tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6539769009808917053.post2849540030241039006..comments2023-10-04T11:43:14.036-05:00Comments on Mishaps at the Bridge Table: Double disasterLakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16177723973206020679noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6539769009808917053.post-18203500538013649772012-02-20T22:14:28.355-06:002012-02-20T22:14:28.355-06:00Interesting ... our double agreements are pretty s...Interesting ... our double agreements are pretty simple. A double is penalty-oriented if (a) we have found a fit OR (b) doubler has limited his hand already. All other doubles are "cooperative", by which we really mean that the double shows extras and asks partner to "do something intelligent" (I had to look up what DSIP means).<br /><br />Of course, on this hand, I do not have extras, so I had no business doubling.<br /><br />We do need to revisit our doubling agreements and make them better. Incorporating position (sitting above/below original bidder) seems like a good place to start.Lakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16177723973206020679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6539769009808917053.post-17181858492221397312012-02-20T20:13:59.774-06:002012-02-20T20:13:59.774-06:00-730s like this one happen at matchpoints to any r...-730s like this one happen at matchpoints to any reasonably aggressive pair. However, I think this one is just a little too marginal to double. You don't really have extras. You have what you bid with 2H. Jeff's points are all valid (other than not knowing that the opps were vulnerable).<br /><br />One comment in your post I didn't really agree with is partner has fewer than 3 hearts or spades (and therefore 9+ cards in the minors). I agree that he would raise on many hands with 3 hearts, but not all. And if he had only two spades and extra strength, he would have doubled 3S himself.<br /><br />But the most important point is this: you say that your double was cooperative, yet you are sitting over the spade bidder. Unless you've explicitly agreed otherwise, doubles in this position tend to be penalty-oriented, while if your partner had doubled 3S, that would have been more takeout-oriented. If your partnership style is to make these kinds of "DSIP" doubles on both sides of the spade length (that's the style I prefer), then perhaps partner should be willing to pull with 6 decent diamonds (two more than he promised). You wouldn't make this kind of double without tolerance at least for partner's suit.Phasmidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09870140728729031615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6539769009808917053.post-12697918224528701152011-12-22T12:27:26.263-06:002011-12-22T12:27:26.263-06:00Jeff, valid point ... but when I created the hand-...Jeff, valid point ... but when I created the hand-diagram on BBO, I forgot to add that East-West were vulnerable, so the matchpoint difference was really between 2H, 3D or 3H making (110/140) vs. 3S down 1 (-100).Lakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16177723973206020679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6539769009808917053.post-42068974478086894922011-12-22T12:09:34.787-06:002011-12-22T12:09:34.787-06:00I might well have duplicated your result and reaso...I might well have duplicated your result and reasoning ... but I wonder if there were a preferred thought process that might have been pursued and led to passing out 3S.<br /><br />Within the box of your 2H call, your hand is not particularly oriented toward defense: you know that trumps are splitting and you would prefer for defense that your side king be in the other minor suit. You also expect that the opponents have a nine card spade fit. Most significantly, partner also did not double, as he likely would have had he had fewer than two hearts, and you do not have a stiff diamond. <br /><br />Considering all of the above, can you really expect the double to produce +300? And, if not, is the matchpoint risk of the double producing -530 worth the possible reward of converting +50 into +100?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09402419741923703786noreply@blogger.com