D21 PENALTY DOUBLES

DEFINITION

There are several types of double with different meanings; The two most common uses are;

a) The 'Take out Double' which says 'please bid your best suit' at the appropriate level.

b) The 'Penalty Double' which says 'I don't think that you can make your contract'

A double is 'take out' when you double a 1, 2 or 3 level suit contract bid by your opponents

when partner has passed throughout or not bid yet . (See Lesson D12). All other doubles when playing a simple straightforward system, are for penalties. Note that the double of 1NT is always for penalties showing a hand of at least 15 points and normally more.

UNDERTRICK SCORES first Second and third subsequent

	First	Second	Third	subsequent
Not vulnerable, not doubled	50	50	50	50
Not vulnerable, doubled	100	200	200	300
Vulnerable, not doubled	100	100	100	100
Vulnerable, doubled	200	300	300	300

Redoubled penalties are twice the doubled scores.

WHEN SHOULD YOU DOUBLE?

The basic rule is that you double if you are reasonably sure that the opponents cannot make their contract. However, you must be confident that the potential gain by doubling is worth more than you own contract. For instance, if you are vulnerable, it usually pays to bid your game rather than doubling opponents. If non vul. opponents are heading for 2 off doubled (300), this is a poor bargain against your game, say 3NT (600 at duplicate, 800 at rubber).

DOUBLE OF PART SCORES

These doubles can be extremely profitable. I have seen 1 level contracts go as much as 4 off gaining 1100 vulnerable! Assuming partner has bid something (otherwise you can't make a penalty double at all!), your hand needs to meet all the following 3 criteria;

a) You must have the balance of the points, i.e. more than 20 between you/partner,

b) You need at least 4 cards in opponents suit containing at least 1 defensive trick,

c) You need shortage in partner's bid suit, a doubleton at most.

Shortage in partner's suit is particularly important, otherwise partner's high card tricks will most likely be trumped by declarer or dummy. If you are short in partner's suit, either your partner's ace and king will stand up or you can ruff in, if necessary.

DOUBLE OF GAME CONTRACTS

Here, you need to count enough winners to defeat the contract making some trick allowance for partner's bids. You may also be able to determine that you have the balance of the points and that the opposition are making a sacrifice. Don't let them get away with it! In addition, sometimes you can anticipate that cards are lying badly for declarer where finesses are about to fail and suits are breaking badly. Listen to the bidding and, where both players have made limit bids, and have scraped up a game call, maybe that is the time to double when you know the cards are in your favour e.g. the bidding has gone P 1ª P 1NT P 2ª P 3ª P 4ª and you sit with unexpected trump tricks with, say; ª Q J 10 9 © A 6 5 4 ¨ Q J 10 § 10 9

DOUBLE OF SLAMS

In general 'don't. The potential gain is small and the loss enormous if they find a better contract. The double of a slam is actually a conventional request for partner to make an abnormal lead such as one of opponents' bid suits where you have a void or an unexpected A K. Now the gain is huge since such a lead may be the only way to defeat the contract.