Friday, June 30, 2006 4:43 AM

Hand Evaluation - Slam Undoubles

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.

Enforcer doubles ( opponents you bid badly so deserve to be punished ) have no place in IMPS especially doubling them into game.. The auction goes as follows :

1♦-P-1NT-X

2♦-2♥-3♦-P You hold ♠xxx ♥Kxxx ♦KQ9 ♣xxx so do you make an “enforcer double ? Partner is a passed hand so she should hold 10 HCP for her

3♥-X-P-P

4♦-?

double . They cannot be prime defensive tricks as she chose not to compete with a D.S.I.P. double or compete to 3♥. You do not double partials in IMPS for a one trick set. You have two defensive tricks so you are relying on a passed hand partner to come up with 3 defensive tricks on an auction where the opponents have made a game try. No , these doubles should be reserved for match points. Doubling with this hand gets you minus –710 so a 12 IMP loss. Partner held ♠J1098 ♥Q10xx ♦xx ♣AKJ which was a very reasonable passed hand for this auction. Do not be a bidding cop & enforce bad bidding unless the odds are very much in your favour for a two trick set or more !!