Monday, October 17, 2005 2:39 AM

Systemic Toys - Doubles

PITBULLS:

There is still a place for old fashioned penalty doubles. Bridge players seem to have no fear regardless of vulnerability when they use their systemic toys. Unusual 2NT , Michaels or systemic bids over our strong NT are very undisciplined. Some modern theorists want the doubles of these bids to be negative or showing 4 card majors etc . Not me !

The worst thing in the Bridge world , in my opinion , is having partner rescue undisciplined players from disaster by bidding in front of an impending penalty double. When they make a Michaels bid , and unusual NT or a systemic toy over our NT a double means one thing . I have one or both of their suits so let the doubling commence. A double works like a redouble after a takeout double. I have cards and no fit so they are in trouble. A pass just does not work as a possible penalty double because partner may rescue the opponents by bidding. You need a bid that shows “cards” in case they pre-empt in one of their suits. Partner is put in the picture immediately this way.

Having a double as negative to find 4-4 major suit fits do not work well either. When the bids show 5-5 distribution or the like , the odds of a 4-1 trump break increases dramatically. Take this hand Axxx xxx xx AJ10x and your partner opens 1♣ and the opponents bid 2NT for the red suits. Do you really want to make a negative double of 2NT to show your 4 card spade suit ? Standard defense against these two suited bids is to key off their suits. Bidding their local ranking suit shows a limit raise or better in partners suit. Bidding their higher ranking suit is limit raise of better in the 4^th suit. Bidding directly in the 4 th suit is a non forcing noise. Having a double to show a 4 card suit in the 4^th suit is a waste. You are just asking for bad trump breaks and you let them off the hook when they are bidding badly. Reserve the double for its original Bridge meaning - penalty.

The same idea applies when they make artificial bids over your strong NT . You can define meanings for “invisible Q bids” in other words bidding the suit that they are announcing. Therefore a double of their artificial bids should mean “let me at them” . You hold AJ109 xx xxx AQxx and partner opens a strong NT. They overcall 2♦ showing the majors . A double of 2♦ is a bid that says partner I have one or both of their suits. RHO bids 2♥ and the 1NT bidder with xx AKxx AKJx J10x doubles 2♥ for penalty and it is not pretty for them.

These doubles are also made as D.S.I.P. doubles just showing cards rather than stacked in their suits. This alerts partner to the fact that she can double them for penalty if she has their suits. These doubles announce that this is your hand and forcing passes are turned on. This allows both partners to pass the decision to each other for a penalty double. You do not have this luxury if you waste the double to be negative. You hold AJxxx xx AK109 xx and partner opens 1♥ and they bid 2NT for the minors. You double saying you have one or both of their suits or “cards” . LHO passes as does partner and the 2NT bidder bids 3♣ . Your pass is now forcing on partner who can double 3♣ with the appropriate hand. If she has no penalty double , she bids something and you may find your spade fit if you have one.

I like a pass and then a double of their suit to be D.S.I.P. when they use their systemic toys. I have cards and I want to still compete so do something intelligent partner. Partners initial double of their suit should also be D.S.I.P. showing cards. Single handed penalty doubles do not exist when partner has passed initially. 1♦-2♦-P-2♠ and partner holds x AKxx AKxxx AJx or the like so she doubles. You hold QJ109 xx xx Kxxxx and you can pass or bid NT depending on the vulnerabiity. Say you had x AQ10x xxx K10xxx and you passed over their 2♦ Michaels bid and 2♠ comes around to you. Your double saying you want to compete somewhere. Partner has AKJx x AKxxx xxx and converts. Not pretty for their side.

The opponents messing up your auction with systemic bids only confuse you only if you let them. D.S.I.P. doubles , direct doubles to turn on forcing passes and invisible Q bids keying off their suits are weapons to combat them . Advantage our side with these understandings.