What type of hand is partner showing in this auction?
You LHO Partner RHO
1D Pass 1H
2S
Pass Pass DBL
Among experts, there’s fairly widespread agreement about the meaning of partner’s double. Most of them didn’t learn this from a book or a bridge class, and they may well have been confused the first time they encountered this auction. It’s the type of knowledge that tends to be picked up at the table, by seeing how your opponents play this double or, sometimes, having a more experienced partner explain the concept after you guessed wrong.
Of all the modern treatments for doubles, the most confusing – and disaster-prone – are those that send dual messages. This is one of them. Partner’s double is essentially for takeout, but also promises decent defensive values – a hand such as ♠63 ♥K10863 ♦A105 ♣K64 . He’s asking you to decide whether to defend or declare, and if the latter, in what strain.
Sometimes called cooperative or card-showing, this is more popularly known as the Do Something Intelligent (DSI) double. Its vague but handy message is “I want to bid something, but I have no clear action.”
One of the most common uses is in this type of auction:
You LHO Partner RHO
1C 1H DBL 2H
Pass Pass DBL
Partner’s second double is the “re-takeout” variety of a DSI double, showing a hand such as ♠AJ86 ♥643 ♦KQ8 ♣J42 . You have several possibilities for an “intelligent” reply (2S, 2NT and 3C are the typical retreats), but if none of those are appealing, you can pass for penalties. Partner is promising more than a minimum response, so you can count on him for some defensive tricks.
The same DSI meaning applies in many other auctions, including some where the double is made at a higher level or in direct seat. If your RHO had raised to 3H, partner’s double would still send the DSI message, the only difference being that he may have a bit more strength and you’ll be more likely to pass for penalties. If you had doubled the 2H bid, it would have shown extra values without 4 spades.
Here’s a less familiar auction where you can interpret the double:
LHO Partner RHO
You
Pass
Pass 1C
1D
DBL Pass 1H Pass
Pass DBL
With the opponents showing length in three suits and partner passing twice, his double can’t be a classic takeout and he can't have a trump stack. At this low level, it must be just an attempt to get the opponents out of 1H. The murky message is “I have some cards and don’t want to sell out. I hope you have a good landing spot for us.” It’s a risky action that might lead to a bad result, but letting them play 1H could be worse.
All you know about partner’s distribution is that he doesn’t have 3-card diamond support nor a long suit of his own. He should, however, have tolerance for your suit, so 2D is your fallback. Partner might hold ♠10875 ♥643 ♦93 ♣AK42.
DSI doubles can be useful in a wide range of auctions, but that flexibility can be a drawback as well as a benefit. In the next issue, we'll look at modern guidelines for using these doubles and ways to avoid the possible pitfalls.
© 2023 Karen Walker