Sunday, October 09, 2005 8:28 PM

Hand Evaluation - Subsequent Doubles ( Penalty )

 

PITBULLS:

 

         D.S.I.P. competitive double theory applies to initial action only in competitive auctions. What do we mean by that ? If you were teaching a beginner about penalty doubles , you would say leave in the double if you have your bid or what partner can reasonably expect from your bidding. You have announced your hand so captaincy comes into play by partner for penalty double purposes. In a competitive auction , if you have already made a D.S.I.P. double or made a bid other than pass , partner’s double or your 2nd double is penalty ( captaincy ) .

 

            This should be obvious , as you have already announced your hand to partner so she does not need to get the information a 2nd time with a D.S.I.P. double. The auction goes

 

1♥-1♠-2♥-2♠ 

 3♥-3♠-X-P

 ?    Partner already knows that you do not have defense as you just competed to 3♥ , you did not make a D.S.I.P. double. Partners double ( limited hand ) must be KQJ10 of trump ,or the like  J . Change the auction to

           

 1♥-1♠-2♥-2♠ 

 3♥-X-4♥-X   is penalty as you have already described your defense & your desire to bid again with a D.S.I.P. double. You do not make a D.S.I.P. double after partner has made a D.S.I.P. double. You are captain.

 

            It is the pass that elicits the D.S.I.P. double in competition. A pass can mean a minimum or a trump stack in their suit. If you wish to compete again with defense after a pass by partner, you do it with a double . If partner has made an overcall or a takeout double , it is quite a variable bid. Here the D.S.I.P. double is used by your side as an initial action requesting permission to compete . Your hand is the great unknown , so a D.S.I.P. double is used to request information about your hand. 1♠-2♥-3♠-X   is D.S.I.P. saying I have cards so do something intelligent. It is an initial action , so it is not penalty. Contrast this with

 

1♠-2♥-2♠-P

 P-X-3♠-X    I have not been competing , you already described your hand with a D.S.I.P. double , so this is penalty ( captaincy ) .

 

            D.S.I.P. double theory revolves around the pass.

 

P-P-1♦-2♠ 

3♣-3♠-P-P 

X   

            This is a D.S.I.P. double as it is an initial action after a pass. Partner would like to compete again but has defense. Penalty doubles as initial action by the partnership in competition just do not exist.

 

            Here is another  typical auction “in the trenches” .

 

1♦-P-1♠-X

2♣-2♥-2♠-P

 P-3♥-P-P

 3♠-X

            This is a penalty double as we had chances to make a D.S.I.P. double previously but did not. A D.S.I.P. double this late in the auction is not logical. There is enough information for captaincy considerations.

 

            The penalty double is not dead in competitive auctions. However , the penalty double is extinct as an initial action in competitive auctions. Whatever comes later reverts to old fashioned Bridge as partner has described her hand so captaincy enters the picture.