Wednesday, September 03, 2003 6:26 PM

Hand Evaluation - Doubling Slams

PITBULLS:

If you have bought into D.S.I.P. competitive double theory , it is an easy extension to doubles/undoubles of slams. The cue for applying undoubles is did they voluntary bid a slam to make ? There is no need to double a slam ever for penalty per se in IMPS. You do not need to be a cop & enforce bad bidding. If the opponents bid a horrible slam that you know is going down , just take your gift & put the green card on the table. The penalty is at the wrong end of the IMP scale even if you do beat the voluntarily bid slam doubled. Doubling a voluntary bid slam for penalty is silly beginner Bridge.

In an auction where partner or yourself have overcalled or opened & bid two suits , a double of a freely bid slam is an undouble. If partner or you were not in the auction , the double is lead directing obviously . A penalty double of a voluntary bid slam simply does not exist , unless you own the auction via forcing pass theory. This is similar to D.S.I.P. theory in that a trump stack double in a competitive auction as the initial action does not exist. You do not own the auction , they do.

If you have the slightest doubt whether they are making their slam you can usually take out cheap insurance. My partner held this hand tonight ♠AQxxxx ♥void ♦KQ1098x ♣x & opened 1♦ . They overcalled 2♣ , I passed . They leapt to 4♥ so partner bid 4♠. They voluntarily bid 6♥ & I double. This double is saying let’s bid 6♠ unless you have the contract beat in your own hand . I held ♠J1098 ♥xx ♦xx ♣Qxxxx so I want to sacrifice in 6♠ but I do not want to do it from one side of the table. The undouble is a perfect bid saying that I have no defense , I want to sacrifice but you have the final decision partner. Partner has a simple 6♠ bid which could get out for one down –100 against 6♥ making . Most of the field got to 6♥ making , so the undouble wins you 14 IMPS . Leaving in the double loses -7 IMPS for –1210. This is a 21 IMP swing so a decided victory for D.S.I.P. theory with slams. The undouble is very simple , you double saying you have no defensive tricks , so transfer the final decision to partner. A pass says I heard the bidding , so let’s defend.

Otherwise , doubling freely bid slams in IMPS should be lead directly only , never for penalty no matter how badly bid . Why ? The mathematics of the IMP scale dictates that strategy . Years ago the winning pair at a Calcutta bid stupidly up to 7♥ vul. An opponent had K9xxx of hearts and doubled for penalty. What happened next was the biggest swing of the tournament – the 7♥ bidders pulled to 7NT , made it for +2240 ! The par result for that board was +1400 for a small slam bid & made. The opponents were about to win +1600 or 17 IMPs instead they lost 13 for a 30 IMP swing !! . If the opponents stayed in 7♥ doubled they would have received +500 instead of the +200 . They would have won +1900 instead of +1600 . +1900 is 18 IMPS ! In effect they gambled 30 IMPS to win 1 single IMP . The mathematics of the double makes it a reckless bid.

In this years Calcutta , the opponents bid to a silly 6♠ slam . You are on lead with ♠xx ♥AKxx ♦Qxxx ♣xxx so you make a penalty double as they are going down right ? Wrong , LHO pulls to 6NT , partner now must find the heart lead. He does not so you lose 13 IMPS as the par is a vul game. You were about to win +750 which is 13 IMPS instead you lost 11 IMPS for switching the lead . Your double of 6♠ would have netted you +200 or +850 which is still +13 IMPS !! Your double would have gained you ZERO IMPS but you lost a 23 IMP swing . The double was just an atrocious bid .

Maurice & I had a Grand Slam Force screw up the other night so ended up in 7♦ off the diamond Ace. RHO doubled us in 7♦ for penalty . Again this is a horrible bid as 7NT makes on this hand. RHO held ♠xxxx ♥xxx ♦Axx ♣xxx so does not want a club lead .

x	K	x	A
	x	x	K
	x	x	Q
			J
			x
			x

I pull to 7NT so LHO is on lead . If a diamond is not lead I get 3 ♠ , 4♥ & 6♣ for 7NT making instead of 7♦ going down . What if I had another diamond & the board another diamond ? Partner is void in diamonds so can not lead a diamond & 7NT makes ! Again the mathematically folly of the double is displayed by the IMP scale. You win no IMPS for your double but you could have lost a huge swing in 7NT.

A	A	K	v
K	Q	Q	o
Q	J	J	i
x	10	x	d
		x

What if you had a void in clubs against 7♦ ? Should you double when you could possibly push them to 7NT making ? There is some debate on that but my feeling is that you should double anyway. There is no guarantee that they can make 13 tricks in NT & the lead is going to defeat 7♦ . There are no certainties in Bridge.

Stan Cabay had KQJ9x of spades at the recent Calgary regional , Nick & Klimo bid up to 6 spades. Stan did not double 6♠ as it was IMPS so 6NT might make . He later said he might have doubled 4♠ but never 6♠ . There is a lot of logic in that statement !