Saturday, May 17, 2003 3:24 AM

T/O Double Style

PITBULLS:

Overcall styles have changed over the years . Decades ago it would be unheard of to overcall two of a minor with 16 + HCP . One would double first and then bid our suit . Modern style is do not make ambiguous take out doubles if you can avoid it and just overcall with your good hand. I subscribe to that philosophy as it has worked much better for me from my own experiences.

Given this style of overcalling , Rodwell/Meckstroth have come up with something they call “Minimum Equal Level Conversion” . This allows some flexibility with off shape take out doubles . In fact , T/O doubles with the majors or two suits is the better and more frequent bid with this understanding.

It goes 1 ♥ to your right and you hold

A	x	A	x
K	x	J
x	x	10
x		x
		x

Do you overcall 2♦ and lose the spade suit when they jam in hearts ? Do you overcall on your 4 card spade suit and lose your possible diamond contract ? Rodwell/Meckstroth recommend doubling and when partner bids 2♣ or 3♣ if pushed there competitively make an equal level conversion to diamonds. This does not show extra as you stayed at the same level . To show a diamond rock you would have to go to another level .

This allows Rodwell/Meckstroth to solve the age old 6-4 problem of whether to overcall or make a takeout double. With diamonds you can always double with 6-4’s holding the other major because pulling partners club bid to diamonds is an equal level conversion and does not show extra. With the club suit you are still forced to overcall clubs rather than double with your 6-4.

With 5-4 in the majors and a good 5 suit it is always been better to overcall your 5 card suit rather then double . Sometimes though this jams you out of your heart/spade fit and might even miss game . Equal level conversion to the rescue .

A	A	x	x
K	J	x
x	10	x
x	x
	x

One diamond to your right and you are normally forced to overcall a heart. Now you can double and pull 2♣ to 2♥ . Equal level conversion does not show extra and partner knows you have 5♥ and 4♠ and a minimum. If you are that strong that you can not overcall a heart , then up the level after doubling.

You overcall a spade with a minimum 5-4 and you hit partner with x Qxxxx xx Axxxx who passes or passes a lot of similar hands in competitive auctions and you are jammed out of your 4♥ games. Some hands you make 140 in hearts and –200 in spade contracts. This is just a matter of frequency of hands . It is far more frequent to hold these type of hands then a hand too strong too make an overcall. You get fixed with these type of hands more often then not.

The auction goes 1♣ and you have A10xxx QJxx Kx Ax so do you overcall or double ? This is easy as the spade suit “buries” the heart suit more often than not. In addition your spade suit is nothing to write home about. Anyway if you do overcall , partner leaps to 3NT with Q K109x Qx KQJ10xx and you lose 10 IMPS as +450 in hearts as opposed to –100 in 3NT with a diamond lead. A T/O double and you are in 4♥ in one bid.

I had a hand in my Masters Solvers Club where you held Qxx Axx xxx Jxxx . The auction goes 3♦-X-P-? . Most of the panel bid 3♥ and I gave the main reason for a 3 heart bid is that we play minimum level conversion. Partner has AJxxx KQx x AKxx and as he converts at the same level he is not showing any extra. Over the 3♠ bid partner bids 4♠ and a very nice +620 results. Equal level conversion really shines when the opponents jam you at the 3 level. 1♦-P-3♦-X xx KQx xxx Qxxxx Partner has AKxx Axxxx xx Ax for his double and you bid 3♥ . This brings 4♥ and +620. Change partners hand to AKxx Axx x K10xxx and he bids an equal ( 3 level ) conversion to 3♠. This shows spades and clubs and a tolerance for hearts. You now leap to 5♣ and +600 . Say you held xx KQxxx xxx Qxx on the same auction. You return to 4♥ and that makes. You only lose on auctions where 3♥ precisely makes but the doubler is allowed way more freedom if he is allowed to convert at the 3 level as a grope for the best spot.

Given our style of strong overcalls and frequent doubles to get in there or balance , Minimum Equal Level Conversions make sense to the coach … Does it make sense to Stan , Tom , Pitbulls ?