Heidi's Bridge Blog

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Rebidding after Partner makes a Negative Double showing both Majors

This post builds on the knowledge learned in previous posts. Please read them first:
Introducing the Negative Double - Auctions showing Spades
Responding to a 1 Level Negative Double when RHO passes
Responding to a Negative Double when RHO raises 1 level
Negative Doubles to show Hearts
Responding to a Negative Double with Hearts RHO Passes
Responding to a Negative Double which shows Hearts when RHO raises 1 level

and most importantly:
Negative Doubling to show BOTH Majors

Once Partner makes a Negative Double you (as Opener) are basically forced to bid. It's a little bit like a Take Out Double. If you "Pass" the Negative Double, the Opponents are playing at a low level contract and neither you, nor Partner, has very many trump. So you NEED to respond. Let's look at hands where Partner made a Negative Double at the 1 level to show that they have both major suits.

So the auction would be:

YOU!	Your Left Hand Opponent	Partner	Your Right Hand Opponent
1♣	1♦	Double	Pass
???

and here is your hand:
♠KQ92
♥J82
♦83
♣AK84

If you "Pass" right now your LHO is playing in 1♦ Doubled and you only have two trump. Partner doesn't have to have any! So you cannot "Pass".

Partner's Double told you that they have at least four ♠ in their hand. Perfect! You have four ♠! You have a ♠ fit!

You need to tell Partner that you have a fit. But you don't want Partner thinking you have much in the way of points. You are minimum for your opening bid. Bid 1♠. That tells Partner that you have a fit, but you only have a minimum hand.

What if your hand was stronger? What do you do then?

With a VERY stong hand, say this one:
♠AKJ9
♥82
♦AT4
♣AK84

you can just go right to game. Bid 4♠. Partner is supposed to have at least 6 HCP to make the Negative Double. You have 19 HCP! That should be enough to make a game.

With a more medium type hand you can jump one level.

So with this hand:
♠AKJ9
♥82
♦96
♣AKJ84

you would jump to 2♠. That tells Partner that you have more than just a minimum opener, but not quite enough to bid a game.

Can you count extra points somehow?

Say you had this hand:
♠AQ92
♥AT2
♦4
♣AJ842

You opened the bidding 1♣. If the Opponents had not interfered Partner would have responded 1♠. You have a fit and you will be Dummy. You can now add Dummy points to your hand. So now rather than 15 HCP in your hand you have 18 points because you get to count three points for your singleton ♦. It seems unfair that when the Opponents interfere with a 1♦ overcall you no longer get those points.

It is unfair. Give them to yourself!

So add Dummy points to your hand even though you will be Declarer.

So that 15 HCP hand now becomes an 18 point hand. You can now jump a level to 2♠ to show a hand with about 17 or 18 points -- even a really good 16 point hand.

That's quite a bit of information. Let's practice! That might make things a bit more clear.

On the following hands YOU opened the bidding 1♣. Your LHO (Left Hand Opponent) overcalled 1♦. Partner doubled. You have agreed to play Negative Doubles and this is one! Partner has at least 6 HCP and at least four cards in BOTH Majors. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says "Pass". It is your bid. What will you bid and what does that bid show?

So the auction was:

YOU!	Your Left Hand Opponent	Partner	Your Right Hand Opponent
1♣	1♦	Double	Pass
???

With a minimum opening hand (and a fit!) bid just 1 of your four card major. This should show up to a bad 16 points.
With a medium opening hand (and a fit!) jump to 2 of your four card major. This should show a really good 16 points to 18 points.
With a maximum opening hand (and a fit!) bid 4 of your four card major. This should show at least 19 points.

(Remember to count Dummy points!)

Hand 1

♠85
♥Q752
♦K76
♣AKQ4

Hand 2

♠J842
♥A5
♦Q2
♣AK972

Hand 3

♠AJ97
♥KQ9
♦J
♣AQ863

Hand 4

♠AK2
♥KT65
♦5
♣AQ842

Hand 5

♠K5
♥AQ52
♦A54
♣AQ74

Hand 6

♠Q9
♥KQT5
♦872
♣AK75

Hand 7

♠A976
♥A76
♦6
♣KQJ72

Hand 8

♠J87
♥KQ52
♦Q
♣AK643

Hand 9

♠AK74
♥A73
♦T2
♣Q543

Hand 10

♠73
♥AKT8
♦T76
♣AQT5

Hand 11

♠Q6
♥AQT6
♦J4
♣AJT53

Hand 12

♠AT9
♥AT82
♦J4
♣KJT6

Hand 13

♠AKT9
♥86
♦953
♣AK54

Hand 14

♠4
♥AJ96
♦T9
♣AKQ764

Hand 15

♠KT82
♥T98
♦AK
♣K642

Hand 16

♠A82
♥K842
♦J
♣KQ952

Hand 17

♠AQT3
♥K74
♦8
♣AKJ83

Hand 18

♠K42
♥JT43
♦Q4
♣AKJ8

Hand 19

♠AK2
♥AJ52
♦4
♣QT976

Hand 20

♠AJ85
♥852
♦
♣AKQ432

Hand 21

♠K5
♥KJ43
♦64
♣AK842

Hand 22

♠8
♥AQ64
♦AJ4
♣AJ843

Hand 23

♠A53
♥KQ72
♦6
♣AKQT2

Hand 24

♠A876
♥QJ2
♦9
♣AQ985

Hand 25

♠87
♥KQT5
♦JT4
♣AK85

Hand 26

♠KQJ8
♥K83
♦
♣KJT832

Hand 27

♠AJ95
♥AK4
♦9
♣KT976

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Negative Doubling to show BOTH Majors

Partner	Your Right Hand Opponent	You!
1♣	1♦	Double

For this Double you MUST have BOTH suits. After all, both are majors and both are very important. You only need six (or more) HCP (High Card Points) because Partner is only required to bid at the 1 level.

BIDDING the suit (rather than Doubling) at the 1 level NO LONGER shows a FIFTH card in the suit and still shows only six (or more) HCP. The reason bidding only shows a four card suit is that in order to Double you would NEED to have four cards in BOTH majors. If you have only one four card major you would still need to tell Partner about that four card major so therefore bidding the suit needs to be only a four card suit, but you could have more of course.

So this auction:

Partner	Your Right Hand Opponent	You!
1♣	1♦	1♥

Bidding 1♥ only shows a FOUR card suit (you could have more) and six or more HCP (you could have more) and is still a forcing bid.

and of course this auction:

Partner	Your Right Hand Opponent	You!
1♣	1♦	1♠

Bidding 1♠ only shows a FOUR card suit (you could have more) and six or more HCP (you could have more) and is still a forcing bid.

Does the "Double" show any particular length in each suit?

Good question! It does!

With two FOUR card majors ALWAYS make a Negative Double.

Partner	Your Right Hand Opponent	You!
1♣	1♦	???

Hand A	Hand B	Hand C
♠K952 ♥QJ82 ♦T4 ♣864	♠KQ92 ♥AJ82 ♦T4 ♣J64	♠KQ92 ♥AJ82 ♦T4 ♣A64

On Hand A, Hand B and Hand C you would start with a "Double" to tell Partner you have both majors.

With two FIVE card majors ALWAYS bid the higher ranking suit first -- 1♠ in this case.

Partner	Your Right Hand Opponent	You!
1♣	1♦	???

Hand D	Hand E	Hand F
♠K9542 ♥QJ842 ♦4 ♣64	♠KQ942 ♥AJ842 ♦4 ♣J4	♠KQ942 ♥AJ842 ♦4 ♣A6

On Hand D, Hand E and Hand F you would start with a 1♠ bid. This just tells Partner you have FOUR of them. You will show this distributional hand with your next bid.

With both a FOUR card major and a FIVE card major make a Negative Double with a weak hand -- less than 10 HCP.

Partner	Your Right Hand Opponent	You!
1♣	1♦	???

Hand G	Hand H	Hand I
♠K952 ♥QJ842 ♦T4 ♣64	♠KQ932 ♥J842 ♦T4 ♣64	♠K942 ♥AJ842 ♦T4 ♣64

On Hand G, Hand H and Hand I you would start with a "Double" to tell Partner you have both majors.

With both a FOUR card major and a FIVE card major bid your FIVE card major with a strong hand -- a good 10 HCP or more.

Partner	Your Right Hand Opponent	You!
1♣	1♦	???

Hand J	Hand K	Hand L
♠AK985 ♥KJ42 ♦T4 ♣64	♠KQ932 ♥AJ84 ♦T4 ♣64	♠KQ42 ♥AJ842 ♦T4 ♣A4

On Hand J and Hand K you would start with a 1♠ bid to tell Partner you have at least four ♠. You can always bid ♥ later on.

On Hand L you would start with a 1♥ bid to tell Partner you have at least four ♥. You can always bid ♠ later on.

That's quite a bit of information. Let's practice! That might make things a bit more clear.

On the following hands Partner opened the bidding 1♣. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) overcalled 1♦. It is your bid. What will you do?

Keep in mind that you do need values to bid.

Double if you have at exactly four ♥ and four ♠.

Double if you have at EITHER five ♥ and four ♠ with a weak hand OR five ♠ and four ♥ with a weak hand.

Bid a four+ card major.

Bid 1NT to show stoppers in the Opponent's suit with 6 to 10 HCP.

Bid 2NT to show stoppers in the Opponent's suit with 11 or 12 HCP.

Bid 3NT to show stoppers in the Opponent's suit with 13 to 15 HCP.

and last (but not least!) just "Pass" if you have nothing to say.

Here goes. Remember the auction was:

Partner	Your Right Hand Opponent	You!
1♣	1♦	???

How many High Card Points (HCP) do you have? What will you bid and what does that tell Partner?

Hand 1

♠K6
♥QJT82
♦AJ87
♣87

Hand 2

♠Q9742
♥A863
♦86
♣84

Hand 3

♠K84
♥K53
♦QT86
♣K75

Hand 4

♠KT86
♥AQJ5
♦A97
♣73

Hand 5

♠AT2
♥AJ987
♦542
♣Q5

Hand 6

♠AKQT5
♥AJ43
♦8
♣J82

Hand 7

♠T983
♥A6
♦KT6
♣AJ86

Hand 8

♠Q653
♥J75
♦83
♣KT85

Hand 9

♠843
♥AT8
♦KQ8
♣T862

Hand 10

♠KJT8
♥AKT7
♦QT8
♣J9

Hand 11

♠J952
♥QT83
♦J4
♣KT5

Hand 12

♠987
♥KJ86
♦A742
♣T2

Hand 13

♠A6532
♥AKQ8
♦T76
♣4

Hand 14

♠A32
♥AQT94
♦9765
♣6

Hand 15

♠J95
♥T75
♦KQT3
♣Q53

Hand 16

♠T62
♥QT92
♦32
♣KQ72

Hand 17

♠9642
♥AQT74
♦942
♣J

Hand 18

♠JT8
♥J96
♦QJ86
♣A95

Hand 19

♠J982
♥KJT5
♦AQ3
♣T4

Hand 20

♠JT2
♥K74
♦Q98752
♣3

Hand 21

♠KT87
♥KQT8
♦K83
♣32

Hand 22

♠AT6
♥964
♦AJ7
♣KT85

Hand 23

♠QT96
♥KT762
♦A9
♣A6

Hand 24

♠8743
♥8642
♦Q8
♣J87

Hand 25

♠K72
♥J64
♦AKJ
♣J753

Hand 26

♠KQ73
♥K732
♦7
♣KQ64

Hand 27

♠9754
♥8765
♦8
♣KQJ2

Hand 28

♠98653
♥Q654
♦Q
♣654

Hand 29

♠K876
♥AKJ8
♦Q954
♣J

Hand 30

♠AKT3
♥JT96
♦A4
♣AJ7

Hand 31

♠Q8
♥JT7
♦KQ54
♣KT54

Hand 32

♠9
♥QT96
♦KQ65
♣AJ97

Hand 33

♠T765
♥AJ75
♦7
♣A764

Hand 34

♠K842
♥A7
♦AT52
♣J94

Hand 35

♠976
♥J653
♦Q54
♣964

Hand 36

♠KQ63
♥952
♦A94
♣AQJ

Hand 37

♠J64
♥QJ2
♦AKJ8
♣J97

Hand 38

♠AT873
♥KJ85
♦T
♣AT4

Hand 39

♠Q9
♥AJ876
♦AQT
♣A95

Hand 40

♠AJT2
♥865
♦75
♣KT86

Hand 41

♠T83
♥KQ4
♦KQT
♣J863

Hand 42

♠KT65
♥A9
♦K863
♣J95

Hand 43

♠AJT8
♥9863
♦85
♣K75

Hand 44

♠Q8754
♥KQ2
♦7432
♣8

Hand 45

♠98
♥86
♦QT65
♣97652

Hand 46

♠KQJ83
♥J985
♦AT5
♣8

Hand 47

♠982
♥AJ8
♦KQ76
♣K53

Hand 48

♠T983
♥Q943
♦9
♣KQ64

Hand 49

♠QT53
♥AT62
♦AQ84
♣6

Hand 50

♠QT84
♥Q65
♦82
♣AQ97

Hand 51

♠K43
♥54
♦QJ76542
♣7

Hand 52

♠QJT6
♥KT85
♦7432
♣A

Hand 53

♠AT7
♥A543
♦3
♣AJT62

Hand 54

♠J92
♥K94
♦A653
♣643

Hand 55

♠AQJ43
♥JT42
♦AK
♣32

Hand 56

♠A64
♥KJ86
♦QT96
♣86

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Quick Little Questions on Responding: