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NEGATIVE DOUBLES OF SIMPLE OVERCALLS Negative doubles of overcalls, replacing business doubles, say to opener, "I have too much to pass but no suitable bid. Please con- tinue the auction." The negative doubler must have enough strength and suitable distribution to provide a fairly safe landing place for the partnership regardless of what opener might have for his opening bid or what he might rebid. Always prefer an acceptable bid to a double, because bidding sequences following a negative double are notoriously inaccurate. This chapter assumes that four-card major suit openings are permitted. "Five-card-majorites" will want to modify some of what follows. Negative Free Bids in a Major Major suit responses at the one level are forcing, as usual, but not at the two level: South West North 1C 1D 1H/1S - forcing South West North 1C 1S 2H - not forcing South West North 1 2 2 - not forcing Naturally the suit has to be a fair one, say Q109xx or better. Opener usually doesn't pass without some support, perhaps a doubleton honor or three small. Opener's 2NT rebid is not forcing, weak. With a good hand he should bid a new suit, cue bid (both forcing), jump in his own suit or raise (both invitational), or bid game. The total HCP requirement for a non-forcing new major suit bid depends on the quality of the suit. A six-card suit headed by AK needs nothing outside, while one might want 10-11 HCP with a suit like KJ932. Never make the bid with a trashy hand, just because it is not forcing. One reason is that you have to bid again if opener bids a new suit. Other reasons are obvious. In order to force, responder doubles and then bids the major: South West North East 1C 1S Dbl Pass 2C Pass 2H - forcing to limit situation Standard practice is the reverse of the above policy: New suits are forcing unless preceded by a negative double. This seems back- ward--why not bid immediately with the weaker hand? There are three reasons to do so: 1) Opener is permitted to pass a negative double, converting it to a penalty double. If the double is based on a long suit with little outside, the danger is obvious: The doubled contract may be made when you have a good major suit contract your way. If your long- in-a-major doubles are made only with strong hands, any missed major suit contract will probably have the consolation of a substantial penalty when partner passes the double. 2) Doubling with the non-forcing hand works if the opponents don't interfere, but suppose the bidding goes like this: South West North East 1C 1S Dbl 3S Pass Pass ? If the double is based on S-64 H-KJ8743 D-Q5 C-K87, North has quite a problem. Why not bid 2H over 1S and get the hand described immediately? 3) With a moderate two-suited hand, responder can start bidding his suits right away. Suppose partner opens 1C, next hand bids 1S, and you have S-42 H-K10932 D-AK873 C-5. If you double and LHO bids 2S, where do you go when 2S is passed back to you? A repeat double doesn't show 5-5, does it? Why not bid 2H right away, and (if 2H isn't passed out) bid 3D, also not forcing, on the next round? There are three exceptions to the strength requirement (a forcing hand) for a major suit bid following a double: 1) When opener makes a cue bid response: South West North East 1C 1S Dbl Pass 2S Pass 3H - S-87 H-108765 D-AQ86 C-Q6 South must bid again, so North could have a strong hand and still bid just 3H if confident of clarifying his strength next round. 2) When opener makes a responsive double: South West North East 1C 1S Dbl 2S Dbl Pass 3H - same hand, but not forcing North must bid something else with a strong hand. 3) When opener passes a redouble around: South West North East 1C 1S Dbl Rdbl Pass Pass 2H - same hand, not forcing When a new major response is not forcing, a jump takeout in that major is a strong forcing bid--but may not be as strong as a normal jump takeout response. We call it a "semi-strong jump takeout." South West North 1D 2 3H North has S-762 H-AKJ865 D-A108 C-7. Since 2H would not be forcing and the hand is not suitable for a negative double (which could be left in), a 3H bid is the only answer. See SEMI-STRONG JUMP TAKEOUT RESPONSE. It will sometimes happen that responder has a powerful hand that is unsuitable for either a jump takeout or a negative double. Perhaps he fears that opener will pass the double and a slam will be missed. The solution may be a game-forcing cue bid: South West North 1D 1S 2S North could have any of these hands: 1) S-8 H-A42 D-A65432 C-A32 2) S- void H-AKQ93 D-Q76 C-A9843 3) S-4 H-AK65 D-Q1082 C-AJ96 It follows that a cue bid can be based on a wide variety of strong hands. It promises first or second round control of the opposing suit. See chapter CUE BIDS BY RESPONDER in the book "Cue Bids." What about free bids in a minor suit? Because minors aren't so important, and non-forcing minor suit bids can lead to more difficulties than those in a major, we go along with the usual rule: A new minor suit response is forcing, while a new minor after doubling is not forcing. Non-jump new suit responses by a passed hand are not forcing, even in a major after doubling. When a passed hand chooses to double and then bid a major instead of bidding it right away, he implies a weakish five-card suit (i.e., Q109xx or worse), and that he can support some other contract if opener is short. This is also true of a free new minor suit response: Doubling and then bidding a new minor implies a poor five-card suit, while bidding the minor im- mediately implies a good suit. This principle does not apply to responses at the one level, which are standard. Negative Doubles at the One Level A one-level double requires at least 7 HCP. Let's look at each possible situation: South West North 1C 1D Dbl - negative The requirement of "no suitable bid" means that this double denies a biddable major suit (Q10xx or better) that could be shown at the one level, and denies a holding that is suitable for a 1NT response. If responder has a biddable major, he should bid it instead of doubling. With two biddable majors, he should ignore the overcall and bid the major he would have shown if RHO had passed. This double does not imply a holding in any particular suit(s), so a jump rebid of 2H or 2S by opener is forcing. Don't double with 7-10 HCP and a double stopper in diamonds, even with 4-4 in the majors. Bid 1NT instead. If you double and opener must rebid 2C, you are too weak to rebid 2NT and might miss a good notrump contract in a matchpoint game. The difference between a 2C contract and a 1NT contract is unlikely to be of importance at IMP scoring, when it might be better to double even with only one four- card major. The doubler may have good values for a 2C raise, but hopes to find a superior major suit or notrump contract. With a very weak hand it is better to just raise with a hand such as S-10874 H-J84 D-J8 C-KQ32. South West North 1C/1D 1H Dbl North denies Q10xx or better in spades. A typical hand: S-A7 H-J32 D-K876 C-Q1082 (hoping that opener can rebid 1NT). A possible problem arises when responder has four good spades and five cards in the unbid minor. Suppose the opening is 1C and you hold S-AQ83 H-J32 D-KJ765 C-2. If RHO had passed you would have responded 1D, bidding the longer suit first. You can't bid 2D over 1H, however, which would require more strength. So you must respond 1S, suppressing the diamond suit. (Those who play that a double promises four spades have an edge in this case). Don't respond 1S if you have enough strength to bid 2D and then spades at a high level (e.g., if LHO bids 4H). Always show your distribution if you have the strength to do so. The next double is a little different: South West North 1C 1S Dbl This is the only one-level double that implies a specific suit (hearts). If the doubler does not have four hearts, she must have enough strength to bid something else if opener bids hearts (at any level!). This is a very useful double, preventing the heart suit from being shut out. It does not promise a heart suit, however, just as a takeout double of a 1S opening does not promise (although it implies) four hearts. He could also have nothing but a good long diamond suit, with insufficient strength for a forcing 2D response: S-J8 H-Q83 D-AQJ987 C-J2. Unless South bids something like 3NT, North will bid diamonds on the next round, not forcing. Because hearts are implied, a jump rebid of 3H by South is invitational only. If South has four hearts and wants to be in game she should cue bid, not bid 4H, because North has not guaranteed a heart suit. The same logic does not apply if the opening was 1D. Because hands with diamonds and hearts are usually opened with 1H, there is less need to imply a heart suit when doubling 1S: South West North 1D 1S Dbl North will not pass a reverse into hearts by South. Since the double does not imply a heart suit, South must have a pretty fair hand to bid 2H, although perhaps lacking full reversing values: S-A2 H-J987 D-AK1083 C-K2. If North has heart support, she will raise; if not, she will bid. Either way, 2H is not going to get passed. South West North 1H 1S Dbl North has S-976 H-J4 D-K1032 C-AJ87 and South has S-KJ7 H-AQ107 D-J874 C-K3. How does South play in 1NT? Using negative doubles, North doubles 1S and South rebids 1NT. Although North is likely to have both minors, "implied suit(s)" doesn't apply to minors, so a jump rebid of 3C or 3D by South would be forcing. Negative Doubles at the Two Level South West North 1D 2C Dbl This is another double that implies a major--spades, in this case. The doubler usually has 8-11 points and a spade suit, with either hearts or diamonds as a secondary hope. Less often she will have hearts and diamonds only, with too much for a free raise of 2D. Remember, opener is unlikely to have hearts when he opens 1D. Opener will picture the doubler with something like: S-KJ32 H-932 D-AJ4 C-854. Also possible: S-K654 H-J9432 D-A54 C-3 Suppose you have doubled with the last hand. What next? If opener rebids 2D, you pass (2H would be forcing). If opener bids 2S, you pass (opener expects you to have spades and a hand this good). If opener bids 2H, you raise (since he doesn't expect you to have hearts). This reverse into a non-implied major is forcing in any case. Another possibility for this double: S-K4 H-AK65 D-10873 C-964. A limit jump raise to 3D would be rather strange with this hand, so you double--not to show hearts, since this double does not imply hearts, but because there is no better alternative. Over any spade bid by opener you return to diamonds, and then you have implied hearts. Another: S-Q108 H-AJ9 D-J654 C-AQ9 This hand is too good for a non-forcing 2NT response, but a jump to 3NT shows 16-18 HCP. With a 13-15 HCP hand like this, responder makes a negative double and then bids 3NT. North East South 1H 2C/2D Dbl These doubles deny four-card heart support and imply a spade suit. The doubler may have adequate three-card heart support, but then she will have 10 points or more. With less she would just bid 2H, even when holding five spades. The 1H-2C-Dbl should not be based on a diamond suit. Go ahead and bid 2D with S-765 H-98 D-AK10764 C-82. Opener might embarrass you with a spade jump if you double. With the sequence 1H-2D-Dbl you might have a good club suit and nothing much outside: S-542 H-5 D-754 C-AKJ1083. To show clubs you would have to make a forcing 3C bid, so you double and hope that partner does not bid too high in spades. You hope it will go: South West North East 1H 2D Dbl Pass 2H/2S Pass 3C - not forcing But you will have to bid 4C if South bids 3H or 3S. (You can pass a 4H rebid). Obviously this type of double requires a good club suit. South West North 1S 2C/2D/2H Dbl A typical holding for North is 4-4 in the unbid suits. That doesn't make those suits implied, however, so a jump rebid in a new suit by South is forcing. If North has adequate trump support for spades, she will have enough to raise a 2S rebid. If lacking strength to raise 2S, she should just bid 2S instead of doubling (even with four hearts). With all of the two-level doubles discussed so far, the doubler may have a notrump bid up his sleeve. With 1S-2C-Dbl the doubler might have: S-K7 H-K1097 D-K842 C-A97. If opener rebids, say, 2D, the doubler will follow with a 3C cue bid to seek more information. Since simple overcalls of 1S do not preempt major suit bidding space, it would be entirely logical of play business doubles against them. See the chapter BUSINESS DOUBLES OF OVERCALLS in the book "Defense Bidding." When playing business doubles, such gimmicks as negative free bids are not employed. Passing with Strength In negative double situations, what should responder do with a hand that would normally call for a business double? She can still make a negative double if she can see that it won't lead to difficulty. She can bid notrump or some new suit, or she can pass, hoping that partner will reopen with a double--which she will convert to business by passing (but opener might have a singleton in the doubled suit). If opener passes instead of acting (he is not compelled to act), the undoubled penalty may still be a good result. In most such cases opener will have a minimum or near- minimum hand and some cards in the opposing suit himself (else why no takeout double to reopen?). In deciding whether to reopen when an overcall has been passed around, opener should first look at his holding in the opposing suit. With three or more cards in the suit, it is unlikely that partner has passed because of length in that suit. In this case opener should have a sound hand to reopen. With shortness in the opposing suit, however, a reopening call is almost mandatory. A reopening takeout double implies that a leave-in of the double would be acceptable. After opening S-AQ873 H-KJ976 D-K2 C-4, if the bidding goes: South West North East 1S 2C Pass Pass South should not reopen with a double, even though North may be loaded in clubs. Since South would not have passed a business double of 2C, he must now do what he would have done if North had made a business double--bid 2H. Opener should never make a reopening double when void in the opposing suit, and (as above) should bid instead of doubling with a two-suited hand. With a singleton in the opposing suit, he should double only when holding 3-1/2 or more defensive tricks. Another requirement, of course, is that the reopening doubler be prepared for any response that partner might make--especially in an unbid major. Responding to a Negative Double After hearing a negative double, opener makes the most descriptive bid he can find to further show his hand. He should avoid rebidding a poor five-card suit, even if it means reversing without full reversing values. The negative doubler can pass any minimum rebid by opener, and sometimes can pass a jump in a new major suit: South West North East 1C 1S Dbl Pass 3H Pass Pass Pass This negative double implies a heart suit, so South can pass 3H with a minimum double. The 3H bid is really a jump raise, and jump raises are non-forcing. Jumps in a major suit that has not been implied by the negative double are forcing, as are all jumps in a new minor. A 2NT jump rebid by opener in response to a negative double is not forcing, showing about 16-17 HCP and stopper(s) in the opposing suit, while a cue bid is forcing to a limit situation: South West North East 1C 1S Dbl Pass 2NT - not forcing, 16-17 HCP 2S - forcing to a limit situation When the next opponent bids over a negative double, opener should not automatically bid just because it is his turn. With nothing much to say, he should just pass. If the overcall is raised, he can make a responsive double when he wants to bid something but lacks full values to do so: South West North East 1C 1S Dbl 2S Dbl South has S-92 H-KJ98 D-A87 C-AJ87, not enough for a free bid at the three level. With four cards in the heart suit implied by North's double, he doubles to show just this sort of hand. Had East bid a new suit, the double would be for business. If opener has a strong hand that is hard to describe, he may cue bid if he can do so conveniently. After a cue bid, which is forcing to a limit situation, both partners can proceed to describe their hands. When opener "reverses" in response to a negative double, he does not promise more than opening bid strength, nor does he imply 5-4 in the two suits. South West North East 1C 1S Dbl Pass 2D/2H - may have a minimum and only four clubs Passing the Double Opener may pass a negative double, playing for a penalty, if he is long and strong in the opposing suit. Remembering that the opposing bidder is sitting over his trump holding, opener will consider the following in deciding whether or not to pass the double: -- Ability to stand the lead in the suit opened. -- Length in an unbid minor is undesirable, for the doubler may have length there too, canceling any defensive strength in that suit. -- Length in a major that doubler has implied is undesirable. -- Vulnerability. In matchpoints, it is better to score 110 in a part score than 100 from a penalty. The chance of making game or slam must also be considered. -- Lack of a suitable alternative. If the alternative to a pass is a dangerous bid, the pass becomes more attractive. -- General defensive strength, especially in the form of trump tricks and trump length. Rebids by the Negative Doubler On his next turn, the negative doubler can force by cue bidding or by bidding a new major suit. When it could have been shown at the one level, a new major suit bid merely shows strength, not four cards: South West North East 1D 1H Dbl Pass 2D Pass 2S - forcing, spade strength A notrump bid or new minor suit rebid is not forcing: South West North East 1C 1H Dbl Pass 1S Pass 2NT/2D - not forcing The 2NT bid might be made with S-832 H-AQ D-Q8742 C-QJ4, and the 2D bid with S-873 H-J84 D-AK10874 C-9. The Stoplight convention applies after this jump to 2NT. See chapter STOPLIGHT in the book "Marvin's Conventions and Treatments." If the negative doubler follows with a cue bid, that is classified as a "competitive cue bid." See chapter COMPETITIVE CUE BIDS in the book "Cue Bids." A repeat double by a negative doubler is still for takeout if the same suit is being doubled and opener has passed or rebid his suit. Any other double is for business: South West North East 1C 1S Dbl 2S/3S Pass Pass Dbl - still for takeout South West North East 1C 1S Dbl Pass 2C 2S Dbl - still for takeout South West North East 1C 1S Dbl Pass 2C 2D/2H Dbl - business South West North East 1H 1S Dbl Pass 2C 2S Dbl - business South West North East 1D 1H Dbl 1S Pass Pass Dbl - business The last two doubles are tentative, since North has denied a biddable spade suit. South will often pull the double. When the repeat double comes at the three level, especially if a major is being doubled, the doubler is well prepared to defend if opener chooses to pass: South West North East 1S 2H Dbl 3H Pass Pass Dbl - optional double NEGATIVE DOUBLE SUMMARY -- After an opposing overcall, a new major suit response at the two or three level is not forcing. -- A new major suit bid following a negative double by an unpassed hand is forcing to a limit situation (with some exceptions). -- Minimum responses in a new minor are forcing by an unpassed hand. -- A new minor suit bid following a negative double is not forcing. -- A 2NT bid following a negative double is not forcing, showing 11-12 HCP. If it is a jump, Stoplight applies. See the STOPLIGHT chapter in the book "Marvin's Conventions and Treatments." -- A cue bid by the negative doubler is a competitive cue bid. See chapter COMPETITIVE CUE BIDS in the book "Cue Bids." -- A negative double followed by a jump to 3NT shows 13-15 HCP. An immediate jump to 3NT shows 16-18 HCP. -- A jump rebid in a new suit in response to a negative double is not forcing if the suit was implied by the double.