Doubles in bridge

My rho bid 1♣️ off the bet: I doubt that he’d make it. 

One of conventions in bridge is doubles: takeout or penalty. It’s being used so often, that can be taken as a natural call.

I use the penalty double (jericholibrary.org) often, especially when I don’t have a biddable suit. My aim at this stage, is to win under the line points toward game and rubber, and doubling a contract, however successful, wins no such points.

The following two hands were good candidates for penalty double, at my 2023 annual party (cue bid): my rho bid twice my suit and both times, were club.

This hand, I’ve 4 clubs: ♣️Q,J,10,7, with total 13 hcp, not counting the two doubletons.

Round 1 bid: p, p, 1C, 1S – me, who won the bid.

My lho led ♣️4, my partner has ♣️8,6,3,2, which meant my right opponent has ♣️A,K,9, 5. Also, my partner has 9 hcp.

We made 2 (8 tricks in total). If I just doubled him, we wouldn’t win the 20 under the line point.

Interestingly, the same opponent bid my suit the second time, also in club.

This hand, I’ve six clubs: ♣️KQJ432, 17 hcp with two doubletons. Clearly, club is my best suit.

There was only 1 round of bidding: 1♣️, 1♠️ – me, who won the bid. At this point, I didn’t know cue bid, and also wrongfully bid 1♠️ – I think the better bid should be 1N, to show my points.

The take out doubles, on the other hand, is a little complicated, with many factors …

  1. essentially, it’s asking your partner to bid the unbid suit
  2. you’ve 11+ pts, 3+ cards in each unbid suit

 

 

 

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