ONE

HITCHIN BRIDGE CLUB

LESSON 17

THE USE OF DOUBLES

Take-out doubles
Double is the most underused card in the bidding box and it can be used on
so many occasions giving partner information and keeping the bidding at a low
level.
In the modern game, nearly all doubles of suits are used for take-out.
Doubles can be used up to and including 2S but as the game has grown more
competitive take-out doubles are now used up to 3S.
The double for take-out usually comes in 2nd position after opener but if the
opponents have bid 2 suits you can also double showing the other two suits.
You can also double on the second round of bidding if opponents have
stopped in a low level contract.
Doubling with a weak hand (with distribution)
It is best not to double with a weak NT hand as partner will invariably bid
your 2 card suit!
Suppose you pick up hand (a) which has 13 points.
(a) doubling hand
(b)responder
(c)responder
S
AK108
S
Q765
S
Q765
H
4
H
J864
H
A862
D
KQ72
D
963
D
963
C
J1098
C
A7
C
A7
The first player to bid is on your right. He/she opens 1H. You are unable
overcall because you need a suit with a minimum of 5 cards for this bid. You
now double asking partner to bid their best 4 card suit. Because the
opposition have opened 1H it is normal for your partner to think
that you have a spade suit (the other major). With 4 spades (hand (b))
partner bids 1S. The guide is that with less than 9 points you reply with a
four-card suit at the lowest level you can. Hand (a) with 13 points will now
pass (assuming that the opposition passes too). Responder, with a hand like
(c) bids STOP:2S, which hand (a) raises to 3S (asking if partner is top of the
9-12 range) and responder passes with 10 points.

TWO
(d)
S
J73
H
AQ109
D
1072
C
Q43
Responder

(e)
S
J73
H
Q109
D
107
C
KQ652
responder

(f)
S
73
H
KQ10982
D
108
C
A86
responder

What would you do if your partner doubles 1H and you hold a hand like (d)?
With a balanced 9 points and good heart values bid 1NT which hand (a) will
pass. With hand (e) and only 3 spades (and 8 points) bid 2C. Partner, with
hand (a), will pass. Hand (f) presents an interesting problem. If openers
partner passes your partners double, rather than bid 1NT, pass. You have a
good chance of taking a good penalty, especially if the opposition are
vulnerable.
Doubling with Strong Hands
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
S
3
S
1064
S
1064
S
1064
H
AK1098
H
Q732
H
QJ32
H
Q72
D
AKQ7
D
984
D
984
D
J82
C
J109
C
A73
C
AK8
C
AK75
Doubler
responder
responder
responder
When opener bids 1S what action should his/her LHO with hand (g) and 17
points take? A simple overcall would not convey the strength of this hand
and partner might well pass. A double ensures that hand (g) has the chance
to bid again. The double probably indicates that (g) has the other major,
hearts, but does not guarantee it. Hand (h) now bids 2H showing that he/she
has anything from zero to a poor 8 points. With more points (h) would have
made a jump bid. For example hand (i) would bid STOP: 3H, converted by
hand (g) to 4H.
If openers partner bids after the double, hand (h) being weak, would pass.
However, hand (i) would still bid 3H.

THREE
After the double by hand (g), hand (j) would bid STOP:3C. Hand (g) now bids
3H. This bid, which is a change of suit by the doubling hand, shows 16+ points
and a five-card suit. Hand (j) now raises to 4H.
(k)
S
AQ98
H
J6
D
10964
CQ85

(l)
S
AQ98
H
Q6
D
10964
K87

With a hand like (k) and 9 points partner will bid 1NT. With a similar hand
and eleven points (l) partner will bid 2NT which the doubler will raise to
3NT.
By doubling first and then bidding you are promising partner a good hand,
usually 16+. However doubling and then bidding in NTs shows a much stronger
hand of 19+ points. Partner should treat your double as a bid and respond
according.
Action by Openers Partner
As openers partner, what action do you take when he/she opens and your
RHO doubles? If you have 6+ points (sometimes less) no 5-card suit and can
support openers suit, then do so.
With 6-9 points and a 5-card higher-ranked suit than partner, bid it at the
one-level. Your partner will know what this indicates. In other words a
change of suit over a double shows it is a five-card suit. If you have 10+
points and a five-card suit you can bid this at the two-level, if it is of a lower
rank than openers suit. Eg. 1S-double-2C (2D, 2H).
What do you do if you have a biddable four-card suit and 6-8 points but
cant support openers suit? One option, with a balanced hand and no biddable
four card major is to bid 1NT, otherwise pass. Similarly, with 11-12 points
bid 2NT and 13-14 points 3NT. In other words bid as you would in the
absence of a double.

FOUR
Examples
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
S
KQ85
S
J96
S
J962
S
J96
H
A103
H
Q83
H
Q8
H
QJ986
D
QJ10
D
962
D
962
D
96
C
QJ10
C
K852
C
K852
C
AK4
Opener
partner
partner
partner
Hand (a) opens 1S, which his/her LHO doubles. With hand (b) partner bids
1NT. With hand (c) partner bids 2S and with hand (d) partner bids 2H which
opener raises to 4H.
Redoubling
An alternative with 9+ points and an unbid four-card major the answer is to
redouble. A redouble shows that opener and yourself hold the balance of the
points. Declarer can then bid on accordingly, or the opposition will bid.
(e)
S
J96
H
QJ96
D
986
CAJ10
partner

(f)
S
J96
H
KQ96
D
986
AJ10
partner

If you hold hand (e), after the double you could bid 1NT but a redouble
shows 9+ points and gives more information to opener(a) who rebids 1NT (1516). Hand (e) now bids 2NT (invitational) which opener with 15 points passes.
With hand (f), after the double you redouble, opener rebids 1NT and you (f)
sign off with 3NT.
To redouble when the opponents double the opening bid shows 9+ points and
can be either 1/short in partners suit and hoping there could be a penalty.
2/Three card support for partners suit and 9+ HCP. This is a way of showing
3 card support. 3/ A balance 10+ HCP which will bid NTs if unable to double
opponents contract. This is all down to partnership agreement. Usually
though, it means 9+ points and no agreement for partner's suit. It can be
used also as a waiting bid (if you have a stronger hand ) to see what your
partner rebids

FIVE
Re-opening Doubles.
(g)
S
A108
H
AQ85
D
KQ
CA764
Opener

(h)
62
K963
J854

S
H
D
1095
responder

Suppose you have a strong hand like (g). You open 1C, only to find that your
LHO overcalls 1S. Your partner passes (cannot bid at the two level) and your
RHO bids 2S. You are non-vulnerable and loath to let the opposition play in
2S and you realise that your partner has no more than 2S. You, therefore,
double to ask partner to bid their best suit which you intend to pass. Your
partner, with hand (h) bids 3H which you pass. If the opposition goes on to
3S, you pass, hoping that they fail to make 9 tricks.
This type of double is called a re-opening double and is used when opener
wants his partner to make a bid when they would otherwise pass.
Opener uses a re-opening double when He wants his/her partner to bid even without points, to stop the opposition
playing in an easily made low-level contract. They might go off if they bid
higher. A re-opening double can be made on as little as 15 points but
vulnerability is important. Going one or two off non-vulnerable can produce a
favourable score if the opposition would make more in a contract. Partner
should only pass this double if the opposition bid again before his/her bid
and he/she is very weak or has a bid holding in the oppositions suit and
expects them to go off for a penalty score.
Doubling for penalties.
If a contract is doubled by the opposition and goes down by one trick, the
penalty which the opposition gains is doubled. When a doubled contract goes
two down the penalty is increased. The magnitude of the penalty depends on
the vulnerability of the dealer. Some of the penalties are shown over.

SIX
Tricks short of the
Bid contract.
1
2
3

Non-Vulnerable
undoubled doubled
50
100
150

100
300
500

Vulnerable
undoubled
doubled
100
200
300

200
500
800

How should your partner distinguish between your double for take-out and
one for penalties?
Apart from the examples mentioned above where your partner doubles for
take-out and you leave it in because you have a good holding in the
oppositions trump suit, there are two situations where doubles are for
penalties.
Firstly, during a contested auction, when both you and your partner have
been bidding freely to game, a double is always for penalties. If you and
partner have 25+ between you then the opposition is not going to make a
game!. Secondly, when in a contested auction the bidding reaches 3NT or
above, the double is for penalties. When you are on lead against 3NT, a
double is asking you to lead the first suit bid by dummy. Be careful with this
double though, unless you can take declarer off in this contract because you
are not just doubling for the lead, you are doubling the whole contract.
A double over a pre-emptive four bid ( later lesson) is usually for penalties
but can be taken out if you think a contract your way would be more
profitable ( opposition non-vulnerable and you are vulnerable) What if you
are playing in a doubled contract and make it? The answer is that you receive
an enhanced score.
An exception to all these take out doubles over RHO opening bid is when
they open 1NT. If you have 15+ points (the upper range of the openers
bid) your double will always be for penalties as will all subsequent bids
by the opposition. YOUR partner will only bid if they are weak (-5
Points) and also distributional.
If you are the openers partner only bid if you are weak (less than 6 points)
and have a 5 card suit) This will NOT be regarded as stayman or a transfer
as the double cancels them out. Be careful doubling the 1NT, look where the

SEVEN
tricks in your hand are coming from. Remember you have to take at least 7
tricks and partner may not be of much help.
Score
Contract
Non-vulnerable Doubled Vulnerable
Doubled
3NT
400
550
600
750
4H
420
590
620
790
2S
110
470
110
670
4C
130
510
130
710
1NT
90
180
90
180
3D
110
470
110
670
The table shows that, if you double some part-score contract for penalties
and it makes, the opposition receive a game score. For example, a vulnerable
2S doubled contract which makes, scores 670.
Negative Doubles
When opposition overcall they sometimes remove bidding space and make it
difficult to express your hand. A negative double can be used to express
values/length in the unbid suits especially the unbid major. Essentially it says
I have been prevented from making my natural bid. It should promise
6points at the 1 level and 8+ at the 2 level or you could use it with a good
hand in order to see what your partners next bid will be.
(a)
(b)
S
82
S
1053
H
AJ74
H
K1097
D
K105
D
AQ62
C
KQ107
C
J4
You are sitting third-in-hand with hand (b) when your partner with hand (a).
opens 1C. Your RHO overcalls 1S and it is your turn to bid. What action do
you take? With 10 points and no overcall you would normally bid 1D. However,
you cannot bid at the two level with a four-card suit and are loath to pass.

EIGHT
The answer is double! This double shows partner that you probably have an
interest in the other two suits, hearts and diamonds but cannot raise
openers bid. With a four-card heart suit and 13 points partner will bid 2H
and a fit is found. This is not a reverse, you are simply supporting one of the
suits partner is likely to hold. If he/she were stronger they would jump to
3H. In the absence of further opposition bids you would play in 2H but would
be prepared to go 3H if necessary.
This type of double is called a negative double and can be made on 8+ points
but no five-card suit or the inability to bid at the two level
If your RHO overcalls 1NT however and you are sitting with 11+ points a
double now would be regarded as penalty showing partner that you have the
majority of the points.
Responsive doubles
What does a second double show?
W
1S

N
dbl

E
2S

S
dble

The opposition have found a fit in spades so it will not be a penalty double at
this level. The second double shows a hand who would normally have bid but
is unsure which suit to bid. This is called a responsive double and shows an
interest in at least 2 suits.
South would normally bid a five card suit or longer and double with only 4
card suits. The player who made the first double responds naturally. With an
average hand, a simple bid in the cheapest 4-card or longer suit should be
made. A bid of the opponents suit is used to show a good hand that wants to
go to game.