Experienced bridge players often have strong opinions about the value of specific conventions. From the most fanatical, you might have heard claims such as “I haven’t used Blackwood since the turn of the century!” and “No good player would be caught dead playing Flannery [or Bergen raises or Roman 2D . . . or whatever convention you asked about] !”
Those are exaggerations, of course, as is the assertion “Only novices count high-card points.”
It’s true that there are other ways to evaluate bridge hands, but that doesn’t mean that the first thing you learned about bidding is now obsolete. No matter how sophisticated your methods or judgment, there are many situations where it’s important to communicate your high-card strength.
Sometimes, the best – or only – way to show extra high-card values is with a double,
LHO Partner RHO You
(1) 1H DBL Pass 2C
Pass Pass 2H DBL
(2)
1D Pass 1H
1S DBL* 2S DBL
* (Support double – 3-card heart support)
(3) 1D
1H 2C 2H DBL
Your message in all of these auctions is “This is our hand, partner. We can’t let them play here undoubled.” These are sometimes called “Balance of Power” (BOP) doubles because they show that your side has a clear majority of the high-card strength (22+ points).
The obstacle in interpreting these auctions is the modern trend to treat low-level doubles as takeout. “Experts don’t play penalty doubles below the three-level” is another generalization that can talk an otherwise rational partner into searching for more subtle, complex meanings for all of these doubles.
There are no hidden messages here, though. These are card-showing doubles, and although they’re similar to what are popularly called “Do Something Intelligent” (DSI) doubles, there are differences. The most important is that you and partner have already had opportunities to describe your suit lengths and hand types (you’ve each bid at least once, often twice). For this reason, although a BOP double is not purely for penalty, it makes a stronger suggestion for that option than a DSI double does.
In Auction (1), for example, your double says nothing about extra clubs or a second suit. Partner has promised support for unbid suits, so if you wanted to show one, you could bid it. This double just says you’re at the top of your point range for your previous 2C advance. You might hold ♠Q63 ♥762 ♦A84 ♣K1065.
In Auction (2), it’s pointless to play this double as takeout because partner has already told you what he has (4+ diamonds and exactly 3 hearts). Your double shows defensive tricks, probably with just four hearts and fewer than four diamonds. You might hold ♠863 ♥K873 ♦943 ♣AK10 .Opener can also use a double to show extra high-card strength. In Auction (3), how else would you show a hand such as ♠AKQ ♥873 ♦AJ7653 ♣Q ? A 3D rebid would give partner a picture of a better suit and fewer high-card points. A cuebid (3H) would ask for a heart stopper, but it uses up a lot of space and forces partner to the 4-level if he can’t bid 3NT.
The BOP double in (3) shows your extra values and suggests that you lack club support and heart stoppers. With that knowledge, partner can make an informed decision about whether to pass or bid on.
Although a strength-showing BOP double is less “pullable” than DSI and other “takeout-ish” doubles, partner does not have to pass. More about this – plus (almost) foolproof guidelines for telling takeout from penalty from could-be-something-else doubles -- in the next issue.
© 2024 Karen Walker