Monday, October 17, 2005 2:39 AM

Hand Evaluation – Doubling Toys

PITBULLS:

There is still a place for old fashioned direct penalty doubles. Bridge players seem to have no fear regardless of vulnerability when they use their systemic toys. Unusual 2NT , Michaels or systemic bids over our strong NT are very undisciplined. Some modern theorists want the doubles of these bids to be competitive or showing 4 card majors etc . Not me ! I want a double of a toy to be considered as an old fashioned penalty double & turn on forcing passes. Toys or systemic overcalls seem to be a license for abuse so even if we play competitive doubles elsewhere in the system , penalty doubles are reserved for these auctions.

The worst thing in the Bridge world , in my opinion , is having partner or myself rescue undisciplined players from disaster by bidding in front of an impending penalty double. When they make a Michaels bid , and unusual NT or a systemic toy over our NT, a double means one thing . I have one or both of their suits , forcing passes are turned on so let the doubling commence. A double in these NT auctions works like a redouble after a takeout double. I have cards & no outstanding distribution so they are in trouble. An initial pass or a competitive double just does not work as a possible penalty double because partner may rescue the opponents by bidding. You need one unambiguous bid that shows “cards” in case they pre-empt in one of their suits. Partner is put in the picture immediately that we own the auction this way.

Having a double as negative to find 4-4 major suit fits do not work well either after your opening & their interference. When their bids show 5-5 distribution or the like , the odds of a 4-1 trump break increases dramatically. Take this hand ♠Axxx ♥xxx ♦xx ♣AJ10x , your partner opens 1♣ & the opponents bid 2NT for the red suits. Do you really want to make a negative double of 2NT to show your 4 card spade suit ? Standard defense against these two suited bids is to key off their suits. Bidding their lower ranking suit shows the lower ranking suit. Bidding their higher ranking suit is limit raise or better in the higher ranking suit. Bidding directly in the 4 th suit is a non forcing noise. Having a double to show a 4 card suit in the 4^th suit is a waste. You are just asking for bad trump breaks & you let them off the hook when they are bidding badly. Reserve the double of toys for its original Bridge meaning - penalty.

The same idea applies when they make artificial bids over your strong NT . You can define meanings for “invisible Q bids” , in other words bidding the suit that they are announcing. Therefore , a double of their artificial bids should mean “let me at them” . You hold ♠AJ109 ♥xx ♦xxx ♣AQxx , partner opens a strong NT. They overcall 2♦ showing the majors . A double of 2♦ is a bid that says partner I have one or both of their suits. RHO bids 2♥ so the 1NT bidder with ♠xx ♥AKxx ♦AKJx ♣J10x doubles 2♥ for penalty . It is not pretty for them.

These doubles can also be made as just showing cards rather than stacked in their suits. This double alerts partner to the fact that she can double them for penalty if she has their suits. These doubles announce that this is your hand so forcing passes are turned on. This allows both partners to pass the decision to each other for a penalty double. You do not have this luxury if you waste the double to be negative. You hold ♠AJxxx ♥xx ♦AK109 ♣xx , partner opens 1♥ & they bid 2NT for the minors. You double saying you have one or both of their suits or “cards” . LHO passes as does partner & the 2NT bidder bids 3♣ . Your pass is now forcing on partner who can double 3♣ with the appropriate hand. If she has no penalty double , she bids something so you may find your spade fit if you have one.

I like a pass & a belated double of their suit to be a D.S.I.P. competitive double ( cards ) when they use their systemic toys. I have cards & I want to still compete so do something intelligent partner. Partners initial double of their suit should also be D.S.I.P. showing cards. Single handed penalty doubles do not exist when responder has passed initially. 1♦-2♦-P-2♠ , partner holds ♠x ♥AKxx ♦AKxxx ♣AJx or the like so she doubles. You hold ♠QJ109 ♥xx ♦xx ♣Kxxxx , you can pass or bid NT depending on the vulnerability. Say you had ♠x ♥AQ10x ♦xxx ♣K10xxx , you passed over their 2♦ Michaels bid & 2♠ comes around to you. Your double saying you want to compete somewhere. Partner has ♠AKJx ♥x ♦AKxxx ♣xxx and converts. Not pretty for their side.

The opponents messing up your auction with systemic bids only confuse you only if you let them. D.S.I.P. competitive doubles , direct doubles to turn on forcing passes & invisible Q bids keying off their suits are weapons to combat them . Advantage our side with these understandings.