Since the purpose of all bidding
is to tell our partner as quickly as possible about our distribution and point
count. It is particularly important
to let partner know about our major suit length at the first opportunity.
The "Achilles heel" of the 5-card Major system is that we are
vulnerable to pre-emption and overcalls by the opponents, since we often open
the bidding with a minor suit. The
bidding level may get too high very quickly...and the responder may not have
either: A.) The correct number of points to compete at the two (2)
level...(usually 10-11+) or B.) The correct number of cards with which to
"overcall the overcaller"...since this promises five (5) or more cards
in length. Three level pre-emptive
bids...3C or 3D may be devastating.
Negative doubles to the
rescue...In plain English the bidding message is "Partner...for some reason
(either lack of points...or lack of length) I can't make the bid I had intended
to make because of the opponents interference...so "take me out" of
this double into one of the suits I am showing.
Although a regular "Take-out" doubles only promises 3 card
support for the unbid suits, "Negative"
doubles promise 4 card support.
A negative double has a lower
point count limit of 6 pts..and a top limit only by partnership agreement.
This bid shows DISTRIBUTION...point count will be defined with subsequent
bidding. (Common sense should tell
us that if we are forcing our partner to bid at the 3 level we should have more
points.)
EXAMPLE... Partner opens 1H and
you hold S)K943
H)K5 D)Q953
C)542.....you were about to respond 1 Spade...correct?
RHO interferes with a bid of 2 Clubs...you are "fixed" if your
toolbox doesn't contain Negative Doubles! You
certainly can't say 2H...promises xxx...2S should promise a 5 card suit...same
for Diamonds...2NT would be a disaster....guarantees a Club stopper and not to
mention that it would mislead partner about the points that you hold...
"DOUBLE" is the perfect
solution...it is "negative" in nature in that it is not for penalty.
A negative double over a major
suit PROMISES THE OTHER MAJOR and....
..........................................................................It tends to indicate that we also have 4 cards in the other unbid suit...
(or else we have "limited" support for out partners opening bid suit..Major xx, Club xxxx, or Diamonds xxx))
1C...1H...x....shows 4 Spades...6
pts...(possibly 4 Diamonds or at least xxxx
in Clubs)
1D...1S...x....shows 4
Hearts.....6 pts...(possibly 4 Clubs or at least xxx in Clubs)
1D...2C..x...shows 4 Spades...a few more pts...(Tends to show 4 Hearts also or at least xxx in Diamonds...)
A
negative double over BOTH MAJORS... Should promise
BOTH MINORS!!!
1H...1S...x...shows D and C
(...With a Spade stopper Partner could safely bid NT )
Everytime we choose to add a
"conventional call to our arsenal of bidding weapons, we lose the
"Natural" meaning the bid would have had..therefore if you choose to
make a penalty double of a low level overcall...you must pass and your partner
is almost DUTY BOUND to "REOPEN"
with a double...unless their hand is "offensive" in nature (A sturdy
6/7 card suit for example...) or perhaps they themselves hold cards in the
opponents suit...eliminating the possibility that you may have wanted to make a
penalty double. The opener should
always be on the alert for a bidding sequence that
goes...1H...(1S)...P...P...??? Why did partner pass...and is this the time I
must re-open with a double???
Start out by playing negative
doubles ----->3D (thru 3D) this
means that if the interference bid is 3D or lower...Partner is constrained to
either make a re-opening double (which you may convert to a penalty double with
a PASS... or with an unbalanced hand...partner should rebid in a suit bid.
***EXCEPTION***
When the responder has long spades without the values to make a free bid because
the overcall is in a minor suit at the 2 level...after an opening bid in the
other minor suit...the responder can
make the negative double even though he does not have support for hearts.
This is the one and only time the responder can make this double without
support for hearts!!! Responder is prepared to "correct" to Spades
whenever the opener bids Hearts, prompted by the negative double into believing
that responder has Hearts...