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Takeout double over a major - revisited An attempt for a recipe

#1 User is offline   ochinko 

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Posted 2004-September-29, 05:57

This is my second attempt in which I try to encompass more cases while talking into account your remarks and corrections and trying to simplify the common rule. If you dislike numerical recipes, or think this is still hard to remember please treat it as a computer algorithm instead of a human guideline.

We need to have 4-5 cards in the unbid major, or 3 cards with two top high cards. Minor suits are expected to contain 3+ cards too but sometimes one of them could be doubleton (with at least a K or A in it). We subtract the length of the bid major from that of the unbid, and add the result to the HCP (assuming no unprotected high cards). The bigger this difference is, the weaker our hand can be. The weakest hand we could have is when we double 1H NV in matchpoints. The end product should be at least 13 (an easy to remember number), and the hand is expected to contain at least 1½ quick tricks.

This minimum is corrected as follows:
+1 if vulnerable;
+1 if the opening was in spades instead of hearts;
+1 in IMP;
+1 for any level above the first;
-3 in balancing position.

Examples:
A hand that can immediately double 1H in matchpoints NV can double 2H in IMP vulnerable in balancing position from
“Jxxxx - Axxx Kxxxx” to “AQx xxxx KJx Axx “.

A hand that can immediately double 1Sp in matchpoints NV can double 2Sp in IMP vulnerable in balancing position from
“- Qxxxx Kxxx Axxx” to “xxxx KQx AJx KQx”.
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#2 User is offline   Chamaco 

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Posted 2004-September-30, 04:02

ochinko, on Sep 29 2004, 11:57 AM, said:

Examples:
A hand that can immediately double 1H in matchpoints NV can double 2H in IMP vulnerable in balancing position from
“Jxxxx - Axxx Kxxxx” to “AQx xxxx KJx Axx “.

A hand that can immediately double 1Sp in matchpoints NV can double 2Sp in IMP vulnerable in balancing position from
“- Qxxxx Kxxx Axxx” to “xxxx KQx AJx KQx”.

The problem with doubleing with hands containing a void in opps suit is that partner is more likely to have length and overrate the combined defensive potential:
therefore he is more likely to pass for penalty if holding a good hand (not to mention other hand evaluation problems when he holds a semiconstructive hand).

In order to compenate such risk, the doubler should have extra high card points rather than less, so that defending doubled won't lead to a bad result.

The example hands with a void you mention contribute little defense, and that is a problem, in my opinion.
One solution is to agree such style with pard, so that he'll almost never penalty pass, but this works fine only at the 1 level, so I suppose that at the 2+ level (regardless of type of scoring), it is better off to use t/o doubles with substantial strength.
"Bridge is like dance: technique's important but what really matters is not to step on partner's feet !"
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