Thursday, March 18, 2010

Hand Evaluation – Doubles ( Pre-empts )

PITBULLS:

If it ain't broken , do not fix it. When the opponents pre-empt , the default understanding for the double is penalty. Responsive doubles , card showing doubles or competitive doubles go out the window when there has been a pre-empt in the auction. This means when your side has pre-empted & when their side has pre-empted. The main exception to pre-empts & penalty doubles are negative doubles ( including thrump doubles) . This depends on how high you play your negative doubles of course. Only finely established partners with thoroughly discussed sequences should have other exceptions . For example , I play 1♦-P-1♥-3♠ X as a “Thrump” double.

            The basic rule for a penalty double is captaincy . Partner knows more what is going on than you do when there has been a pre-empt in the auction. A pre-empt is also defined when their partner gets into the act & raises the pre-empt. This rule is only valid with one vulnerability , they are not & we are vul. In fact , when partner doubles a pre-empt on that one vulnerability & they raise , forcing passes are turned on ! 3♥-X-4♥-P   means that the auction cannot die in 4♥ when they are not vul vrs vul.  The 3 other vulnerabilities , the auction can go all pass.

            The most common application of this penalty understanding is over the opponents weak two's. People like to " act up" too often when the auction goes 2♠-X-3♠ or the like. They seem to raise on just about anything. Yes , it would be nice to have a responsive double or card showing double in these situations but reality deems that the old fashioned penalty double is best. You hold ♠void ♥Kxxx ♦AJ9xx ♣Qxxx vul vrs nv. The auction goes 2♠-2NT-3♠-? so wouldn't it be nice to have a responsive double understanding here. Yes , it would so we make what we call the “counting exception “ . When LHO , partner & RHO show length already you can get away with a “card showing double . There are only 13 cards in each suit & 3 opponents have shown 12 of them ( total ) on average .

            One thing going for the penalty double with raises of weak two’s is the auction is not necessarily over. Partner can still bid with the knowledge that you are just describing your hand. In the majority of cases , do something intelligent partner means just pass. When the opponents pre-empt after a one level bid , responsive doubles apply. 1♥-X-3♥/4♥-? is a responsive double at the 3 level or card showing at the 4 level. Why the difference ? This is the law of total tricks understanding. When the opponents announce to the table that they own their trump suit , it is best to believe them . A weak 2 followed by a raise does not mean anything. We could hold a horrible trump stack for them.

            Your bidding structure must change when the opponents pre-empt. They are trying to disturb your auctions. Quite often you use 2NT in competitive auction to mean a two suiter or lebensohl or scrambling or something artificial. When they have pre-empted in any way all these artificial understandings are off & 2NT reverts to being a natural bid. Why ? They are trying to keep you out of your rightful 3NT game. Having 2NT as artificial "handcuffs” you & deters you from reaching your 3NT goal. 1♦-P-2♠-2NT is natural by virtue of their pre-empt. 1♠-X-3♠-3NT is natural not for the minors again because they pre-empted. When your side has pre-empted 2NT is natural due to captaincy. Sometimes the straight old fashioned way is the best way to go. If it ain't broke , do not fix it.