Sunday, October 09, 2005 8:28 PM

Hand Evaluation - Doubles ( Subsequent Action )

 

PITBULLS:

 

         D.S.I.P. competitive double theory applies to initial action only in competitive auctions. What do we mean by that ? If you were teaching a beginner about penalty doubles , you would say leave in the penalty double when you have your bid or what partner can reasonably expect from your bidding. You have announced your hand once so captaincy comes into play by partner for penalty double purposes. In a competitive auction , when you have already made a D.S.I.P. double or made a bid other than pass , partner’s double or your 2nd double is penalty ( captaincy ) .

 

            This should be obvious , as you have already announced your hand to partner so she does not need to get the information a 2nd time with a D.S.I.P. double. Captaincy is very much a penalty double concept. The auction goes

 

1♥-1♠-2♥-2♠ 

 3♥-3♠-X-P

 ?    Partner already knows that you do not have defense as you just competed to 3♥ , you did not make a D.S.I.P. double. Partners double ( limited hand ) must be KQJ10 of trump ,or the like as she is now captain  J . Change the auction to

           

 1♥-1♠-2♥-2♠ 

 3♥-X-4♥-X   is penalty as you have already described your defense & your desire to bid again with a D.S.I.P. double. You do not make a D.S.I.P. double after partner has made a D.S.I.P. double. You are captain.

 

            It is the pass that elicits the D.S.I.P. double in competition. A pass can mean a minimum or a trump stack in their suit. When you wish to compete again with defense after a pass by partner, you do it with a double . When partner has made an overcall or a takeout double , it is quite a variable bid. Here the D.S.I.P. double is used by your side as an initial action requesting permission to compete  . Your hand is the great unknown , so a D.S.I.P. double is used by responder to request information about your hand. 1♠-2♥-3♠-X   is D.S.I.P. saying I have cards so do something intelligent. It is an initial action , so it is not penalty. If the double is made by the T/O doubler or overcaller , this shows “cards “.  Contrast this with

 

1♠-2♥-2♠-P

 P-X-3♠-X    I have not been competing , you already described your hand with a D.S.I.P. double , so this is penalty ( captaincy ) .

 

            D.S.I.P. double theory revolves around the pass.

 

  P-P-1♦-2♠ 

3♣-3♠-P-P 

X   

            This is a D.S.I.P. double as it is an initial action after a pass. Partner would like to compete again but has defense. Penalty doubles as initial action by the partnership in competition just do not exist. A 3rd seat opener does not mean the passed hand partner is captain of the auction.

 

            Here is another  typical auction “in the trenches” .

 

1♦-P-1♠-X

2♣-2♥-2♠-P

 P-3♥-P-P

 3♠-X

            This is a penalty double as we had chances to make a D.S.I.P. double previously but did not. A D.S.I.P. double this late in the auction pushing us to the 4 level is not logical. There is enough information for captaincy considerations.

 

            The penalty double is not dead in competitive auctions. However , the penalty double is extinct as an initial action in competitive auctions. Whatever comes later reverts to old fashioned Bridge as partner has described her hand so captaincy enters the picture.