Saturday, September 18, 2004 6:16 AM
Hand Evaluation - DBLS ( Penalty
Judgment )
PITBULLS:
With so many doubles now being
“responsive” in nature or
competitive (D.S.I.P.) , you need judgment when deciding whether
partner’s double should be converted for
penalty. The main judgment
factors are “duplication of value” in their suit or your
own suit , length in partners suit (s) , controls & balanced distribution . Also
the location of your HCP’s . Are they in the suit that
partner expects them to be ? Are these HCP’s located behind or in front
of the opponents suit ? In addition
, you treat partials doubled into game different from games , slams or
1NTX . With partials , you must beat them two tricks because you get so punished yourself if they make the
contract.
With the penalty doubles of old ( circa 1920’s to 1980 ) you do not need judgment . You just close
your eyes and pass as the double was for “business” so there is a
trump stack over there. Doubles in competition today , even when you do not play D.S.I.P.
doubles as a system , still require judgment
whether they be pulled or not. Do
not forget that converting doubles for penalty is in effect making the “penalty double” from your side. Partner has transferred the
decision to you so the “Rule of two” should
come into effect. Experts say do not double
partials into game unless you are reasonably sure that you are
beating the contract two tricks or more . Games or slams
, convert when you are just going to beat the contract. Partner is a
passed hand , you hold ♠Kx ♥Axx ♦xxxx ♣KJxx so you open 1♣ in 3rd seat. They overcall 1♠ , partner bids 2♥ & they
pre-empt to 3♠. Around to partner who doubles so what is your decision ? You have controls
so unless they are very lucky with their finesses they are probably going
down. However ,
are they going down two
? You are doubling them into game & you have a heart fit. This is too close , so you take out insurance by bidding 4♥.
Maurice & I
had an auction recently where this judgment comes into play . Klimo opened 2♣ which was alerted as showing clubs
with a minimum opener . Maurice held ♠Axx ♥Qxxxx ♦AKx ♣xx & overcalled 2♥ . Tom G competed to 3♣ so I doubled with ♠QJ10xx ♥J ♦QJ10x
♣Kxx
. I did not want to be shut
out of the auction with my 10 HCP
with 5-4 in the unbid suits, so I doubled thinking that partner can not interpret this as a “trump stack” double
. We were playing against expert competition who have announced they own clubs. The double must be responsive/D.S.I.P. competitive.
Bidding 3♠ is too singlehanded so deprives partner of the option of converting
for penalty or finding the diamond suit.
O.K. what do you bid with
Maurice’s hand & why ? At first glance this might be a hand just to
leave the double in. You have controls & a balanced hand but wait a minute ! Where are
your HCP’s ? All but 2 of your points are in the suits that partner is
advertising with his responsive
double. When your points are in hearts which is probably opposite partners singleton , there is no
fit with duplication of value
. This would the main factor for leaving the
double in. Also apply patterns
taking the bidding into consideration to help in your decision. The opponents
show up to 9 cards in clubs so partner may only have a doubleton club . Partner is short in
hearts or else he would not have doubled. This gives him 9 or 10
cards in spades or diamonds. When you pass , the
opponents cards ( HCP’s) are all in
clubs & hearts which is a recipe for a lucky make for them. You bid 3♠ ( taking the club ruffs in your hand ) so
+140 results as I am all in with my double. A pass nets you –470 as with two
hooks onside for them & all 10
of our HCPS in diamonds wiped out by a singleton they make their contract.
Here is
another hand that shows the principles involved in converting partners double for penalties. When your points are
concentrated in the suit
that you bid ( which partner assumes
they are with his double ) that is the factor for leaving the double in. O.K. I held a hand with Tom
against the Bartons that I think the D.S.I.P. principles apply. I
held ♠Ax ♥xx
♦AK
♣KJ1098xx
with everybody vul . I
opened 1♣ , Tom bid a spade & RHO bid 2♣
. This was alerted to be a two suiter in hearts &
diamonds with shortness in clubs . I felt like leaping
to 4♣ but I did not want to go past 3NT so I bid 3♣
. LHO bid 3♦ so around to me again . O.K. one last
desperate attempt at 3NT , so I bid 3♥ which LHO doubled & Tom bid 4♣ . RHO bid 4♦ . I wanted to bid 5♣ very badly but why take such a single handed action ? I have 4♦ booked in my own hand & I am short in his spade suit so why not put partner in the picture with a D.S.I.P. double ? This has to be a competitive double so a try for a
5♣ game. When you wanted to “punish” the opponents you pass as you
already have shown a big hand so partner can act accordingly.
When partner holds ♠Jxxxx ♥x
♦xxx
♣Axxx 4♦ makes and 5♣ makes
When partner holds ♠KQxx ♥Jxx
♦xx
♣xxxx 4♦ goes for 500 and 5♣
goes for 500
When partner holds ♠Jxxx ♥Jxx
♦xx
♣Axxx 4♦ makes and 5♣ goes 1 down
Location
, location & location the most important factors of real
estate apply to bridge also. Here
the judgment factor is where are your HCP’s concentrated
& what is the length in your partners suit ? . When
your points are in spades
where partner expects them
there is duplication of value as partner has no spade fit
in this auction. A penalty pass is automatic
with all your points concentrated in that suit. When your points are not in spades , they have a “two suited fit” so to speak so the
hand will play well for them. You pull the double & get rewarded as it makes ! Their doubled contract also
makes so your judgment was essential.
I
made two D.S.I.P. doubles playing with a Tormentee
who wanted to try them out but
the lack of the required
judgment
resulted in a disaster both times. ♠KQ ♥Kxxx ♦xxxxx ♣Qx I opened 1♣ , they overcalled a spade
which the Tormentee doubled . The bid 2♠ so I bid 3♦ . They
bid 4♠ which came around to me so I doubled saying I
wanted to bid 5♦ but I had defense. I had 3 quick tricks , partner held the KQ of spades wasted , 10
HCP’s & shortage in my first
bid suit. This is an easy conversion which nets us +300. The Tormentee bid 5♦ which went for –100 .
Tonight I opened a weak 2♦ with ♠xx ♥Ax ♦KQxxxx ♣xxx nv vrs vul
opponents . They overcalled 2♥ , the Tormentee bid 3♦ so they bid 4♥ which I doubled ( action )
saying I wanted to sacrifice in 5♦ but I had defense in case partner was not interested. The Tormenee held ♠xxx ♥Qx ♦J1098 ♣KQJx so again an easy decision. I can hold at most 2
defensive tricks for my double , she has excessive length in my suit with only one defensive trick , so the pull to 5♦ is automatic. 5♦X goes for –300 against their +650 which is a top . Our result was –990 which was also a
top but their way.
Anyway , D.S.I.P. competitive doubles are not a tool for beginners as there are no
rote rules for their application. Hand evaluation skills come into
play. You need experience
and judgment to
know when to pull partners doubles or
convert them for penalty. Doubled contracts
making are still defined as a Bridge natural disaster.