2008-01-24 14:28

Hand Evaluation –Doubles ( Frequency )

PITBULLS:

Competitive bidding quite often is done solely on distribution rather than HCP’s. Voids , long suits & two suiters can wipe out your HCP’s for defensive purposes. In addition , when the opponents are solely bidding on distribution , you will have the HCP’s & wondering how to convey this information to partner. The standard penalty double does not do the job properly in competition. This is because the penalty double is ambiguous. The penalty double can be done solely on a trump stack , solely on HCP’s or a combination of both. When the opponents have distribution with their suit locked up , they are dangerous. They make their doubled contracts when your side has 26 HCP or more. Much worse , you can make a game your way for the double game swing.

Bridge bidding is based on frequency. The odds that the opponents have their suit locked with distributional bidding is far greater than running into a bad trump break. This is just straight percentages. The initial penalty double should be reserved for the more frequent hands i.e. overall strength as opposed to a trump stack. Borrowing a page from negative double theory , use the pass to show the trump stack in competition & hope partner has enough defense to double for you. This way , your direct penalty doubles mesh with the more frequent hand types in these auctions. Yes , they will escape once in a while but that case will only be when partner does not have enough defense to double. These are some of the hands that partner would have pulled your trump stack double anyway so nothing lost.

Strange as it seems , bad trump breaks are the only drawback to bidding the heck out of distributional hands. You need the double to show partner immediately whether you lack duplication of value in their suit . Doing it in reverse from the normal penalty double does the same job. Telling partner directly with a double when you do not have their suit , is very useful information so it’s an incentive for your side to bid. The pass to show the trump stack has at least one thing going for it. When the auction does get passed out , you are at least getting a plus. Not as large as the trump stack double zealots but a plus nevertheless. Negative double theory works on the same principle but only after opening bids & overcalls. The pass is the trump stack double in competitive auctions playing competitive doubles. We are extending negative double theory to apply in all competitive auctions but without strict unbid suit requirements , just “cards “ .

D.S.I.P. competitive double theory handles pre-empts differently at the 4 level than standard methods. Even when you play negative doubles thru 4♦ , the double is still not penalty when they pre-empt 4♥/4♠. The double is D.S.I.P. meaning “cards” & not the strict unbid suit requirement of negative doubles. When we have a trump stack in their suit , we use the green card & cheer for the re-opening double as in negative double theory. Direct trump stack penalty doubles commence at the 5 level.

The hardest part of playing competitive doubles is getting out of old habits. The trump stack mentality for penalty doubles is what you grew up with , so it is difficult to change. You do not need to be an enforcer in Bridge & punish bad bidders yourself. Trump stack doubles are a terribly singe handed form of Bridge. Partner will co-operate at her end with the appropriate hand. Get used to the new way as you are playing the odds with a better bidding tool. The double is just too good a bid to waste on low percentage trump stack hands. Trump stack doubles should be extinct in competitive auctions. Get used to it.