Wednesday, May 14, 2003 6:21 PM

Hand Evaluation – Doubles ( types )

PITBULLS:

“Double , double , toil and trouble” McBeth .. When you double the opponents artificial bids is it conventional ? show the suit ? lead directing ? suggesting a sacrifice ? or takeout ? Skakespere was right – these bids mean toil and trouble . Partnership understandings are necessary again.

First the easy ones . Double of Stayman after a strong NT means lead a club, after a weak NT just general strength . Double of a transfer means lead that suit in NT and have some length in case it gets redoubled. Doubles of artificial bids are lead directors only. The double of these bids do not show overall strength. The double does not give you a license to bid expecting to find extra strength in the doublers hand. If you bid the indicated suit of the transfer , it is a takeout double of that suit . After a NT opener with the opponents bidding an artificial 2♣ , double is Stayman & systems on. A double of a strong 2♣ or 2♦ responses shows the suit unless you have a convention. Double of a forcing club or diamond response shows the majors unless you have a toy.

Now for the more difficult ones . In the sandwich position , doubles are more iffy as the opponents have a number of artificial bids to show major raises , splinters , two suited fits etc . Therefore the “sandwich” position doubles should vary depending on the opponents meaning for the bids . If the opponents bids are natural and forcing , artificial and forcing , natural and invitational or splinters all change the meaning of your doubles . Lets make a table of possibilities of doubles in the sandwich position

Game forcing splinter	Sacrifice
Range showing – force artificial	Lead / Sacrifice
Range showing – limit artificial	Takeout
Range showing – weak artificial	Takeout
Fit showing	Takeout
Drury	Takeout
Other artificial raise –etc	Lead

When the opponents pre-empt with responder bidding a suit , a double is for takeout of the other two suits.. If the suit might be artificial but forcing , the double is a takeout of the pre-empt suit. If the opponents open a weak 2 with a 2NT response to the right , a double in the sandwich position is a takeout double of the pre-empt. A double of a forcing NT shows a takeout double of the bid major or a strong two suiter.

The basic premise of these doubles is common sense . The opponents bid shows a lot of strength & artificial the double is lead directing/sacrifice oriented. If the bid is limited or weak or natural then the double is take out. Partnership understanding is needed for a double of Drury. According to the table above , this is an artificial bid & non forcing to game. Therefore the double should be a T/O of the openers major. If I have clubs , I will just bid them as we are not buying this contract at the two level anyway.