Card Showing Doubles

This is a neat gadget to solve an uncomfortable problem.

The bidding:

Partner        Opp.        You         Opp.
1♦               Pass         1♠            2♥
Pass            Pass         ?

Your hand:
♠ A J 9 6 3    ♥ 4 2    ♦ Q 8    ♣ K 8 4 2

What a dilemma! Your choice of a rebid are all bad:

1. Rebid your mediocre 5-card spade suit (only perverts repeat 5-card suits!)
2. Bid 3♣, an anemic 4-card minor suit
3. Bid 2 NT with no heart stopper

But if you and partner play "card showing doubles", you would double in this sequence, showing a decent hand (10+ points) with no convenient bid. Partner will know it is a takeout double, not a penalty double.

© 2013 Roberta Salob

Balancing Jump Overcalls

West             North             East             South
1♥                 Pass               Pass             ?

South is in the balancing position....a pass would end the bidding. Should South ever make a "weak jump overcall?" No, because there is no need to jam up their bidding. With a very weak hand, just pass and leave them in their partscore; don't give them a chance to reconsider and perhaps bid a game. Therefore, jumping in the balancing position is not weak - it shows a good 6-card suit (or longer) and around an opening bid. If South's hand was:

♠ A Q J 9 7 5
♥ 9 3
♦ 8 5
♣ K Q 6

South would jump to 2♠. North would know South has a decent hand, not a junky hand that is just balancing, and this bid makes it harder for the opponents to bid again on a low level. (With a weaker hand, South would bid 1♠; with a stronger hand, South would first make a takeout double and then bid spades.)

Responding in a New Suit After a Takeout Double

Responding on the one-level:

Partner has opened one-in-a-suit and your RHO bids Double. Bidding has changed since the glory days of Charles Goren (he's dead, you know…..) Mr. Goren said that a new suit always shows under 10 points because with ALL 10+ point hands, you would redouble. Not so anymore (sorry, Charlie…..) Here's a better way to play new suits bids by the responder after a takeout double:

Partner        RHO          You
1♦               Double       1♥*

* Most experts agree that bidding one-in-a-suit after a takeout double is a forcing bid showing 6+ points. It has the same meaning as if RHO passed. Your hand could look like this:

♠  9 8   ♥ K Q J 10 8 7   ♦ J 7 4   ♣ K 9

Yes, you have the strength to redouble, but then it may be difficult to show your suit next time, especially if the opponents find a spade fit. Bid 1♥ now, and the next round jump in hearts to show a 6-card heart suit with invitational points, a perfect description.


Responding on the two-level:

This is not at all like responding without RHO bidding double! In Standard bridge, when the responder bids a new suit on the 2-level, it shows a good hand with at least 10 or 11+ points. But if you play that way, you would have to pass this hand:

Partner        RHO          You 

1♥              Double        ?

♠  9 5 3   ♥ 3   ♦ K Q J 9 8 6   ♣ J 4 3

It's now or never - since 2♦ would not be forcing after a takeout double (responder would redouble with 10+ points or bid one-in-a-suit, both forcing bids), you can bid 2♦ and partner will know you have a good 5 or 6+ card suit and under 10 points. 

Takeout doubles change everything!

© 2013 Roberta Salob

Agonizing Bids

When partner opens 1 NT and you have a three-suited hand with a singleton or void, depending on your point count, you need to make a decision:

♠ 8   ♥ K 8 6 4   ♦ K J 9 7   ♣ J 10 8 7

You have enough to invite a game, but if your Stayman 2♣ bid does not reveal a heart fit with partner, you must go back to 2 NT - this is not too savory, but you have no other good choice. Just hope partner can cover you singleton, or the opponents won't lead a spade, or if they do, they may block their own suit…….be brave!

But what if you are very weak?

♠  8 6 4 3   ♥ 9   ♦ Q J 6 5   ♣ J 10 8 3

Pass. This is an awful hand to put on the table, but you have no safe place to run. If you bid 2♣ and partner bids 2♥, you are stuck.

But there is an exception to passing with a weak hand and no long suit:

♠ 8 5 4 3   ♥ 8 6 2   ♦ J 10 9 6 5   ♣ 4

With this assortment of junk, still bid 2♣! You will PASS any bid by partner, even 2♦. This is the only distribution (very short in clubs, long in everything else) that you can use Stayman. It's known as "Garbage Stayman".

© 2013 Roberta Salob