Takeout Doubles
The only thing that really matters is having the same understanding as your partner
You could use and amend these sheets to form the basis of your partnership understanding.
Why takeout Doubles?
It’s all about frequency; when you assign meanings to bids the meaning must be useful, happen frequently and not duplicate other calls. It is rare to want to penalise the opposition at a low level in a suit contract and even when the opposition pre-empts a takeout Double is usually more effective. Also if you play simply there is much less to remember. We get confused enough with takeout and penalty Doubles so why add co-operative, optional, support doubles etc to the mix.
Alerting and explanations
From the EBU Blue book: 4 B 2 Doubles
The rules for alerting doubles are:
(a) Suit bids that show the suit bid Alert, unless the double is for take-out.
(b) Minor suit openings which may be shorter than three cards but which may be natural and which do not promise a strong hand Alert, unless the double is for take-out.
(c) No trump bids Alert, unless the double is for penalties.
(d) Suit bids that do not show the suit bid Alert, unless the double shows the suit bid.
Doubles are also alertable if they convey a potentially unexpected meaning in addition to takeout or penalties (see 3H2 and 3H3).
Explanations must be descriptive and not include the name of any convention.
To when and to what level should a takeout Double apply?
Our agreement that Double of any opening bid is for takeout. The higher the opening bid the less perfect the shape also responder will be more likely to Pass the Double for penalties.
Responses when the opponents open 1 of a suit and partner Doubles
A simple suit bid shows 0-8 points and usually a four card suit the Doubler will:
• automatically raise to the 2 level with 4 card support
• might compete to 3 level with 4 card support
• cue bid with a hand where partner holding 7-8 points will be enough for game
• new suit shows 5 cards and a very strong hand
• No Trump bids are strong usually with 1 Stop
A jump bid shows 9-12 points invites game and shows only one place to play Doubler will:
• Pass with a minimum
• raise to game with a good hand
• invite game with a cue bid
• raise pre-emptively
A cue bid shows 11 plus points and usually 2 places to play the Doubler will
• bid 4 card suits in ascending order till a fit is found
• bid No trumps with a stop
1NT shows 8-10 points and at least one stop in the opponent’s suit
2NT shows 11-12 points and 2 Stops in the opponent’s suit
3NT shows 13+ points and 2 stops in the opponent’s suit
In other situations the same pattern for responder applies:
• simple bids are weak (or competitive if the opponents bid over the Double has bid)
• jumps below game level are invitational
• if partner has bid; cue bids agree partners last bid suit and are at least invitational
• if partner has not bid a cue bid shows two places to play
• if the opposition bidding has reached 4♠ ; 4NT shows 2 places to play. If the bidding has reached 4♠ ; 4NT shows both minors
• Consider the use of 2NT to request 3♣ over at least 2 level Doubles
What can the opposition do?
• Redouble shows the majority of the points
• Raise to the 3 level shows the values to raise to 2 without the intervention
• Raise to the 2 level shows 2-5 points with 4 card support or 6-9 with 3 card support
• 2NT shows 10+ with 4 card support
• Change of suit is forcing, shows a good 5 card suit
• 1NT should be 8-10ish usually doubleton or singleton in openers suit
When is Double of a suit bid not for takeout?
• When three suits have been bid.
• After partner has pre-empted
• When you have agreed a suit
• After a series of unopposed bids
• When you or partner has opened and the opponents have Doubled
• When you or partner have Doubled and the opponents have bid a new suit
• When you or partner have bid or overcalled and one of the opponents has rebid a suit
When do you make a takeout Double:
When the opponents open the bidding with a suit bid (also when the opponents raise the opening bid) a Double shows:
• No five card Major
• Less than 3 cards in the opponents suit
• At least 3 cards in the remaining 3 suits
• An opening bid (may be weaker if passed hand or if partner has passed)
• If the opponents open at a high level a Double may not be perfect
When the opponents have bid 2 different suits a Double shows:
• No five card major
• At least 4 cards in the remaining 2 suits
• An opening bid (may be weaker if passed hand or in the Pass out seat)
When partner opens and the opponents overcall a Double shows:
• No five card major (or lacking the values to bid a 5 card major directly)
• No three card support if partner opened a major and you are minimum
• At least 4 cards in the remaining 2 suits
• Responding values (may be weaker if passed hand)
When your opponents open partner overcalls and the opponents raise a Double shows:
• No five card Major (or lacking the values to bid a 5 card major)
• No three card support if partner overcalled a major
• Not a minimum hand with 3 card support for partners minor suit
• At least 4 cards in the remaining 2 suits
• At least responding values
When the bidding has reached a high level a Double may not match all of the above requirements as there is much less space to bid.
13th June 2019 Tony Cherrett
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