Saturday, April 05, 2003 7:14 PM

Pulling Penalty Doubles

 

PITBULLS:

 

          In a perfect world you would never have to pull penalty doubles . Some penalty doubles you never pull because you were never in the auction or you have what you announced for your previous bidding . All other penalty  doubles are D.S.I.P. ( Do Something Intelligent Partner ) so pulling the double is a must .

 

          O.K. if you are going to pull penalty doubles on occasion you may as well have a tool for doing this . Lebensohl relays to the rescue . Pitbull Pat and Susan had an auction where the opponents were scrambling after getting doubled . The auction went

 

 

 

1NT

 

1♦

 

 

X

pass

 

2♠

?

 

 

 

 

     xx  Jxxxx Qx AKxx   Partner’s pass is forcing and you want to compete anyway . 2NT can not be natural as  you would have doubled . This bid relays to 3♣ and 3♥   shows this kind of hand . 3♥ directly would be forcing with better hearts.

 

 

 

x

x

K

K

 

x

Q

Q

 

 

J

x

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

          You open a diamond and LHO bids 4♠ and partner doubles . Pulling the double directly should be a slam try . You should never pull penalty doubles from a position of weakness - it could have been your only chance for a plus. Put the Lebensohl relay to work . Bid 4NT and force partner to bid 5♣ and now 5♦ shows this kind of hand .

  

 

 

 

 

 

x

x

J

J

 

x

x

x

 

 

x

x

 

 

x

x

 

 

x

x

 

 

 

 

      Partner opens a diamond and LHO bids 4♠ and it comes around to partner and she doubles . What does the pull to 5♦ mean ?  You did not bid 5♦ directly so you are under those values. Why not have your cake and eat it too ?  Bid 4NT and partner relays to  5♣ and 5♦ shows this directly . If you had say KQxx of diamonds and an  outside Ace pull to 5♦ directly from a position of strength . You are vul and you can convey that you have values . If the opponents bid again or partner might have slam interest you have done your job.

 

 

 

 

x

K

A

x

x

Q

x

x

x

10

x

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

         2♠  pass 4♠ and partner doubles . 4NT as Blackwood or for the minors is a wasted bid here. 4NT should be a Lebensohl relay to 5♣ and 5♥ directly should show this kind of hand . If the opponents bid again , partner is better placed and forcing  passes are on .   

  

          Anyway , a relay like Lebensohl is designed to give alternative meanings to auctions. Using them in pulling penalty doubles and when the opponents pre-empt to 4 of a major makes a lot of sense to me to clarify auctions…