In a Competitive Auction
What To Do When Both Sides Are Bidding
Responder’s Action After an Overcall
When a player opens the bidding and the next player overcalls, responders may take the following the following actions depending on the cards they hold.
· Make the same response they would have made without the over5call, if that is still possible.
· Make a suitable adjustment and alternative response, if the overcall has taken away the intended bid.
· Make a preemptive jump raise in the opener’s suit.
· Use a cue bid of the overcaller’s suit top show support of the opener’s suit and at least 11 points.
· Use a negative double to show support for the unbid suits (particularly unbid major suits) and enough points to compete.
Responder’s Action After a Takeout Double
When a player opens the bidding and the next player makes a takeout double, responders may take the following actions, depending of the cards they hold.
· Redouble with 10 or more high-card points.
· Make a preemptive jump raise of the opener’s suit with 4-card (or better) support and a weak hand.
· Bid a new 5-card or longer suit, with less than 10 points.
Responders should keep in mind, when RHO makes a takeout double of the opener’s suit, the doubler has an opening hand, which may be just as good or even better than the opener’s hand. Don’t be afraid to bid, your hand warrants a bid, but proceed with reasonable caution.
The Advancer’s Actions in a Competitive Auction
When partner makes an overcall or a takeout double, advancers should strive to compted, within reason, whether or not the responder makes a bid.
The Penalty Double
· A double is penalty if it is a double of an opponent’s opening 1 no trump or two no trump bid.
· A double is usually penalty when it is made at the opponent’s game level bid. (be careful here, because there are a few situations (by partnership agreement) when this may not be true).
· A double is penalty when it is clear that the opponents are making a sacrifice bid.
South West North East
1 ♥ 3 ♦ 3 ♥ pass
4 ♥ pass pass 5 ♦
Double
West’s 3 ♦ bid shows a weak hand with 6 or 7 diamonds. East’s lats 5 ♦ bid is a clear sacrifice. East believes that his side will lose less by bidding and going down at 5 ♦, than they will by allowing north-south to make their 4 ♥.
· A double is takeout when it is made over a 1, 2, or 3 level opening bid.
Consider the following?
South West North East
1 ♥ Double* 2 ♥ pass
Pass Double** pass 2 ♠
3 ♥ Double***
*Is West’s first double takeout or penalty?
**Is West’s second double takeout or penalty?
***Is west’s third double takeout or penalty?
The answers are: yes, yes, no.
*takeout – West wants East to bid.
**takout – West still wants East to bid. West obviously has a stronger hand than a minimum takeout double. West probably has abut 17 or more points.
***penalty – West, with his strong hand, is saying “okay you’ve gone too far. I will punish you now.”