Tag Archives: Takeout Double

How would you play this one?

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Put yourself in the South seat on this hand. You are declaring 3 hearts after the auction shown below. Opening lead is the deuce of clubs. What is your plan?

 

Reminder of fundamentals involved:

  1. Think before you play to trick one.
  2. Count your losers.
  3. Remember the bidding.
  4. Visualize opponents’ hands as best you can.

 

 

Counting losers:

  1. Spades? Zero.
  2. Hearts? Zero
  3. Diamonds? Two. You are missing the ace and queen
  4. Clubs? Two. You are missing the king, queen, and jack.

 

Visualizing opponents’ hands from the bidding:

  1. East passed in 2nd seat, so should have fewer than 12 HCP.
  2. West made a takeout double after your opening bid. So, West should have an opening hand and likely shortness in hearts, 4-spades (no overcall), support for the minors.
  3. East advanced with 2 clubs. East must have 4 clubs or West would have fewer than 3 clubs for her takeout double (althought it’s possible West’s shape is 4-2-5-2).
  4. West’s rebid was 3 diamonds over your rebid of 2 hearts. West’s shape must be something like 4-1-5-3. How many hearts does that give to East? How many diamonds?
  5. Visualization: East’s shape is likely 4-4-1-4, and East’s singleton diamond is a worry.

 

Decide on your plan of play and then scroll down to see mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I plan to win the ace of clubs at trick one. Draw trumps and lead the 10 of diamonds, intending to let it ride. That will hold my diamond losses to one trick when West has ace, queen 5 times (10 tricks). If the finesse losses, I will still be home with 9 tricks, contract making.

Category: Exercises: Declarer Play | Tags: , , ,

Fun Freak Hand

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I saw this on BBO. Put yourself in 4th seat (both sides vulnerable). Your right hand opponent opens with a weak two spades in 3rd seat. What is your thinking holding this nice hand?


Some Considerations:

  • How many tricks can your side take and what is the likely outcome?
  • What do you think is your best tactic in anticpation of a competitive auction?

 

What’s your call? See below for my recommendation and postmortem on the hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You count a probable 11 tricks in hearts and clubs. All partner has to have is one ace. The only ace that might not be helpful is the ace of spades. I recommend bidding 3 spades, a michaels cuebid describing a big hand containing hearts and an unknown minor.

That’s the good bid made by the player I observed on BBO. Unfortunately, it was partner who held the unlikely ace of spades. Misfortune was compounded when opening lead wasn’t a spade. Instead it was the ace of diamonds, and opponents quickly took the other two aces for down one. Sadly it was the only table at which a spade was not led. A future post will discuss the opening lead.

 

Category: Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags: , , , , ,

What’s your call?

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You are in 2nd seat (none vulnerable). Right hand opponent opens one diamond. What is your call with this nice hand?

Decide what you would do and see below for my recommendation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You could pass, double, overcall one heart, overcall 2 clubs. Pass seems a bit too timid. Double implies a tolerance for spades as well as hearts. Overcalling one hearts usually promises a five-card suit. Overcalling two clubs promises at least five of them.

Category: Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags: ,

Best sentence I read today

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It’s from Chip Dombrowski writing in the latest edition of the ACBL District 20 newsletter Trumpet. Concluding from West’s takeout double that East cannot have any of the missing honors, Chip puts in the queen of hearts from dummy. When East wins the trick with the heart king Chip comments:

It is one of my great pet peeves when people turn up with cards they are known not to have.

We have all experienced that peeve. It seems to occur at least twice every session on BBO.

Category: Exercises: Declarer Play | Tags: , ,

Invitation

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invite

invite1

Category: Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags: ,

Overcall?

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Your right-hand opponent opens the bidding one diamond, and you must decide what to do with this nice hand (none vul):

overcall1S

Your hand seems too good to pass. An overcall of 1NT seems to be out of the question absent a stopper in diamonds. A takeout double might work, since you have tolerance for the majors. But partner will think you have four hearts. Keep in mind that partner and left-hand opponent likely have no more than 11 points between them.

How about overcalling one spade with that powerful 4-card suit? That gets you into the auction with little risk. It also gives partner encouragement to lead a spade if LHO gets the contract.

Category: Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags: , ,

Hard to Put on the Brakes

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It was hard for NS to put on the brakes on this hand:

no brakes

 

South decided to make the takeout double rather than overcall with his nice hand. When his rebid was two spades, he confirmed a big hand. North was broke and signed off in three diamonds, which went down two.

I suggest South could have done better by overcalling one spade at 1st turn. In retrospect the Q 8 of hearts should be downgraded, and there is too much uncertainty about finding a spade fit. The overcall will get that cleared up immediately. (It’s, of course, easy for me to say all this when all four hands are visible!)

Be careful not to fall in love with your hand when RHO has opened the bidding. Your partner is unlikely to have much help.

Notice the difference between this auction and the auction in my last two posts (here and here) on this hand. This time East chose not to open 1NT while holding a five-card major. Opening 1NT with a five-card major works out most of the time in opinion of experts. But this time the major suit opening bid worked out better for EW.

Category: Exercises: Declarer Play | Tags: , ,

Another Competitive Auction

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comp4

comp5

comp6

Category: Exercises: It's Your Call, Interesting Hands | Tags: , , , ,

Takeout Double?

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Your right-hand opponent deals and opens the bidding one heart. What do you say with this hand?

TO double1

Start by evaluating your hand. Your queen of spades is worth two points, since it’s bolstered nicely by the 10, 9, 7. Your heart king can be promoted, since opener will have the ace 75 percent of the time. You have a nice seven points in diamonds and a crummy one point in clubs. That gives you a hand worth a good 13 points. Compete when you have the strength and  shape for a takeout double.

Double, hoping to find your partner with a spade suit. But you also have support for the minors if need be.

Category: Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags:

Be Careful!

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You deal and pick up this fabulous hand:

 fab hand

You open the bidding one heart, planning to reverse to two spades at your next turn. But West now makes a takeout double, and your partner passes. East advances with two clubs, and it’s back to you. What do you do and why?

I recommend pass as your best chance for a plus score. Your partner was too weak either to respond one spade or raise to two hearts after the double. Those inferences warn you not fall in love with your hand.

Category: Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags: ,

It’s your call!

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You are vulnerable vs not vulnerable. Your right-hand opponent opens one club in second seat. Should you overcall one heart or make a takeout double with this nice hand?

big hand

I vote for the takeout double. You have a good 18 points and both majors. If partner happens to advance with two diamonds, you won’t be lying with these values to bid two hearts at your next turn.

If your spade holding was slightly weaker, for example K Q 9 3, I would prefer the one heart overcall. That K Q J 9 of spades you actually hold is worth more than its six points.

 

 

Category: Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags: ,

Takeout Double, Overcall or Pass?

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You are in 4th seat and the bidding goes pass, pass, one club to you. This hand looks too good to pass:

TO double

What’s your call?

Two clubs is not possible, since it would be Michaels promising 5-5 in the majors. Possibilities are a 1NT overcall, a 1 heart overcall, or a takeout double. Which choice do you think is best and why?

Category: Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags: , ,

What’s Your Call?

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You are in 4th seat (both vul) and player on your right opens one club! What action are you going to take with this nice hand?

bid1

It sure looks like passing is a bad idea this time. But a double will surely elicit an advance in hearts, and that’s not what you want to hear. You cannot overcall two clubs, because partner would interpret that as Michaels. How about an overcall in one of your two 4-card suits?

Rate the following alternatives for your action:

  1. Make an overcall of one diamond
  2. Make an overcall of one spade
  3. Make a takeout double
Category: Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags: ,

Let’s Get Rolling! August 7th Bridge Lesson Recap

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Aloha, Bridge Players!

I’ve just returned from the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) Summer Bridge Championship in Las Vegas. I completed the educational requirements to be considered a qualified bridge teacher, and now I’m back to teaching my weekly class at the Hilo Bridge Club (HBC) which I’ll be recapping here on the HBC blog. So let’s get rolling!

Today we’ll have two exercises based on last Wednesday’s class, and tomorrow we’ll have two more.

Exercise 1: It’s Your Call. The bidding so far: ;

20190807-01a

You are South holding:

20190807-02

What is your bid? Think of your answer before scrolling down to see the answer.

 

 

 

 

This is an exercise in recognizing a negative double situation. You have 7 points in context of the auction so far (the overcall promotes your K♠ and you have touching honors in clubs). Make the negative double in hopes of finding a 4-4 heart fit.

Exercise 2: It’s Your Call. The bidding so far.

20190807-03a

 

You are South holding:

20190807-04

What is your bid? Think of your answer before scrolling down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have a nice hand in the context of the bidding so far. Your spade holding behind the opener is worth more than 6 points. You have touching honors in the club suit. This hand is worth an opening bid. But is it worth an overcall? I would overcall 2♣. Some may prefer a better club suit and would decide to pass.

Do not make a takeout double! Takeout double implies that you have at least 4 hearts and shortness in spades. And your hand is not big enough to double and then bid clubs.

See you tomorrow for two more exercises!

Harry

 

 

 

Category: Bridge News, Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags: , ,