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ACTION.CDA
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1995-10-10
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ACTION DOUBLES
Action doubles are doubles at the two or three level that might be
taken for business doubles, but actually have a more useful
meaning. They are left in more often than takeout doubles, hence
the different name. An action doubler must therefore be prepared
for a leave-in of the double. Don't double with poor defensive
potential. Similar doubles at the four level are primarily for
business.
When Partner Has Overcalled
-- After opener's suit is raised to the two or three level
When partner overcalls and next hand raises opener, a business
double would be very rare. Accordingly, we give the double a
different meaning: "action."
There are three situations: 1) one unbid major, 2) both majors
unbid, and 3) both minors unbid.
1) When there is one unbid major:
South West North East
1C 1S 2C/3C Dbl
This double shows a hand with both unbid suits, nominally 5-5 but
perhaps 5-4 major-minor, a tolerance for partner's suit in case he
must rebid it, and enough strength to make a disaster unlikely.
South West North East
1S 2C 2S Dbl
East could have S-83 H-AJ973 D-Q1084 C-Q8. With a stronger hand and
5-5 in the red suits, advancer could transfer to hearts (by bidding
3D) and then bid diamonds. See chapter RESPONDING TO SIMPLE OVER-
CALLS in the book "Defensive Bidding," which includes transfer
responses to overcalls.
2) When both majors are unbid:
South West North East
1D 2C 2D Dbl
1C 1D 2C Dbl
This double may be made with as little as 4-4 in the majors.
Transfer responses to the overcall are also useful in this
situation.
3) When both minors are unbid, an action double implies 5-5 in the
minors but could have long diamonds only:
South West North East
1H 1S 2H Dbl
East has S-102 H-3 D-AJ876 C-KJ984, too good a hand to pass but a
doubtful spade raise. If the majors were reversed a pass would be
right, because an action double implies at least a doubleton or
singleton high honor in partner's suit. Another possible hand for
East: S-Q4 H-532 D-AJ10832 C-K6 Bidding 3D would deny spade
support, but a spade raise doesn't look right. If West bids clubs,
East can bid the diamonds.
-- After a new suit response by RHO
A double of the new suit is not a very useful call, so we use it
as an action double. There are four situations: 1) overcall in a
major, unbid suit a major; 2) overcall in a major, unbid suit a
minor; 3) overcall in a minor, unbid suit a major; and 4) overcall
in a minor, unbid suit a minor. This double implies indecision
whether to bid the fourth suit or raise.
1) Overcall in a major, unbid suit a major:
South West North East
1C 1S 2D Dbl
East has S-Q2 H-AJ7632 D-42 C-763. Rather than guess whether to bid
2H or 2S, he makes an action double to show this sort of hand. This
example is about as weak as one can go, but the maximum is somewhat
higher--anything short of cue bid strength. A 2H bid here would
imply no tolerance for spades.
2) Overcall in a major, unbid suit a minor:
South West North East
1C 1S 2H Dbl
East has a tolerance for spades and a good diamond suit of at least
six cards. As with 1), bidding the fourth suit would tend to deny
a tolerance for partner's major.
3) Overcall in a minor, unbid suit a major:
South West North East
1C 1D 1S Dbl
West might have S-43 H-AJ972 D-QJ3 C-432. The double does not deny
good support for diamonds, nor does it imply six hearts. A heart
bid would show six hearts, but would not deny diamond support.
4) Overcall in a minor, unbid suit a minor:
South West North East
1S 2D 2H Dbl
East implies six clubs and a tolerance for diamonds; West can take
his pick. Here too, a 3C bid would imply no tolerance for diamonds.
-- When opener "reraises" his raised suit, or bids a new suit after
being raised, a major suit overcaller who has been raised may wish
to try for game or merely want to compete further. His double is
a game try if opener's rebid is in the suit just below the overcall
suit:
South West North East
1H 1S 2H 2S
3H Dbl - game try
3S - competitive, not invitational
If there is room between opener's rebid and the overcall suit, a
new suit bid is a game try and a double is for business:
South West North East
1C 1S 2C 2S
3C Dbl - business
3D/3H - game try, forcing
3S - competitive, not invitational
Neither 3D nor 3H necessarily shows a suit. With a choice of two
suits, as in this sequence, overcaller bids the suit in which a
fit would be helpful (e.g., KJx). When there is only one suit
available for the game try, the new suit bid implies nothing about
the suit:
South West North East
1D 1S 2D 2S
3D 3H - game try, forcing
West may have any sort of holding for his 3H bid, which is a
completely artificial (and alertable) game try. West could really
have a heart suit, of course, so East should bid 4H with a good
raise and better hearts than spades.
If opener's new suit bid is of lower rank than his first suit,
overcaller can cue bid the first suit as a game try:
South West North East
1D 1S 2D 2S
3C Dbl - business
3D - game try
3H - not forcing
3S - not invitational
When opener's rebid is of higher rank than the overcall suit, or
his suit has not been raised, a double is primarily for business:
South West North East
1S 2H 2S 3H
3S Dbl - business
South West North East
1H 1S Pass 2S
3H Dbl - business
Game is less likely when the overcall suit is a minor, so the
action double of a reraise carries a slightly different message:
"I have too much to pass but don't know whether to bid or double
for penalties--what do you think?"
South West North East
1D 2C 2D 3C
3D Dbl - optional double
4C - not invitational
For the double, West has S-AK2 H-K4 D-J2 C-A98765. He wants to
compete further, but doesn't want to miss a good penalty (and
possibly incur one) by unilaterally bidding 4C. East can pass or
bid 4C, as he sees fit. He might even bid 5C with something like
S-Q83 H-A75 D-86 C-J10432, although strictly speaking this is not
a game try double (and he should have bid 4C instead of 3C).
Action Double by Opener
There are four situations for an action double by opener when an
opposing overcall has been raised:
1) A major suit opening has been raised, and the opposing raise is
in the suit just below opener's. A double here simply means opener
wants to know if responder is minimum or maximum--a game try
double:
South West North East
1S 2H 2S 3H
Dbl - game try
3H - not invitational
The double serves to distinguish a merely competitive bid from a
serious move toward game.
2) A major suit opening has been raised, and the opposing raise is
in a suit other than the one ranking just below opener's:
South West North East
1H 2C 2H 3C
Dbl - action double, for takeout
3D - game try: S-AK10 H-AJ873 D-A87 C-65
3H - just competing, not invitational
The double implies that opener's suit has only four cards, and that
he has support for the unbid suits (e.g., S-K87 H-AK87 D-K8765
C-3), but has no serious interest in game. Responder could have
five spades or four diamonds, three hearts, and a minimum hand that
could not compete further if opener passes. To make a game try,
opener must bid a new suit, forcing, even when lacking four cards
in the suit.
South West North East
1H 1S 2H 2S
Dbl - S-7 H-KJ87 D-AJ98 C-AQ87
A new suit bid would be a forcing game try, so South doubles to
show a desire to compete with this sort of hand.
When the opposing suit is spades, then a double at the three level
is still a game try, but opener is well prepared to defend:
South West North East
1H 1S 2H 3S
Dbl
South hopes North can bid 4H but is quite willing to defend against
3S. North will usually make a four level bid with a maximum raise,
pass with a minimum. If in doubt, he passes with three-card
support, bids with four.
3) A minor suit has been raised. In this case a double of any
raised overcall is primarily for takeout:
South West North East
1C 1S 2C 2S
Dbl - S-A H-J873 D-Q765 C-AKQ3
Unlike the double of a next-lower-ranking-suit following a major
suit raise, this double is for takeout. A new suit would be
forcing, but would imply a two-suited hand. The double is prefer-
able when holding good support for both unbid suits. It promises
four cards in a single unbid major, and at least 4-3 or 3-4 in
spades-hearts when both majors are unbid. In the auction above,
West could have four hearts even when negative doubles are being
used: S-875 H-A1094 D-43 C-J876 (not strong enough for a double).
4) Responder has bid a new suit:
South West North East
1C 1D 1S 2D
Dbl - S-AJ H-KJ10 D-J32 C-AK1073
South feels that the hand belongs to her side, but has no suitable
bid. The only answer is an action double, asking partner to bid
again.
When the overcall has not been raised, a direct double is for
business, while a reopening double is "action":
South West North East
1C Pass 1S 2H
Dbl - business
It is also possible to play the direct double as an action double,
as will be discussed below.
South West North East
1D 1H 1S Pass
2C 2H Pass Pass
Dbl - takeout: S-KQ H-65 D-AKJ32 C-K1087
Reopening doubles at the three level are more business-oriented.
Action Double by Responder
Responder can also make an action double of an opposing raised
overcall, or of an unraised overcall in the pass-out position:
South West North East
1H 1S/Pass 2H 2S
Pass Pass Dbl - S-42 H-Q87 D-A642 C-K873
North has too much to pass, so competes with a double that implies
three-card support for opener and good support for both unbid
suits.
South West North East
1C 1D 1S 2D
Pass Pass Dbl - S-AK832 H-Q843 D-3 C-J42
North has just the sort of hand implied by his double.
Reopening doubles of an unraised overcall are action doubles at the
one or two level, business at the three level:
South West North East
1C Pass 1S 2H
Pass Pass Dbl - action double
North might have S-K8732 H-97 D-AK83 C-J2 or S-AKJ2 H-J76 D-J92
C-873
South West North East
1H Pass 2H 2S
Pass Pass Dbl - action double
North has both minors and only three hearts. A 2NT reopening call
would also show both minors, but a hand weaker in high cards: S-4
H-Q87 D-K874 C-J8763. Opener can therefore pass the double with
good cards, knowing that responder can contribute to the defense.
Had the overcall come at the three level, North's double would have
been more business than takeout.
Business Doubles
In situations other than those described above, doubles are for
business:
South West North East
1S 2C 2S Pass
Pass 3C Dbl - business (3C not a raise)
South West North East
1H 2C 2D Pass
2H Pass Pass 3C
Dbl - business (3C a delayed raise)
If East had bid 3C immediately over 2D, a double would be an act-
ion double. Similarly:
South West North East
1C 1S 2C Pass
Pass 2S 3C Dbl - business
East's raise to 3C was not "immediate."
South West North East
1C Dbl Pass 1S
2C 2S Dbl - business (1S a forced bid)
South West North East
1C Dbl Pass 1S
Pass Pass 2C Pass
Pass 2S Dbl - business
This double is business for two reasons: 1) the spade bid being
raised was a forced bid, not a voluntary bid, and 2) the raise to
2S was not "immediate."
When the opponents have bid a suit three times, a double by
responder is always for business:
South West North East
1C 1D 2C 2D
2H/3C 3D Dbl - business
Another way to put this is that a double is for business when
partner has bid twice before the double (presumably describing his
hand sufficiently).
When a bidder has denied the strength required to play at a higher
contract than the doubled contract, then a double must be for
business:
South West North East
1D Pass 2D 2H
Pass 3H Pass Pass
Dbl - business
South did not have quite enough to double 2H for business.
After a 1NT response, a double by either partner is for business.
When either partner has redoubled during an auction in which both
have participated, subsequent doubles are for business:
South West North East
1C 1S Dbl Rdbl
2H Pass Pass Dbl - business double
South West North East
1S Dbl Rdbl Pass
Pass 2C Pass Pass
Dbl - business double
However:
South West North East
1C Pass Pass Dbl
Rdbl 1S Pass Pass
Dbl - takeout
Doubles of back-in overcalls are always for business:
South West North East
1S Pass 2S Pass
Pass 3C Dbl - business
Such reopening bids are frequently made with a poor suit, so
business gets the nod over "action." North implies a three-card
spade raise with good high card values that include some club
strength. The double is a suggestion, not a command, and South will
frequently pull a double of this nature.
Direct Doubles - Action or Business?
Direct doubles of butt-in overcalls by the opposition are often
lucrative:
South West North East
1S Pass 2S 3C
Dbl - business
On the other hand, it is often convenient to play action doubles
in such situations. South could then double with S-AQ83 H-KJ87
D-A1083 C-2, a hand that is not good enough for a 3H rebid, which
is a game try. More examples:
South West North East
1C Pass 1S 2D
Dbl - S-762 H-AQ103 D-76 C-AKQ3
South West North East
1S Pass 2D 3C
Dbl - S-AJ873 H-KQ42 C-Q83 C-6
South West North East
1D Pass 1H 2S
Dbl - S-J H-J76 D-AJ972 C-AKJ5
In these cases the direct double implies three-card support for
partner's suit and four cards in the fourth suit.
It might be logical to play such direct doubles as business after
a two-over-one response, but "action" after a one-over-one response
or simple raise. Another possibility is to play these doubles as
business when the opponents are vulnerable, but "action" otherwise.