D.S.I.P. Philosophy

 

PITBULLS:

 

          If Peter Jones had his way , all penalty doubles would be “trump stack” doubles at any level. There is no room for the penalty double differing in meaning “depending on the context’ of the auction. You must have trump to make a penalty double so that ends the discussion.. I must say that this simplifies all auctions & you can enforce a  platitude of “never pull my penalty doubles” . However this approach is way too single handed. Openers , overcalls , take out doubles are all variable with respect to defensive strength & offensive potential. If you never pull penalty doubles ,  you will miss games , slams & part scores.  The decision to make a penalty double is done from the person who is looking at their hand only . The other hand has no input so inferior results become very frequent .  Bad decisions based on penalty doubles are a lucrative source of IMPS at high levels & in competitive low level auctions.

 

          I agree with  Mr. Jones in one respect . The penalty double can not be ambiguous as it is now showing either a trump stack or HCP values . From my 40 years of experience of playing Bridge at a reasonably high level , I choose to throw out “trump stack” doubles to remove the ambiguity in competitive auctions where forcing pass theory does not apply.  This is done all ready with negative doubles & responsive doubles up to the 4 level with most partnerships . There is a wide range of penalty doubles that fall in competitive auctions until “forcing pass theory” takes over &  defines penalty doubles  when you own the hand. There is a need to address this huge gap when neither side owns the hand or it is too hard to tell..

 

          Taking out “trump stack” penalty doubles allow you to define new meanings for the pass and the double. The clockwise order of the game of Bridge has an influence in this approach . Once you have bid in front of partner in a competitive auction , you have removed an option for partner. Unless this bid has a specific meaning you have undermined the decision making process of the partnership. Once you have bid in front of partner , it is pretty hard for partner to double the opponents  or pass their contract.  You have done the thinking for both sides. In D.S.I.P. theory , if you want to bid , you signal that desire to partner by doubling . This throws the decision over to partner who can pass with a defensive hand ( their trump ) as  opposed to an offensive hand. With an offensive hand partner will bid as requested so nothing is lost . With extraordinary hands partner will bid in front of partner which shows an offensive hand that partner feels a single handed decision is warranted.

 

          A pass of course preserves options and signals to partner lets pass & defend unless you have good defensive values. The decision can be sent back by partner by doubling in the pass out seat saying I would like to bid but I have defense ( quick tricks ) also. A pass of course is just trying to eke out a plus with a weak hand . The pass is not forcing pass theory but close. It only forces partner to double if he has good defense and pass otherwise.

 

          The naysayers say well if you do not play “trump stack” penalty doubles we can bid on nothing and get a way with it . Well just try it . Do not forget we still convert doubles for penalty from either side. You hold  ♠Axxxxxx ♥xxx ♦xx ♣x so you decide to try out our D.S.I.P. doubles .  1♥-4♠-?   Responder holds ♠x ♥xxx ♦AKxx ♣Axxxx and makes a D.S.I.P. double. Partner holds ♠KQJ10 ♥AKxxx xx xx and does something intelligent by passing . Change the hands to ♠KQJ10 ♥xx ♦Axxx ♣xxx so responder passes 4♠ . Partner with ♠x ♥AKxxx ♦Kxx ♣Axxx re-opens with a double so the other partner does something intelligent by passing . Now take the 3rd case where D.S.I.P. really shines . What if partner of the 4♠  bidder holds the KQJ10 of spades . In standard penalty doubles partner doubles 4 spades with the first hand ♠x ♥xxx ♦AKxx ♣Axxxx  & partner is not allowed to pull penalty doubles with ♠xx ♥AKQxx ♣xx ♣KQxx so 1370 in clubs is cold & 4 spades doubled gets out for –100 !! The wonderful ambiguous penalty double at work . With D.S.I.P. theory you ferret out the non duplication of values in spades. The first double says I do not have spades so D.S.I.P.  Partner obliges by bidding  5♣. The fact that partner bids 5♣ says he has nothing wasted in spades or he would have converted to take the plus.  Now we are looking at a 30 pt deck and with the stiff spade , 6♣ is an easy bid. Say if you are Peter Jones so can not double 4 spades as that shows trump so you enter a crap shoot and try 5♣  instead of doubling . This time you hit partner with the ♠KQJ10 ♥AKxxx ♦xx ♣xx  hand . How unlucky !

 

          I would hazard a guess that  a very high percentage of “trump stack” doubles that work would be doubled by the other partner to show his good defense anyway. The one case where D.S.I.P. loses is when they go down doubled for a big number and partner is too weak to double .  This scenario I believe is offset by the worst of “trump stack” doubles which is making the doubled  contract because a) you tell them how to play it & b) partner has a weak defensive hand. If partner pulls the double with the weak hand , you could be in big trouble your way without any fit and get doubled. At least in D.S.I.P. theory you are getting a plus & declarer is not sure if there is a trump stack against him causing him to misplay the hand. D.S.I.P.  theory offers insurance against doubled contracts making. It’s a lethal combination when one hand had a strong defensive hand with the other hand holding a trump stack ! The pass in D.S.I.P. is a safety factor in that partner passes with a weak distributional hand so you do not get hurt running from a poor penalty double.

 

          Playing ambiguous penalty doubles at high levels  is just plain gambling . You either  luck out or you do not . I do not know but I feel the game of Bridge is above just  rolling dice . D.S.I.P. theory anyone ? At low levels . D.S.I.P. helps you to compete & does not let opponents rob you blind with the “law of total tricks” or pre-emptive bidding.  D.S.I.P. doubles at low levels bring in the partnership aspect of the game of Bridge and you are far more accurate in your competitive decisions.

 

          D.S.I.P. doubles define the 2nd  double in Bridge . When you have made a take-out double , a negative double , a responsive double or balancing double , the 2Nd double is D.S.I.P. not penalty. It shows more HCP’s then can be reasonably expected for the original bid & not a trump stack.  Ex  ♠xx ♥KJ ♦Axxx ♣KJxxx   1♥-2♠-X-3♠   P-P-X-P    The opponents appear to have spades only but we do not know where to play this contract. The double gives partner the option to bid or with Axx of spades or something similar just pass. A trump lead should beat the contract 3 tricks or so .  The doubler can not have spade values or he might have bid NT instead of doubling since in D.S.I.P. theory you have to give the opponents some credit. You can not have your system based on the actions of weak , bad bidding opponents.