We all know that a Pre-emptive bidder bids once and must not bid again. But, as Ron Klinger points out in Tip No 15 in his "50 More Winning Bridge Tips", sometimes a pre-emptive jump to game is made on a better hand than partner expects. After all, why pre-empt originally to a level higher than game when you may get to play, even make, at the game level. Suppose you hold this hand:
S - AKQxxxx
H - xx
D - KJxx
C -
The bidding has gone:
1H P 2C 4S
5C P P ?
Your hand has great playing strength and also some defensive strength (which partner may not think you have). Partner may have some defensive values in hearts and clubs but was afraid to double. You don't know whether to bid on to 5S or not, and a penalty double could be disastrous if Partner has no help. So - Do you bid on or not? The answer to this dilemma is to assign a special meaning to Double under these conditions.
A Double here says to Partner - "I have enough playing strength to bid 5S, but I also have more defensive strength than I promised, and you may decide to leave the Double in. If not, please bid 5S." Using the Double in this way should not confuse your partner (my partners excluded, of course) - he can hardly expect you to have enough defense to defeat 5C. Klinger calls this the "Partner, please do more" double. There is a burden on Partner to take the double out when he doesn't have enough defensive values. Your partner will always make the right choice - mine will always make the wrong choice.
This principle can also come up in two suited auctions like the Unusual NT and Michaels.
To sum up - a Double by a hand which has made a pre-emptive bid is a suggestion to Partner to decide between bidding
one more or leaving the double in for penalty.
Examples:
| S - x H - J10xxxx D - x C - KQxxx The bidding has gone: 1H..1S..4H..4S P.....P.....? Instead of bidding an immediate 5H, a Double tells Partner you are willing to bid 5H but you have some defensive values and he may want to Pass for penalty. |
S - H - AJ10xxx D - KQ10xx C - xx The bidding has gone: 1S..2S..4S..P P.....? Double tells Partner that you have a good Michaels hand and you are willing to compete further, but he is free to leave the double in if he has spade values. With a hand so strong or distributional that you want to bid on, you would bid your Minor suit and let Partner choose where to play. |
S - x H - x D - KJxxxxxx C - Axx Not vul vs vul, the bidding has gone: P..P..4D..4S P..P...? Maybe you should have bid 5D immediately, but at this point you are willing to go to 5D. Double tells Partner this, but suggests some defensive help if he has defense against 4S. |
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