What should I Bid? - Best enquiry for February 2006 

The best submission for February came from Barbara Sanders.

Hand: At nil vulnerable, playing Matchpoints the auction proceeds:

Bidding:	West	North	East	South
				1
	Dbl	1NT	2	Dbl

Comments: Hi Peter,

1NT denies a four card major. Is the double for takeout or penalty ?

And Peter's Response:

Hi Barbara,

Yes. No. Maybe.

In this day and age, what might once have been regarded as clearly one thing, has long since been discarded by many, retained by some and confused by others again.

What matters is that both players in a partnership play the same thing.

Having said that, there are a myriad sequences where, in a contemporary competitive auction, double increases the flexibility of action available. Consequently it is necessary for any partnership to have a short list of rules so that the meaning of the call is understood similarly by both.

One useful rule is that when the opponents have found a fit and the auction is below a given level (as agreed by the partnership), double is not for penalties. Depending on the situation, it might be take-out, value showing or even "game try", but not penalty per se. It may well be that the partner of the doubler has a suitable hand to play for penalties and decides to Pass. This is the penalty action, though I would certainly not recommend that it be essayed very often.

Another useful rule (though not necessarily world's best practice) is simply to agree that all doubles of suit contracts below a certain level (some pairs play 2NT as an appropriate level) as takeout, with a different set of rules for auctions that have gone higher. The clear advantage of this rule is that misunderstandings between partners in an array of competitive auctions are eliminated. This is very useful.

In the given auction, assuming E-W are playing major oriented take-out doubles, there is a strong presumption that they have located at least an eight card fit in hearts, and one that was voluntarily proffered by East. The chances of South being in a position to profitably Double for penalty is quite low (though not impossible). Thus, I would expect that it would be much more sensible for this to be for takeout. Perhaps South held a hand something like

	AQxx  x  K109xx  AJx

This would enable the partnership to reach 3 or 3 comfortably depending on whether North's 1NT response included a longish club suit or a three card or better diamond fit. 

Regards
Peter Fordham

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