ADVANCING PARTNER'S TAKEOUT DOUBLE

TAKEOUT DOUBLES
After RHO opens 1-of-a-suit

There are three basic requirements to make a takeout double of RHO's 1-of-a-suit opening bid:

• At least 3 card support for each unbid suit
• No more than two cards in the enemy suit
• 13+ support points with at least 10 hcp

Support Points = HCP + Shortness
Doubleton = 1 point  *  Singleton = 3 points

The ideal distribution for a takeout double is 4-4-4-1 (with a singleton in the opening bidder's suit, obviously!). With that shape we can double with as few as 10 hcp, but with 4-4-3-2 distribution we should have closer to opening points (12+ hcp).

Think twice before making an off-shape takeout double! Your double promises support for *all* of the unbid suits and your partner is going bid accordingly.  Don't double with a minimum, off-shape hand thinking that you can "correct" to another suit if partner bids your shortness: doubling and then ignoring partner's response by bidding a new suit promises a strong hand of 17+ points.

Also, if you have minimum hcp for a double then having values in the opener's suit is a minus factor: partner will expect those points to be in the unbid suits.

Note: If you have 17+ hcp you are too strong to make a simple overcall (assuming that you can't overcall 1NT) because partner might pass when you can make a game. With these hands you will double with any distribution and bid your 5+ card suit at your next turn to show your strength. 

RESPONDING TO A TAKEOUT DOUBLE
After 1x - Dbl - pass - ?

A pass by the partner of the opening bidder leaves us the most room to show both our suit and our strength. Since partner's double forces us to bid (unless we can pass for penalty), we have to distinguish between the times when we are broke and the times when we actually have some points. We do this by jumping the bidding when we hold 9+ points.  After all, if we would make the same bid with a 2 hcp hand as with a 10 hcp hand it would be impossible for partner to know what to do next!

Bidding a Suit

After 1x - Dbl - pass, the vast majority of the time we are going to respond by choosing one of the unbid suits as partner asked us to. Our basic responses are as follows:

Some points to remember:

1. When choosing between two 4 card suits, give strong preference to choosing a major rather than a minor. It can even be right to bid a good 4 card major ahead of a 5 card minor.
2. A cuebid of opener's suit is advancer's only forcing bid.  It says that advancer has strength but is unsure of what the final contract should be. For example on the auction 1 - Dbl - pass - 2 , advancer rates to be 4-4 in the majors and is trying to make sure they play in a 4-4 fit and not a 4-3 fit.
3. Having zero points does not mean that you can pass partner's double (unless RHO bids and lets you off the hook)! The weaker you are the more important it is that you bid something -- I promise, the fewer points you have, the more likely declarer is to make her contract.  =)
4. We also can't pass partner's double just because we don't have four cards in an unbid suit.  If you're unlucky enough to only have length in opener's suit and not enough points to bid NT, my best advice is to bid your cheapest 3 card suit as smoothly and confidently as you can so that the opponents don't think to double you. 

Bidding NT

When partner makes a takeout double he is showing a distributional hand with shortness in the enemy suit... not the most likely candidate for a NT contract. Therefore we will usually choose a suit to bid, but it is also possible to bid NT. A NT response says that we have:

• a balanced hand, with
• a solid stopper in the enemy suit
• and without 4+ cards in an unbid major

The level of our response reflects our strength:

• 1NT = 7-10
• 2NT = 11-12
• 3NT = 13-15