[han]

People tell me I don't double enough, at least at matchpoints. Would you double on one or perhaps both of these hands from a local club game?

Scoring: MP

(p)-p-(1NT)-2H*
(2NT*)-3H-(p)-p
(5D)-??

---

2H showed both majors. 2NT was alerted lebensohl.

Scoring: MP

(p)-p-(1NT)-2H*
(2NT*)-3H-(p)-p
(5D)-??

---

3S was a limit raise.

(mikeh pay attention, it is matchpoints)

[pbleighton]

Yes, I would double in both of these situations at matchpoints.

I would also double in the second situation at IMPs, though it is close.

Full disclosure: my doubles don't always work

I used to be a cautious doubler, then I developed a taste for blood. The judgement thing hasn't quite caught up, though.

Peter

[inquiry]

I think you have to double on the first one. You have a double major fit and someone will be going plus in a major your way. I think you fully expected to make 3♥. If they make 5♦ you probably get a nothing score anyway, but +50 or even +100 might not be good for you. Double and hope for +300.

Second one is quite different. They had a "constructive" auction to game and they have only 22 hcp maximum. This is their hand, and partner probably has no honors at all. If either opponent has a singleton ♣ you will not set this, and you might not set it even if they don't. But if you do set it, you will probably get a good score anyway. Double is fine, and if it works, you will take a good score to a great one, and if it doesn;t work you will change a bad MP score to a horrible one.

[Kalvan14]

The first double is quite clear cut. E is a funny guy: no pre-empt, but then goes to 5♦ all on his own. Theoretically, he rates to have a 7-4 in the minors, but this is match-points. The only reason not to double would be if I knew E to be a good player. And even then...

The second double is much less clear or attractive. I would not double.

[Free]

I double both hands, but my doubles also fail to work sometimes. It's MP and we want the top score out of every board possible, so start doubling for 1 down unless your defense is poor

[HeartA]

I believe I don't double enough either. I would still double both hands.

[han]

I didn't double on either hand, I told you I don't double enough.

On the first hand they just had no clue how lebensohl worked. 5D was cold, but so was 3NT, and doubling would have been bad.

On the second hand dummy came down with Qxxx KJxxx Axxx, and I felt a lot better about my cautious pass. Declarer misplayed and went down for a good score (of course, doubled would have been even better).


Today I made the most cautious pass ever though. I had AJ8x AQ AJxxx Ax, my RHO opened 1C, I doubled, LHO bid 2C, and RHO bid 2NT, I couldn't believe my eyes! I figured that 2NT was down easily, even if they had every single spot card. However, if I double then they might run to 3C which might just make, and if I pass.. who knows, they might bid 3NT!

So I passed, at we set them 7 tricks for 350. Not a good score though, my partner had 5 points useful points and 6D is cold. I have no clue what the opponents were thinking.

[joshs]

Hannie, on Apr 15 2006, 07:58 PM, said:

People tell me I don't double enough, at least at matchpoints. Would you double on one or perhaps both of these hands from a local club game?

Scoring: MP

(p)-p-(1NT)-2H*
(2NT*)-3H-(p)-p
(5D)-??

---

2H showed both majors. 2NT was alerted lebensohl.

Scoring: MP

(p)-p-(1NT)-2H*
(2NT*)-3H-(p)-p
(5D)-??

---

3S was a limit raise.

(mikeh pay attention, it is matchpoints)

1. I wouldn't even think about xing. Were you planning on xing 4D? They bid one more, so
a. if they belonged in a part score, you have a plus position
b. if they belonged in 3N, you have a plus position

2. Pass again. How many tricks do I really have? Again if they overshot, you get a good board without the x....

In general, if you were comfortable selling to the same strain but one level lower, it doesn't pay to x in mps, unless you can count the defensive tricks, or you are sure that if they make you have a bad board and had a part score plus available your way.

[DrTodd13]

On BBO, at IMPs, I've come to the conclusion that the only reason to make a penalty double is if you have a surprising number of trumps. So, in game if you have either 4 very good trumps or 5 reasonable trumps (or AK of trump suit when they are in 6). You simply cannot trust the opps bidding enough to figure out the contract is going down otherwise. I've been burned too many times by opps bidding to the 5 level after both of them have made passable bids only to find that they didn't know how to bid and 5 is making +1.

At MPs, it is still dangerous because you don't know what opps bidding means but you should be slightly more aggresive.

[joshs]

Let me clear up a myth:
Mp X's are not more agressive than imps x's.
Mp x's of partscore's above 2D are more agressive. At imps you make more speculative penalty passes of very low level x's and more penalty x's at the game level.

If you x them in game and are wrong its a 5 imp swing or a half board swing at mps which amounts to about the same thing, unless there are only in their second best contract and then its a full board swing- so much riskier at mps.

Similarly, when you had -100 by declaring and went -180 by defending xed, you are only losing 2 imps, but its a major swing at mps. Consequently this x is much riskier at mps than at imps.