopper) in the opponents' suit and balanced
distribution, Advancer can respond in NoTrump with
6-10 HCPs, jumping in NoTrump with 11-13 HCPs.
Because Doubler is keenly interested in hearing a Major suit,
Advancer's NoTrump bids will deny 4+cards in any unbid major.
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To summarize responses and rebids after a takeout double:
Pass: | 8+ pts, 5+cards in opponents' suit. |
1NT: | 6-10 pts, guard in opponents' suit. |
Jump in NoTrump: | 11-13 pts, guard in opponents' suit. |
Simple Suit Bid: | 0-10 pts. |
Jump Suit Bid: | 9-12 pts. Invitational. |
Cuebid their Suit: | 13+ pts. One round force. |
Pass | (10-15 pts) |
Raise | (16-17 pts) |
Cuebid | (18+ pts) |
New suit | (16+ pts) |
Rebid 1NT | (19-21 pts) |
A double is Negative only in response to a 1-level suit opening bid by partner and an overcall by RHO.
#18 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | 1 | Dble | – Negative. |
#19 | West | North | East | South | |
2 | 2 | Dble | – Penalty opposite TWO-level opening. |
A negative double shows either 8-12 points and support for any unbid suit (especially any unbid 4-card Major-suit partner might hold) or 13+ HCPs and no convenient bid.
#20 | West | North | East | South |
2 | 2 | Dble |
Maybe: | A J x x | Q J x x | Q x | x x x |
Or: | K Q x | A x x | A J x x | x x |
For now, Opener will assume that partner has the
weaker, 8-12 point hand with support for any unbid major.
Opener will usually (1) rebid naturally, (2) jumping to show a better than minimum hand, (3) cuebidding to show a
game-forcing hand, given that Responder just showed
8+ HCPs.
#21 | West | North | East | South | |
– | 1 | 1 | Dble | – Negative, implying 4 (not 5+) Spades. | |
Pass | 1 | – Minimum opener with 4 Spades. |
#22 | West | North | East | South | |
– | 1 | 1 | Dble | – Negative, implying 4 (not 5+) Spades. | |
Pass | 2 | – 15-17 points, 4 Spades. |
#23 | West | North | East | South | |
– | 1 | 1 | Dble | – Negative, implying 4 (not 5+) Spades. | |
Pass | 2 | – 18+ HCPs, game forcing. |
Responder, too, can use the opponents' suit to show a game forcing hand after making a negative double.
#24 | West | North | East | South | |
– | 1 | 1 | Dble | – Negative, implying 4 (not 5+) Hearts. | |
Pass | 2 | Pass | 2 | – 13+ HCPs, Game Forcing. |
Any double of an opponent's part score by OPENER (when Responder has PASSed throughout) is a Re-Opening Takeout Double. In DIRECT seat, this shows a VERY strong hand, 18-21 HCPs.
#25 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | 1 | Pass | 2 | ||
Dble | – Re-opening. Very strong. |
#26 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | Pass | Pass | 1 | ||
Dble | – Re-opening. 18-21 HCPs. |
In the Balancing (i.e., passout) seat, a re-opening double can be made on a slightly weaker opening hand.
#27 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | 1 | Pass | Pass | ||
Dble | – Re-opening. 15-21 pts. |
In the passout seat, any double of the opponent's fit is takeout — even if the doubler is a passed hand !
#28 | West | North | East | South | |
– | – | Pass | Pass | ||
Pass | 1 | Pass | 2 | ||
Pass | Pass | Dble | – Balancing. |
These Balancing doubles are, of course, fraught
with danger.
Their purpose is usually to boost the
opponents up one level in order to effect a one trick
set (on a good day).
They are more common in MatchPoint
play (where +50 versus –110 is a great score, well worth
the occasional –500) than at IMPs (where –500 might cost
the entire match and +50 versus –110 is only 4 IMPs).
You may assume that all of the doubles described
ABOVE will be understood and employed by any new SAYC
partner.
In addition to these, you may choose to
discuss other, non-standard doubles.
There are many
such doubles, including Snapdragon, Fisher, Defensive
(which you can read about at Colin's web page:
http://www.escape.ca/~ksired/bridge.htm
if you are curious) and conventional doubles of 1NT
openings (such as with DONT, BROZEL and McGuinty).
Please bear in mind that you should assume that your are NOT playing the following doubles, unless you and your partner have explicitly agreed to play them (and marked them on your convention card, if you have one).
Here are the three best known non-standard doubles:
A Responsive Double is a double of RHO's Raise of LHO's (Opener's) suit over our partner's Takeout Double. They show 4 cards in any unbid major.
#29 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | Dble | 2 | Dble | – Responsive, 4 Spades. |
If NOT playing Responsive doubles, the above double of 2♥ by Advancer is Penalty.
Expert opinion on Responsive doubles varies. Most experts, including OneDown, employ them. Others, including Kaltica, dislike them.
A second non-standard but popular takeout double
is the Support Double.
This involves Opener doubling
RHO's interference over partner's suit response in
order to show THREE-card support (hence the name) for
Responder's suit.
It follows that, if playing support
doubles, a Raise of Responder's suit
instead of the
Support Double promises Four (or more) card support.
#30 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | Pass | 1 | 2 | ||
Dble | – 3-card Spade support. |
#31 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | Pass | 1 | 2 | ||
2 | – 4-card Spade support. |
If NOT playing support doubles, the double of 2♥ in the first example above would be Penalty.
Another non-standard but rather common Takeout Double is the Competitive Double. Again, you must have discussed and agreed to play Competitive Doubles with your partner beforehand, and marked it on your convention card.
The Competitive Takeout Double arises in
competitive auctions, where both sides have found
a fit.
In such cases, the bidder could either (1)
bid the agreed suit (2) or Double, the latter action
suggesting Game in the agreed suit.
In such cases,
failure to make a Competitive double (if you've
agreed to play Competitive Doubles with this
particular partner ahead of time) denies interest
in game.
#32 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
3 | Dble | – COMPETITIVE. "4♠ ?" |
#33 | West | North | East | South | |
1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
3 | 3 | – NOT inviting 4♠. |
If NOT playing Competitive Doubles, the double in the first auction is Penalty, while 3♠ in the second auction may or may not involve game interest (and therein lies the advantage of agreeing to play Competitive Doubles with your steady partners).