Monday, October 18, 2004 11:34 PM

Negative Doubles - One Level

PITBULLS:

The negative double was designed to describe hands that could not be described otherwise. You can not make a natural call because you do not have the strength or suit quality to do so . There is one sequence with negative doubles that irritates me . One of a minor and the opponents overcall one heart. I think a negative double should show the suits below the rank of the heart suit and no natural bid available. If you pass with those hands the auction could take off and you might miss a game or your rightful partial.

Exponents of the negative double must show 4 spades after a heart overcall say that the double clarifies the spade free bid as always showing 5 . Playing support doubles by partner when they bid in the sandwich position invalidates this treatment . Partner will tell YOU if he has 3 or 4 card support or not with a support double. You can always make a natural 1♠ bid over a heart overcall as the heart suit does not “shut out “ the boss suit . I feel the negative double should deny 4 spades. Partners are always reluctant to raise with 3 trump anyway.

You hold xxx xx AKxxx J10x and the auction goes 1♣-1♥-? You are forced by the silliness of the negative double that must show 4 spades to either pass , bid 1NT without a stopper , finding your 3-3 club fit by bidding 2♣ or bidding 2♦ which overstates your hand grossly. If partner opens 1♥ and they overcall 1♠ the negative double obviously shows the suits under the rank of the spade suit. Why not the same treatment with the heart overcall ? You hold x KQx KJxxx 10xxx and partner opens 1♣ and you get a heart overcall . Do you bid an off shape 1NT ? an overbid of 2♦ or an underbid of 2♣. Why not have the freedom of a negative double and if partner bids the expected spade bid some number of NT .

I strongly feel that “Bridge is a game of suits” . Making a competitive 2/1 should show a have decent suit not just a scattering of 10 HCP’s all over the place. If you hold x xxx AKQxxx xxx and the auction goes 1♣-1♥-? This is a clear cut 2♦ bid and a rebid of the diamond suit so we are not forced to game. What if you have 10 points and a bad diamond suit ? x Axx Jxxxxx KQx and partner opens a club with a heart overcall. I would like to make a negative double and bid diamonds. This shows partner that I must have bad diamonds but values outside and he can act accordingly. Bidding 2♦ with this hand because I have 10 HCP’s partner is bad bidding and serves no purpose other to confuse partner.

I have seen games missed where a partner did not make a negative double with a good hand after a heart overcall and they got jammed out of the auction. In the Red Deer regional , the Flock/Smith partnership missed a game because after a heart overcall one partner refused to make a negative double with QJx of spades and a good hand. At the other table they did and got to an excellent 4♠ Moysean which made for +620. The negative double allows a partnership to get in there early. Somehow being “pre-empted” by a one heart overcall seems silly to me !!!