Monday,
August 05, 2002 10:37 AM
Hand Evaluation - Lead Directing Doubles
PITBULLS:
Long IMP matches favour the aggressive game & slam bidders. The
mathematics of the IMP scale work in their favour . They lose a small
number of IMPS by blowing their partials & in the long run
making lucky games or slams they win big . One lucky
game will compensate for 3 previous overbids , if the
opponents have not doubled . When the opponents are known to be extremely aggressive , you
must have counter measures or you will not win .
Statistics show that many many games can be beaten by the correct opening lead . I am not
sure of the exact percentages but it is quite phenomenal how many games
are made with wrong opening leads . The best counter measure against aggressive
bidders are lead directing doubles & overcalls .
We will discuss overcalls first .
I had a previous article that I described
a concept of "prevent defense" . One aspect of this concept
is to ensure that they do not make a NT contract off a suit or
partner getting off to the wrong opening lead to give them their games . In other words , think opening lead when you are bidding in prevent defense mode . When
you overcall in their forcing auctions , it is for a lead & not just
to mess them up or get doubled . Make your overcalls & third seat
openers disciplined for opening leads . When you have a fit for partners suit in a
competitive auction ,
bid another suit if it is of lead directing value . Bidding
discipline for opening leads will keep the opponents out of "lucky
games" that make because partner led 4th best from longest &
strongest. Bend over backwards to make lead
directing doubles of their Q bids
or Blackwood responses
. Anything to help partner out in opening leads .
Lead directing doubles are a must .
Good Bridge is intelligent risk taking. Lead directing doubles are risk
taking actions but in IMPS they should be done more often. In matchpoints ,
the opponents making a doubled game is a disaster. In IMPS its “lose 4” . Get out of the match point mentality. The
greatest risk with lead directing doubles is not taking one !! Have all
your understandings with partner worked out & put them to practice.
Opponents seldom re-double so if they do make their contract doubled
even with the best opening lead it is no disaster .
Just say "lose 4" when doing the comparison or "win 12" when you have succeeded. .
Lead Directing
Doubling rules :
Lead directing doubles should be based on “not waking the baby” . When the obvious lead is going to beat
the contract , do not double. The lead
directing double should “negate” the obvious
lead. This of course begs the question what is the obvious lead ? Playing 5
card majors , a minor opening is not an obvious lead. When
I open a minor , a double of their 3NT contract asks
partner to lead
my minor. When I open or overcall a major , I expect that suit to be led . Therefore , a double negates the obvious major suit lead , & calls for
a different lead. Probably dummy’s 1st bid
suit in the case of an overcall. The
dummy’s first bid suit is the default for all lead directing doubles.
When partner has opened or overcalled a suit without
you in the auction ,
responders double
of a suit contract calls for
her suit to be led dummys first bid suit !! You are probably very short in the
suit so will be ruffing soon.
In NT where there
is no dummy’s first suit
, the double guarantees that partners suit is lead.
1 NT
1♠ P
Dbl by opener calls for partners suit to be lead
- her hand
DBL 3NT ♠KQJ10x
♥x ♦Axxx ♣Axx
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2♣ 3NT
1♠ Pass
Dbl ♠xx ♥xxx
♦xxxxx ♣AQJ you had a chance to
bid 2 spades so the
2NT
double is lead directing with clubs
What
if you did support spades ? The double still calls for a
club as the obvious lead is a spade.
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Next ex Assume partners response or opening
bid to be the more natural or obvious lead . Doubles quite often negate
"natural leads"
1♦ 4♥
1♣
1♠ Dbl ♠AQxx
♥xxx ♦xxxxxx ♣void Your double calls for a club
lead . The more natural
2♥ lead
by partner would be your spade suit , your double negates that .
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NT contracts have slightly different lead directing rules depending on
whether you have supported the suit or not
1NT
1♦ 2♠ ♠QJxxxx ♥xx
♦Ax ♣xxx The
double calls for a spade lead as partner was jammed from
supporting spades . It negates the "so called"
natural lead of the diamond . If
DBL
3NT partner was not
jammed and had a chance to support spades. A diamond lead is
called
for as a spade would have been the obvious lead .
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P
!NT
3NT
Dbl
♠xx ♥AKQJxx ♦xxx ♣xx lead your singleton . If partner strikes out , maybe she will
get in for another chance !
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Slams
A double of a
slam generally means make an "unnatural" lead . When
partner has made a lead directing bid , subsequently doubles a slam do not lead her suit. . When dummy has bid a
suit, lead that , otherwise lead your longest suit
hoping for a ruff . Rules for the double of games do
not apply for slams . When both you were in the auction , the double still calls for an unusual lead (
normally dummys first bid suit ) .
Penalty doubles are necessary against
aggressive pairs . In the long run they will
"luck out" with games not bid by your partners. To take the sting out
of their tactics its necessary to catch
them speeding once in a while . These
doubles are made with an ear to the bidding & knowing if cards or
trump are sitting badly for them . Also when by
listening to the bidding they are straining to get to game
. The occasional 800 or 1100 will put a damper on their style.
Anyway , just sitting and passing all the time will make you easy
targets for aggressive bidders . Prevent defense is getting
in there for lead directing purposes
& keeping partner in the picture . Lead directing & penalty
doubles are also elevated in importance against swingy pairs..
All penalty doubles are lead directing. When you cannot stand
the lead , do not double. When you are making a trump
stack double , who cares what partner leads ? Hopefully it will be a trump ,
when the trump stack double is really obvious.