Play of the Hand Tips
Decisions, Decisions
This is a deal from Bridge Master, a free, interactive declarer-play program on Bridge Base Online, will test your knowledge of probabilities:
The lead is the ♦Q and you are in dummy for the first and last time. You have 12 top tricks; where will your 13th trick come from? The two options are a finesse against the ♥K in the East hand or hoping that spades split 3–3 and the ♠2 becomes a trick.
You must make a decision at trick one and discard appropriately on dummy’s ♦K.
The odds of a suit breaking 3–3 are about 36%, while the odds of a finesse working are 50%. Therefore, plan to take the heart finesse. Discard the ♠2 on the ♦K and play a low heart to your queen. When East has the ♥K, you have all 13 tricks.
What if the ♥K is on your left and spades were 3–3 all along? Take comfort in the fact that you chose the mathematically superior option despite the result. The goal in bridge is to be right most of the time, not to be correct on any one specific deal.
Best Bidding
More on Doubles
All-star teacher and Bridge Bulletin columnist Larry Cohen spent 2022 and 2023 covering takeout and negative doubles. In case you missed it, all columns are available online via the MyACBL portal. (Instructions at the end of the column.)
So far, we’ve reviewed Larry’s columns on the basic takeout double, which promises 12–17 high-card points (HCP) and support for the unbid suits, and the “big double,” a hand with 18+ HCP. We differentiated between direct seat and balancing seat doubles and situations where the opponents have bid two suits and bid and raised one suit.
This month, we will cover what to do as advancer when your partner makes a direct-seat takeout double. (Hint: take it out!)
In the June 2022 Bulletin, Larry started by pointing out the differences between these two auctions:
In #1, your partner opened the bidding and you responded.
In #2, your partner made a takeout double, forcing you to bid.
The first 1♥ bid shows four or more hearts and 6+ HCP. It is forcing and unlimited.
The second 1♥ bid shows four or more hearts and 0–8 HCP. It is not forcing, in fact partner should only bid again with the “big double.”
So, when responding to a takeout double, with a minimum (0–8 HCP), you simply choose a suit at the lowest level. Which suit? Your longest suit. If it is a tie, prefer the major. So, after 1♦–Dbl–Pass, every hand below falls into the 0–8 category:
♠K 10 8 7 ♥6 5 ♦J 7 6 ♣10 7 6 2
Take out the double to 1♠.
♠4 3 2 ♥6 5 4 ♦4 3 2 ♣J 7 6 3 2
Take out the double to 2♣ (don’t confuse this with “two over one”; on this auction, you didn’t want to go to the two level, but you had no alternative).
♠K 6 5 4 ♥3 2 ♦K 10 8 7 ♣6 5 4
Take out the double to 1♠ (prefer to show the major).
♠5 4 3 2 ♥4 3 2 ♦4 3 2 ♣4 3 2
Take out the double to 1♠ (try not to look like you are suffering).
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