What type of hand do you expect partner to hold for his double in each of these auctions?
West Partner East You
(1) Pass 1D Pass
1H DBL
(2) 1H Pass 2H Pass
Pass DBL
(3) 1D Pass 1S Pass
1NT DBL
(4) 1H Pass 1NT Pass
2H DBL
Doubles have always been one of the most difficult concepts for beginners to grasp. The first hurdle is learning to tell the difference between takeout and penalty doubles. Even when you know a double is takeout, though, the inferences and specific meanings can change depending on the auction.
As you gain experience, you may find that experts have different (and better) treatments for some of the doubles that you were “sure” were for takeout. Doubles made by passed hands, as in the four auctions above, are often misinterpreted.
The simplest and most logical meaning for a delayed, low-level double is that it’s for takeout, but with a hand that wasn’t quite strong enough to act at its first turn to call. That’s the obvious message in Auction (1). Partner is showing around 10-11 points and at least four cards in each black suit.
(2) is also takeout, but doesn't promise as much strength. In (1), partner was entering a "live" auction, so he should have maximum values for his previous pass. Here, he's balancing over a dead auction, which means he's essentially bidding your values as well as his own. With the right distribution, he might be quite weak in high cards.
It may seem that (3) should also be a light takeout, but there are key differences between this and the first auction. One is that partner’s first pass did not deny opening-bid strength. The widely accepted meaning for this double is that it’s a good hand (at least 13-14 points) that was too short in responder’s suit to make a first-round takeout double. A typical hand might be ♠A976 ♥4 ♦KQ42 ♣AJ83 .
Some prefer to guarantee at least three cards in opener’s suit in case partner wants to pass for penalties, but that restriction leaves you no way to describe a hand such as ♠QJ64 ♥A4 ♦A3 ♣KJ75 3. You’d like to have a better diamond stopper and perhaps a bit more strength for an immediate 1NT overcall. The alternatives -- an off-shape takeout double or a 2C overcall with a weak suit – are even more misleading.
With either of these hands, your best strategy is to pass and hope to make a more informed decision later. If either opponent responds or rebids spades or clubs, you'll know it was probably wise to stay silent.
If LHO responds 1H, though, you have an easy re-entry into the auction over any low-level rebid by opener. A delayed double in this situation is takeout for the black suits, showing good high-card strength and heart shortness. That's as close to a perfect description as you can hope for.
Although the double in (4) “sounds like” a light takeout, the prevailing wisdom is that it should be purely for penalty -- a hand such as ♠8 ♥KJ1073 ♦AQ4 ♣KQ107 . The reasoning is that if you had heart shortness but were too weak to make a one-level double, your hand can’t be strong enough to justify barging into a non-fitting auction at a higher level.
This meaning is easy to miss at the table, though, and not everyone agrees, so it’s a good idea to discuss it with your partner.
© 2022 Karen Walker