Thursday, April 27, 2006 4:05 AM

Hand Evaluation – Dbls ( Unknown Suits )

PITBULLS:

Meckwell and other partnerships play their version of D.S.I.P. doubles during systemic or artificial auctions but the double means “tell me more” or please clarify an ambiguous bid. My partner & I play our version of Capelletti over the opponents NT . This treatment preserves the good aspects of Capelletti but removes the silly single suited 2♣ bid. 2♦ shows any single suited major hand , 2♣ shows the majors or a minor/major combo. If the opponents interfere , a double is D.S.I.P. meaning I want to compete as I have cards but I do not know in which strain to compete. If you convert with their suit , that is fine also.

All conventional bids that have an unknown suit aspect to it should have that understanding. If there is no unbid suit aspect , the double is penalty as you are captain of the auction ( you know partners suits ) . Partner bids a Michaels showing a minor with the other major. A double of their suit by partner should be the same as a 2NT asking bid but with defense in case partner wants to convert. By having a choice between bidding a NT ask & a double used as an inquiry , you are showing the additional defensive strength of your hand . The double says I have defense in case the auction “takes off” . The 2NT bid could mean I was just thinking of sacrificing .

I have had opponents actually bid my partners suit without knowing it. 1NT-2♦* ( hearts or spades ) – 2♠ - ? ♠x ♥Axx ♦AKxxx ♣Qxxx so it is obvious partner has hearts so you have a heart game right ? You leap to 4♥ but partner has KQJ109 of spades . A double playing systemic unknown suits should always be D.S.I.P. , even if you are not playing D.S.I.P. doubles as an understanding. You want to compete , but you are unsure of partner’s second suit or ambiguous suit. Same with 1♠-2♠-3♦-? This is presumably natural & forcing unless alerted. You have ♠Axxxx ♥xx ♦xx ♣Axxx so you would like to compete in your partners club suit but you have defense. You double 3♦ and that’s where they play it as diamonds not clubs is partners 2^nd suit !! If you know partners’ suits , it is a different matter. Your double is penalty as partners bid is considered to be a pre-empt.

The double is the most flexible bid in Bridge . Using the bid as a request to clarify your hand is just another use for the D.S.I.P. double. A Q bid is an ambiguous bid if not used 100 % of the time as limit raise or better. If partner has Q bid their suit , & they bid again a pass can show a minimum while a double is D.S.I.P. just showing values with a willingness to compete. In effect, the double is saying please clarify your Q bid. Q bids do not automatically establish forcing pass theory unless game is subsequently reached. You need D.S.I.P. doubles to compete better in auctions after partner has Q bid. Q bids are not forcing to game , so D.S.I.P. theory takes precedence over forcing pass theory.