Saturday, July 31, 2004 6:53 AM

Hand Evaluation – Dbls  ( 2nd Double )

 

PITBULLS:

 

 

Cavendish 2004 Miller/Wold vs Hamman/Zia Both Vul

 

            Miller

            AK7653

            AJ98  

            Q10

            4

 

Zia                            Hamman

10942                        QJ

63                              KQ102

K75                           A642

10972                        AK3

 

            Wold                  

            8                         

            754                      

            J983                     

            QJ853                 

 

P(Wold)-P-1♠-D

P-2♣-2♠-D

P-?

 

 

In my opinion, the 2nd dbl by Hamman is DSIP ( cards )  showing a "flat" 19+ hand  with less than 4 clubs. Zia can pass & collect 500 or 800 . He actually bid 3♣  , collected -300 when mercifully Wold passed. Strange, from a player like Zia, who is known for saying that there aren't enough doubles in IMP's

 

. For the  Cavendish, as much as about 60*25 = 1500 imps swung on this single DSIP hand. The current half-time leaders have some 1900 imps in total.

 

Bob, for your arsenal on DSIP's

 

Stan Cabay

 

The 2nd double should always be D.S.I.P. like showing extra HCP’s , never a trump stack double as in so called traditional thinking. I think the “trump stack” mentality for the 2nd double came from bad bidding in the first place. Many players made “take out” doubles with a trump stack in the opponents suit because they had a good hand. They did not like to trap with the opponent’s suit. I find these kind of takeout doubles repulsive. Takeout doubles are just that , wanting partner to pick the unbid suits , not someone else’s suit . The only time you double with the opponents suit is if you are too strong to make a NT bid . You have so much strength anyway in these hands , they qualify for a 2nd double. A 2nd double just clarifies your first double as showing at least an Ace more in overall strength. A pass in lieu of a 2nd double shows exactly what you announced.

Maurice & I had an auction against the Bartons that shows the 2nd double in action.  . ♠x ♥xx ♦KJ109xx ♣AKxx   it went 2♠-x-2NT-x   , Maurice correctly doubles first to show his HCP strength. The opponents bid 4♠ so partner doubles again with a flat 16 HCP  ♠xx ♥AKQ ♦Axx ♣QJxxx . This is the 2nd double principle in action at a higher level than the Hammon/Zia auction. . Since Maurice has the stiff spade & now knows partner has a good hand  with his 2nd double , he bids 4NT saying pick a minor partner. Partner bids 5♣ so Maurice tries 6♣ which makes for +1370.  This was an excellent sequence as the 2nd belated double conveyed enough information to attempt a slam. If partner does not make a 2nd double,  the slam would not be reached !  Say Maurice bid 3♦ or 4♦ over 2NT . Is this based on strength or distribution ?? Does it show 2 suits or one ? You can never find your club fit . The double followed by 4NT over the expected 4♠ by the opponents describes your hand perfectly. A good hand with the minors , so you used the opponents as a stepping stone to show your HCP strength. Partner will always assume you are weaker & more distributional when you fail to double any  NT contract when you had the chance. This applies even if they never intended to play it there.

Ok. What if you did make an original takeout double with some wastage in spades . Say you held ♠AQx ♥AJxx ♦KJ10x ♣xx , the auction went the same way. This time you would pass 4♠ . Partner in the re-opening seat will re-open with a double when he wants the auction to continue. A double in the pass out seat is never penalty but shows shortness & wants partner to bid. With this hand , a conversion tales place so they play 4♠ doubled. Even not playing D.S.I.P. theory , you throw out “trump stack” doubles in the pass out seat in these  auctions. All the opponents hold are trump & their bidding is such that they are daring you to double them with their huge fit. This is the “depending on context” aspect of the penalty double,  when you do not subscribe to D.S.I.P. competitive double theory. In these auctions , the only way you can “punish” the opponents with a trump stack double is by converting partners double.

Having the 2nd double defined as card showing has its advantages. The double becomes a “support double” with 3 trump as you would always choose a Q bid with a huge hand & a 4 card or better fit. You hold this hand ♠AJx ♥x ♦AKxxx ♣KQJx , double 1♥. It goes pass , partner bids 1 spade & opener bids 2♥ . You double again to show your strength but more importantly your lack of 4 card trump support. Re-opening doubles follow the same principle . You open 1♦ , it goes one spade so it gets passed around to you again  ♠x  ♥KQ10 ♦AKxxx ♣AKxx , you re-open with a double. Partner bids 2♥ , RHO crawls in with 2♠ . You double a 2nd time to show your strength & the lack of a 4 card fit for partner.