This month, we cover some low-level doubles, starting with one which has many different names.

DSI DOUBLES
This isn’t an official name, but maybe it will become so. “DSI” stands for “Do Something Intelligent.” Others might call it “Card-Showing” or “Cooperative.” These doubles are hard to define, but basically mean what most low-level doubles mean: “Partner, I have cards, but no clear action. I don’t intend this as penalty, but if you have no better ideas, we might end up defending. I’m not showing a trump stack.” Here are some examples:
You're in East and your partner in West

No call other than a DSI double makes sense for you if you hold, say: ♠AJ432 ♥832 ♦A2 ♣Q76.

It’s not likely you have a Club stack, but you could hold, say: ♠A63 ♥Q72 ♦K843 ♣965. You are showing cards, but no clear direction. It’s losing bridge to sell out to 2♣, but there’s no need to guess what to bid.

Do you think it likely you’ll hold a Spade stack and a penalty double (when you couldn’t act the first time)? No. I’d prefer double to show something like: ♠862 ♥A3 ♦KJ74 ♣9643. Selling out to 1♠ isn’t winning bridge, nor is raising into a 5-2 fit. The double is more flexible. It sends the usual general message of: “Partner, I have some values but nothing obvious to bid – please do something intelligent.”

There are numerous low-level auctions where you or your partner have extra values, wish to compete, but have no suit (or No-Trump) to bid. In such cases, the DSI double is available. You don’t have to memorize the auctions (there are thousands of them). It is more practical to simply agree that penalty doubles at low levels are the exception. At this point, I suggest a rule to help you sort out all of these low- level doubles:

“No” Penalty Doubles on the One- or Two-Level
The “No” is in quotes because there are a few exceptions (the most important and common of them, listed below). This concept can be difficult to grasp. For now, let’s just agree that: If the exception isn’t listed below, then the double isn’t penalty. It’s a great comfort to know that you can always make a DSI (give it any name you wish) double at a low level, without fear of partner’s misinterpreting it. All doubles in this series, even though not intended for penalty, can be converted for penalties. If doubler’s partner has some of the opponents’ trumps (four would be nice), or expects to set them, he can always leave in the double. Here is a list of exceptions. With an established partner, you can feel free to add any of your own.

When a One- Or Two-Level Double is actually Penalty:
Warning: The first parts of this series were aimed towards my typical Intermediate-level audience. This installment is aiming much higher. Adopting everything here requires hours of study and partnership work.
1. We have opened, the Opponents double, and we redouble. All subsequent doubles are penalty (business).

From now on West is opener, North is overcaller, East is responder, South is opponent.

2. We open a weak two-bid and the Opponents overcall.

3. We open a strong 2♣ and the Opponents overcall (although many play this as a “bust” with pass as forcing – this must be discussed by the partnership)

4. The Opponents overcall directly with 1NT or 2NT.

(Of course, if the overcall had been 1 in a suit, our Double would be Negative.)
5. We’ve already bid and raised a suit (but see “Maximal Doubles” later on).

Note
Double is penalty, 3♦ would be any game try and 3♥ would be to play.
6. The Opponents have previously been doubled (or passed) for penalty.

Last Double is a Penalty because they were already passed for penalty in 1♥x.

7.We are in a GF.

Takeout Doubles by opener
What do you think of opener’s double in this auction?

No surprise, this shouldn’t be for penalties. It shows something like: ♠A ♥A72 ♦AJ843 ♣KJ73.

Another such double by opener:

Dble shows a hand such as: ♠3 ♥AQ76 ♦AKQ75 ♣K83.

As usual, opener can’t be expected to have their suit (Spades) for his double. Quite the opposite. The double is takeout-oriented. It shows extra values and a desire for partner to compete. Of course, if partner has nothing but a Spade stack, he can leave the takeout double in, converting it for penalties. What if opener doubles after his partner responds 1NT? This is a matter of partnership agreement:

Does this show:
A. ♠A32 ♥KJ98 ♦AK432 ♣2 or B. ♠QJ43 ♥3 ♦AQJ10 ♣K1082?
This requires partnership discussion. You can either add it to your list of exceptions (make it part of #9 above) or stay consistent and play all doubles by opener on round two as takeout.
What if the 1NT-responder doubles? This is also tricky. For example:

Is this:
A. ♠A32 ♥KJ9 ♦J32 ♣J872 or B. ♠J83 ♥32 ♦AJ9 ♣K10832?
In other words, does it show decent Hearts (four of them are impossible after the No-Trump response) or deny Hearts? For consistency’s sake again, non-penalty would be easiest on the brain. Furthermore, if you agree that opener can’t double for penalty, then the only way to “get them” is for opener to pass and for the 1NT responder to double for takeout with the opener leaving it in.

This was not an easy month. The topic of doubles can get quite complex. I know I’ve confused some people; something I never want to do. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut around these auctions. You can study them and make agreements with your partner. Or you can ignore them and just go with the general rule of “no penalty doubles at low levels.”

This article was written by Larry Cohen and was originally published in Bridgerama+.

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