Competitive Bidding: Takeout Doubles

Four types of hand

There are four types of hand that are shown by a takeout double:

  1. A hand of opening bid strength or better that is short in the opponents' suit and has support (ideally 4-card support) for any unbid major. Note, that means both majors when a minor suit is doubled.
  2. A hand that is too strong to make an overcall in a suit.
  3. A hand that is too strong to make an overcall of 1NT.
  4. A hand that is exceptionally strong, perhaps a distributional two-suiter.

The partner of the takeout doubler (whom we shall call "advancer") must first of all assume that doubler has the standard type A and respond accordingly.

If doubler does indeed have type A, as will be usual, he will pass advancer's response unless advancer has (by making a strength-showing bid) invited him to bid again. If doubler has one of the stronger types, he will bid again over advancer's response to show his strong hand. His action will be:

  1. Bid his strong suit.
  2. Bid NT at the lowest level with 19-21 hcp, or at a higher level with 22+ hcp.
  3. Cue bid the opponents' suit.

A takeout double made with the usual type, a weak or just moderately strong hand (type A), should have four card support for any unbid major suit and a tolerance for any unbid minor. You should not break this rule unless you can handle partner's response. In particular, you cannot rebid in no trump just because you don't like your partner's suit, since that shows 19+ hcp and you may be heading overboard (since with 6 hcp partner will not easily stop short of game).

Examples

Let's say that your RHO has opened 1. Here is an example of each hand type.

  Q J 9 5
  K 10 6 5
  7 2
  K Q 6
Type A. Even though you have only 11 hcp and less than perfect shape, you should certainly make a takout double of one diamond with this hand. The prime feature is that you have good 4-card support for both of the major suits. Your double will put your partner in an excellent position to judge what to do for the rest of the auction. You will not bid again, however, since you have shown partner your hand.
  A K 4
  A K J 10 6 5 2
  K 7
  6
Type B. You are too strong for an overcall of one heart and far too strong for a jump overcall of two hearts. Make a takeout double then rebid hearts. For example, if your partner bids two clubs (as is likely, in view of your shortage), you will bid two hearts. Your bid in a new suit after partner's forced response tells partner that you have a strong hand with a very good suit. Your bid is not forcing, but partner should support you with anything more than a minimum provided he has at least two hearts.
  A Q 9 5
  A K 10
  K J 7 2
  K 6
Type C. You are too strong to make an overcall of 1NT, which would show 15-18 hcp. With 19-21 hcp you must make a takeout double and plan to rebid in no trumps at the lowest level. Obviously, if partner bids 1 you will raise him (to the three level, not to four, since he may have a Yarborough). But over a response of one heart you will bid 1NT and over two clubs you will bid 2NT. If partner is stronger and bids, say, two hearts, you can show your hand with 2NT, which must be game forcing since partner has shown 8+ hcp and you have shown 19+ hcp. If you were to jump unnecessarily to 3NT, you might miss a better contract of four hearts. Allow partner the opportunity to show a 5-card or longer heart suit rather than making a unilateral decision to play in no trumps.
 
  A K J 10 6
  K 7
  A K 9 8 6 5 2
Type D. You would have opened with a game-forcing bid but RHO got in first. Never mind. Make a takeout double of one diamond and follow it with a cue bid in diamonds. This shows a strong unbalanced hand and is almost game forcing. You may stop below game with an evident misfit but partner must keep bidding until game is reached or the oppenents are doubled.

Responding to a Takeout Double

Your partner has asked you to bid and (with one exception, see below), bid you must. What you bid depends on whether your hand is weak (0-7 hcp) or stronger (8+ hcp).

Weak responding hands

With 0-7 hcp you must bid your longest suit, other than the opponents', at the lowest level. You must not pass, of course, unless you have placed a side-bet on the opponents. If you have next to nothing and partner has a hand with shortage in the opponents' suit, their one-level doubled contract is going to roll home with several overtricks.

If your only suit is the opponents' suit, bid your cheapest 3-card and hope for the best. Let's look at an example of this:

  10 7 6
  Q 4
  9 8 6 4 3
  10 4 2
Bid 1. In case you think that defending one diamond doubled might be more comfortable, put your hand opposite any of the four examples given above and decide again. Opposite the type A example you should get out for one or two down, probably undoubled, whereas the opponents would easily make one diamond doubled, probably with an overtrick, in spite of your five trumps.

Stronger responding hands

With 8+ hcp you must tell partner the good news by making more than a minimum bid. With 8-10 hcp, make a single jump in your best suit or, if your best suit is the opponents' suit, bid 1NT.

If stronger still, bid to a higher level. your partner's double has shown opening bid strength and support for all suits, so bid your best suit to the same level as you would raise partner if he had made an opening bid of one of that suit. Or, with good stoppers in the opponents' suit, bid 2NT with 11-13 hcp or 3NT with 14+ hcp.

A cue bid by responder

Sometimes advancer will have a choice of two suits. Which should he bid? The answer is to refer the decision to the doubler by making a cue bid of the opponents' suit. When a minor suit has been doubled, a cue bid of the minor shows equal length in the majors. For example, if partner has doubled your LHO's opening bid of 1 and your RHO passes:

  K 10 7 6
  A 10 9 4
  9 4 3
  J 4
Cue bid 2. You have the strength and the suit length to bid either two hearts or two spades yourself but why guess which is your side's better trump suit when you can refer the decision to doubler, who will know for certain? You should raise pass your partner's response, since you are minimum for a raise to the two level. With some additional strength you would raise partner's bid to the three level.
  K 10 7 6
  J 4
  9 4 3
  A 10 9 4
Bid 2. When your two suits of equal length are a minor and a major, bid the major. Don't cue bid with this hand, or partner will think you have both majors.

When a major suit has been doubled, a cue bid of the major shows equal length in the minors. By implication, because you will always prefer to bid a major, the cue bid of a major suit denies four cards in the other major.

Unsuitable hands for a takeout double

It just remains to point out that you should not make a takeout double just because you have a hand with which you would have opened the bidding. I know that a lot of players make a takeout double just to "show my point count, partner". That works to a certain extent (provided that your partner understands that you might bid that way) but it is not standard bidding and it is not really suited to the modern competitive auction. If the opener's partner raises the opening bid to the three-level, do you want your partner, if holding 10 hcp and a reasonable 4-card spade suit, to come in with Three Spades when you have a small doubleton? And if partner thinks you might make a takeout double with such a hand, he will keep quiet even with a moderate 5-card spade suit. So you will let the opponents play in Three Hearts, making or one off, perhaps, when you have an easy part-score or game your way. That's bad bridge.

If your takeout double is to be truly useful to your side, your partner must be able to compete freely in a major suit and trust that you have good support.

This means that if you have only a flat 12-14 hcp, you should pass. Your hand is well suited for defending and poorly suited for declaring. In any case if you don't have shortage in opener's suit, there's a good chance that the opponents have a misfit. You may be taken for a large penalty when the opponents would have failed in their contract anyway.

In case you are worried that if you and your partner both have a flat 14 hcp and that, if neither of you can enter the auction, you will miss an easy game, let me assure you that this will not happen so long as your partner understands the principle of "protection". After an opening bid and two passes, the player in the pass-out seat should stretch to make any reasonable bid for the very reason that his partner may have been unable to bid because he had either a moderate flat hand or a moderate to strong hand with strength on the oppenents' suit.

In the pass-out seat you should protect your partner by doubling if short in the opponents' suit. Partner will pass for penalties if he has a long holding, otherwise can make a bid.

Double only with suitable hand types

If you keep to the guidelines given here, your takeout double promises four cards in any unbid major, unless you have one of the stronger hand types (in which case you will be able to cope with any response from partner). Your partner will be able to compete confidently with four card support. In a competitive auction, indeed in any auction, you must trust your partner's bids and you must feel confident that you can trust your partner's bids. Following these guidelines will help you to compete effectively and successfully.

There are general rules about whether to compete or stay silent. These rules apply equally to takeout doubles and overcalls. I have summarised the golden rules about whether to compete or pass, and provided some example hands. You may want to refer to them.

Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club