[fred]

A recent discussion of a bidding problem with some excellent players inspired these questions (which I think are interesting):

Question 1: What is the worst hand that contains a heart void with which you would make a takeout double of a minor suit opening bid?

Question 2: What is the worst hand that contains a spade void with which you would make a takeout double of a minor suit opening bid?

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[gnasher]

Interesting, but horrible. Assuming a 1♣ opening, maybe:

AKQJxx - AKxx xxx
AKQxxxx - AKx xxx

- AKQJxx AKxx Kxx
- AKQxxxx AKx Kxx

The first and third examples used to have ♦10, but I decided that was an unnecessary luxury.

[Fluffy]

My thoughts:

I am not sure it exists, because for that to happen I would have to be so scared of 1♠ or 1♥/♦ being passed out.

But if you give me too many spades then I will not be afraid since RHO will reopen with a double most likelly.

So lets start with the contrary, is there any hand?. Well, if I am sure that RHO and me could win 7NT then I would not overcall my suit.

Worst hand must be able to make game opposite nearly yarborough, otherwise no problem with 1x being passed out.

So the worst for me:

AKJx
-
AKQxxx
Qxx

[Jlall]

I think the answer to Q1 is a significantly weaker hand than the answer to Q2. My reasoning is there are many more hands with a heart void that can control the auction if it starts with a double, simply by virtue of having long spades.

For instance with AKQJxxx --- KJx Kxx I would be willing to double without fear (how often does partner bid 5H?), but with ---- AKQJxxx KJx Kxx I would not be willing to double (partner might bid 4S at some point).

Not sure about exact hands. I think

AKQJxx --- KQTx Kxx is a double.
AKQxxxx -- KJx Kxx also.

Hands with a spade void are tough to even think of.

[junyi_zhu]

fred, on Oct 23 2009, 02:55 PM, said:

A recent discussion of a bidding problem with some excellent players inspired these questions (which I think are interesting):

Question 1: What is the worst hand that contains a heart void with which you would make a takeout double of a minor suit opening bid?

Question 2: What is the worst hand that contains a spade void with which you would make a takeout double of a minor suit opening bid?

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

Well, it's often a matter of over calling style. With a regular partner with quite sound overcalling style(about one J less than the minimum opening for a minimum overcall),
I would double with a spade void with a hand that I think I can open 2C. I would double with a heart void with independent spade suits and about 19 HCP for the minimum. Of course, this is mostly due to our sound overcalling style. If the overcalling style is loose, I may have to double with some weaker hands. Also, if you hold something like:
AKQxxxxx - Axx xx, you can probably bid 4C over 1C to show a good hand to play in H or S.

[dake50]

Sidelight: do I have 2-suited overcalls to suggest not that other major? Should they then be introduced especially for this problem? Those limit the top of T/O double.

[dellache]

Any hand with which I can bid game in my own suit, if pard bids 4MV (MV being my void). Then, if I suppose pard has (9)10-11 HCP and a six-carder MV to do that :
- If I have spades and they are playable facing a singleton (at least AK109xx), I would DBL any time my range is above my max range for overcalling 1S ; Actually, I may DBL 1C on AK109xx Void KQxx AJx (yuck).
- If I don't have spades, I'll need to bid 5X in my own suit. Then my decision will depend on another factor : 1. did partner pass ? and 2. In our style, do we open all 6 carder (with a Multi or whatsoever).
Depending on this I will balance the probability of partner bidding 4S and the probability of being left in 1Red or 2C. I guess that if pard didnot pass, I would double on any hand I would have opened with a strong 2♣ bid.

Cheers.