Tuesday, November 29, 2005 3:07 AM

Hand Evaluation – Pulling Doubles ( Profit )

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Some people play the game of Bridge by way of rote rules or platitudes. One of the worst of these platitudes is “do not pull my penalty doubles” . Beginners are told to live by this rule as they have yet to develop any Bridge judgment. Penalty doubles must be pulled ,  if the situation warrants it ! You use criteria like vulnerability , expected compensation , defensive tricks & slam tries , fit with partner’s suit as considerations for pulling a penalty double. You leave in doubles , if based on your bidding , you hold what partner can reasonably expect . I was playing with a tormentee who opened 1♠ vul on ♠AKxxxx ♥KJxx ♦void ♣Axx  , RHO bid 2NT also vulnerable. I doubled , the bid went around to the 2NT bidder who bid 3♦ which I also doubled. Do you leave in the double ?

 

            3♦X is definitely going down as you have 3 ½ defensive tricks. You have a diamond void so they are getting a bad trump break. Will the penalty compensate for your sure vulnerable game or possible slam ? Diamond duplication of value will probably prevent a slam . Can you make game your way ? Probably guaranteed as you have extra with partner showing a good hand. Therefore , the set must be in the +800 range for a good board. You have an offensive playing hand instead of a defensive hand. The void in diamonds is a deterrent in defense as you can not switch to a trump . Also more diamonds are going to appear on the board due to your void. I pull this double to 3NT or 3♥ & apologize to partner if it is wrong. I pass quickly in IMPS or rubber Bridge though , as I am assured of a plus.

 

 Many players pull doubles because they are ashamed of their opener. This is the last reason to pull a penalty double. This set could be your only chance for a plus as game is now iffy. If you opened on 11 HCP but you have your defensive tricks , this is an excellent time to leave in the double. You pull doubles with offensive hands , not weak hands. Partner can not “reasonably expect” that you have a 5-5 or a 6-4 or a 7 card suit which are playing hands. These are the hands where penalty doubles are routinely pulled,  by expert players. Partner announces shortness in your 1st suit by doubling but she may have length in your 2nd suit which kills your hand defensively. Partner can reasonably expect a light opener though as they come with the territory of playing Bridge. Garbage openers & penalty doubles are a disastrous mix of course

 

You open 1♣ with a nice playing hand & your 2 ½ playing tricks ♠xx ♥KJxx ♦x ♣AKxxxx and LHO overcalls 1NT which I doubled. Do you leave in the double ? Do you have a hand that partner can reasonable expect with a 1♣ opener ? You have an offensive playing hand. If partner leads a diamond or a spade she will not be happy. This is two strikes against leaving in the double. Discretion is the better part of valor , so I pull to 2♣. I held ♠AJxxx ♥Axxx ♦Ax ♣xx so I  thought that 1NTX was in the 1100 range when my partner passed. A 6 card diamond suit appeared on the board in which they did not pull to 2♦ . They made +180 when my spade lead was a disaster. We have a shot at 6♥ vul our direction !

 

One of  the many aspects of duplication of value is that HCP’s & length in your partner’s suit , kills defense. This is the 30 HCP in the deck rule in a different setting. A player held ♠xx ♥J987x ♦KQx  ♣KJx with a 1♠ opener by LHO & a 2♦ overcall by partner . You are too strong for a 3♦ bid so you bid 2♥. LHO leaps to 3♠ & partner doubles so do you leave in the double ? Not a chance as my HCP’s are not where partner expects them. The ♦KQx will fill in partners suit for 3NT. 3NT makes +430 & 3♠X nets you +100.  Use hand evaluation , not rote rules.

 

I play 2NT as an impossible bid in these auctions where partner has pulled your double of 1NT. You never want to play a hand in 2NT invitational with a strong 1NT to your right. If you wanted to invite to game , you would simply bid 3♣. A jump in a suit should be forcing , a simple bid at the two level non forcing. I would bid 2NT as saying “describe your hand further” or lets scramble to our best spot . You bid 3♥ , I would bid 4♥ so we get +650 instead of –180. Pulling doubles is “scrambling” in every sense of the world

 

I was playing with my regular partner against the wiley Lee Barton . In 3rd seat ,  Lee opened 1NT which partner doubled for penalty with Lucille making a punitive redouble. I held ♠xxxx ♥Qxx ♦KJ9x ♣Ax so the auction had a distinct odour to it. As expected , Lee pulled to 2♦ which got passed around to me . I doubled , Lee bid 2♠ so around to me. Doubling 2♠ is not a good bid as it appears that his escape suit is quite solid when partner could not double. Enter the scrambling 2NT bid . I could not have spade values or they would be playing this contract doubled. You do not have the luxury of a natural invitational 2NT in these auctions.  Partner bids 3♥ after your 2NT , which described the nature of his double , so I carry on to 4♥ for +620.

 

If they escape to a suit where neither one of us can double , a 2NT bid is also scrambling saying lets find our fit. We bid are suits up the line until we find our fit as in all scrambling auctions. 2NT & 2♣ are the two most widely known bids for scrambling purposes. The SOS redouble is another tool of the scrambling trade. You can scramble with good hands or bad hands. The context of the bidding indicates that 2NT can not be natural.

 

Sometimes you pull doubles when the penalty is not going to compensate for the game you are going to make your way. Two Tormenttees were playing against Tom Gandolfo & his partner. The auction went pass , 1♣ by the Tormentee , pass by Tom & 1♦ by Tormentee #2. I backed in with a passed hand double ( equal nv ) & the opener rebid 2♣ with ♠xx ♥Jx ♦Axx ♣AKQ10xx . Tom Gandolfo , who paid his card fees & was looking at the classic Yarborough ♠xx ♥xxxxx ♦xxxxx ♣x leapt to 3♥ !! Tormentee # 2 freely bid 3NT so forcing passes have just been turned on. I bid 4♥ so the opener made the correct bid of a pass saying that she preferred to bid . The 4♥ contract was doubled so are you now fixed ? The auction is not over. You have a 6 card suit ready to go as a source of tricks & a ♦ fit for partner so pull to 4NT. This action is taken because you are afraid that the double is not going to compensate enough for your NT game. Alas , the Tormentee passed , Tom went for –100 but the field was +490 in NT for a cold zero their way. Use judgment when you pass penalty doubles. They are not commands to pass as you were taught as a beginner.