Part 3 - Raising after Double

In parts one and two of this series we talked about how we raise when the opponents interfere with bids (opening bids or overcalls).  Now let’s get to another, very frequent, form of interference from those pesky opponents.  How do we raise after the opponent’s double?

In any competitive auction, it is of utmost importance to establish our fits as quickly and as specifically as we possibly can.  Any time we find ourselves in a competitive auction, the potential for bidding room to disappear quickly is always there.  Sometimes we will want more time to talk about our hands and tough opponents will take the necessary bidding space away.  Other times will require you to be that tough opponent and take away bidding options from your opponents. 

When our side opens the auction with one of a suit, and the next opponent makes a takeout double our raising options are a bit different than if the opponent had bid a suit.  The good news is that a lot of the bids you already know are going to work exactly the same after a takeout double.  Let’s at the types of hands that we show in the same way regardless of the type of action the opponent takes.

Familiar Territory:

Notice the Preemptive Raise is right here for us again. This is such an important bid to use any time you can but it is especially useful after their takeout doubles. When the opponent makes a takeout double, and you are weak, it is very likely THEIR HAND! Take the bidding room from your opponents as quickly as you can and give them those difficult decisions that all of us struggle with.

The closeout bid (1 – 4) should always be this type of hand. Almost always a ten card or longer fit and ALWAYS less than ten points. 

Both of the above bids rely heavily on The Law of Total Tricks, which is a terrific way to gauge how high your side should compete. Very simply, we are bidding to the level that is equal to the number of trumps we have together. The jump raise (preemptive raise) is a 9 card fit minimum and that makes a lot of sense as we are jumping to the 9 trick level (3 level).

You might be thinking, well can’t I just start with a single raise and then compete to the 3 level later instead of jumping right there? Take a second and think about why this would be bad strategy for our side. By taking this slower approach, we are allowing the opponents to exchange information at a lower (more comfortable) level. Maybe they find their fit this way and get to out compete us with their suit. We DO NOT WANT TO MAKE THINGS EASY for our opponents!  If we know we can compete to the 3 level eventually, and we have bad hands, we do so RIGHT AWAY!  Now we put maximum pressure on our opponents while making a bid that we were always prepared to make. That’s the right way to bid your bad hands and definitely what the “Tough Opponent” will do every time. (for a reminder refer back to the beginning of part 1)

Now let’s take a look at the stronger raises in competition. These are different depending on the action the opponents have taken. When the opponent overcalls, we have the cue bid raise as our strong raise.  This is very useful as it shows a fit immediately and at least invitational values. After the opponent doubles, we have two common ways to show our fits with invitational or better values. One is a conventional bid called The Jordan Raise, and the other is a two step process that involves The Redouble. Let’s explore.

Stronger Raises:

Let’s take the conventional 2NT bid first. 

JORDAN:  If you play Jacoby 2NT after your major suit openings, this bid will look very familiar. It is very similar but a bit different than that raise. After the opponent’s takeout double the direct bid of 2NT will show invitational or better values (11+) and at least a 9 card fit in partner’s suit. Note this is NOT JACOBY 2NT, so you are not responding in the same way you would to that bid. The usual choice is to bid game or sign off. If the responder (Jordan Bidder) has a bigger hand, they will always be able to continue to game.

TWO STEPS FOR 3 CARD RAISES: We can only use the Jordan 2NT bid when we have a 9 card or longer fit with our partner. So, we need a way to show our invitational hands with only 3 card support. After the opponent’s double, we use two steps to show these raises. 

STEP 1: WE REDOUBLE

• This shows ANY HAND with 10+ points.
• This initial action does not confirm or deny a fit.

STEP 2: WE RAISE

• This is when we are confirming our 8 card fit
• With a minimum we bid our partner’s suit at the lowest level

Note: when we start with redouble we will always get another chance to bid (and show our fit). The opponents can not allow you to play in a redoubled contract in these spots, so rest assured that if your partner doesn’t bid (which is fine), your opponents certainly will. When you have a minimum invitational hand, you will redouble and then bid your partner’s suit at the lowest available level.

Let’s practice with some hands we’ve seen in other auctions.

Hand 1

Make your bid.

The correct bid is 3 SPADES!

That’s a tough opponent bid there.  Don’t give the opponents a chance to discover their likely heart fit!

Hand 2

Make your bid.

The correct bid is REDOUBLE

This is the one time where we don’t get to show our fit right away to our partner. We start by showing our values with the redouble. Remember, all we are showing is a good 10 points or more. We could literally have any hand but one that includes a 9 card fit in our partner’s suit (Jordan would be used then).

In the auction above, we will show our fit by bidding hearts with our next call.

Now we have all “the basics” covered for raising in competition. Make these agreements clear with your partners and start looking for ways to interfere effectively in your games.

In Part 4 we will add one more special raise to your “Tough Opponent Toolbox” and then practice a bit.  See you then.

Click here to read Part 1 in the series - The Preemptive Raise

Click here to read Part 2 in the series - The Cue-bid Raise

About the Author

Rob Barrington is a professional bridge player and world renowned bridge instructor. He is the founder of bridgelesson.com and teaches large online courses on that site and through his popular YouTube channel. Rob resides in West Palm Beach, Florida.