Friday, December 09, 2005 9:16 AM

D.S.I.P. - Negative Doubles

PITBULLS:

D.S.I.P. doubles are based on “duplication of value” in other words what are your values in their suit. To compete or not compete is based on defensive tricks and what you have in their suit. In 3^rd seat the opponents opened 1♣ and BJ Trelford overcalled 1♥ with xx AK10x AJx Jxxx. The opponents made a negative double and I held KJ10 987 KQxx xxx so I competed to 2♥. They bid 2♠ so around to me again in the pass out seat so do I compete again ? D.S.I.P. doubles should be coupled with your understandings around competing against the opponents negative doubles. We should have half the deck as they died in 2♠ . You have a maximum in HCP for you 2♥ bid. Let D.S.I.P. theory be your guide. Partner did not make a D.S.I.P. double nor did he compete to 3♥ himself. A D.S.I.P. double in these pass out situations should be protection in case partner had spades. Looking at your KJ10 of their suit you simply pass as partner is not going to convert for penalty and she had no interest in competing herself. HCP’s in their suit are poison for offensive purposes and they tell a story.

If you do make the very “bad bid” of doubling , partner should bid 2NT and not 3♥. He knows that the opponents are on a 4-4 spade fit or worse and that the doubler has around 10 HCP. This gives your side 23 HCP to their 17 HCP. Why go to the 3 level in a very probable 4-3 fit when your side has the majority of HCP’s ? The only thing bad that can happen is a 5-1 ♥ break which is what happened. 2NT with a club lead is cold for 8 tricks. 1 club , 4 diamonds , 1 spade and 2 heart tricks. Partner does not have 4♥ on this auction for two reasons. With 9-10 HCP and 4 trump, he would have made a different bid going in . In addition, D.S.I.P. doubles rarely have 4 cards in partners major as D.S.I.P. doubles get converted quite often for penalty. Partner’s hearts must be weak as she did not redouble showing a high heart honour or jump raise showing 4 trump. All indicators lead to a 2NT bid. Who cares if they run all 4 spades as that is only 4 tricks for their side.

Partnerships should have sound agreements over negative doubles by the opponents. Our agreement is that all bids are lead directing and anchored around partners overcall suit. A redouble shows a simple major raise with a high trump honour. A 1NT bid shows a raise in partners suit with values in openers first bid suit. A jump raise shows a simple raise with 4 cards in partners overcall suit. Bidding the unbid suits is a lead director and shows a simple major raise. A simple raise always shows 3 trump and bad ones at that. Good information on which to base a final contract or make an opening lead against their contract.