{"id":977,"date":"2020-11-21T13:34:41","date_gmt":"2020-11-21T13:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=977"},"modified":"2022-03-31T11:36:03","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T10:36:03","slug":"take-out-doubles","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/learning-resources-root\/take-out-doubles\/","title":{"rendered":"Take out doubles"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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\r\n\tTake Out Doubles <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \t <\/div>\r\n\t \r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t
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Take out doubles are a hugely useful bid. They have a few key features, which if you can get to grips with, will allow you to take the trouble out of doubling!<\/p>\n

What is a Take-out Double?<\/h2>\n

Broadly, there are two kinds of double. The first is a penalty double. These doubles say that you do not think that opponents will make a bid contract and penalises them more heavily for going off. We will not be discussing penalty doubles much here.<\/p>\n

We are concerned with the second kind of double – the take-out double. It is not usually the case that you will want to penalty double a low level contract, as opponents are likely to make it. So instead of wasting the double card in the early auction we designate any double of a bid up to 3 Hearts as a take-out double. Take-out doubles can be further categorised into things like responsive or negative doubles, but they are all a kind of take-out double and have the same key features so it is probably easier not to get bogged down in unnecessary labels!<\/p>\n

What Does a Take Out Double Do?<\/h2>\n

What makes doubles so useful? They have 2 key features.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Take-out doubles are FORCING. They mean you can keep the auction going, even when you do not have a long suit or are not sure what to do.<\/li>\n
  2. They show UNBID SUITS. The exact suits shown depend on the auction so far, but doubles can allow you to show 2 or 3 suits at once!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    B unpacking the consequences of these features we can become masters of the double!<\/p>\n

    Doubles as Forcing<\/h2>\n

    Take-out doubles are forcing. This means that they cannot be allowed to be the last call of the auction. This is why they are called take-out doubles. They must be taken out as the last call.<\/p>\n

    This does not necessarily mean that your partner has to bid, if the interim hand bids than your partner does not as the double is no longer active.<\/p>\n

    If partner makes a take out double then this may or may not be a forcing bid. It depends on whether the next hand bids.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    In this auction the hand after the double has passed. This means that West is now FORCED to bid something.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    This time South has bid something. This has taken out the double. West can still bid if they want, but they are allowed to pass.<\/p>\n

    Either way a double will ensure that you get another bid in the auction if you want to take further action.<\/p>\n

    Showing Points<\/h2>\n

    Since you may well be forcing partner to bid, make sure you have enough points to play at whatever level you are forcing to. For example if you double 2 Spades, partner will have to bid at the 3 level and you need to make sure you have enough points for this.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    This is why doubles also show points enough to continue the auction. The exact number will depend on what (if anything) partner has shown.<\/p>\n

    Showing the Unbid Suits<\/h2>\n

    Take-out doubles also show ALL suits unbid so far in the auction. This means that if opponents have opened 1 Club and you double you are showing the other 3 suits. But if partner has opened and opponents have overcalled then a double shows the TWO unbid suits.<\/p>\n

    Prioritising the Majors<\/h2>\n

    We are always looking to get into a major contract if we can. If you only have a 4 card major it can be tricky to show it though. So doubles also show a 4 card suit in the UNBID MAJOR. For example if opponents have opened 1 Heart and you double you are showing 4 Spades.<\/p>\n

    More Points, Less Shape<\/h2>\n

    If you have a strong hand you do not need to conform to the shape requirements of a double. This is because you will have enough points to bid on your next turn.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Conversely, to double and then bid a new suit shows a strong hand.<\/p>\n

    Conclusion<\/h2>\n

    Doubles can seem overwhelming, but they are really worth learning. You will be surprised how often the opportunity to double comes up.<\/p>\n

    Learn More…<\/h2>\n

    For a more in depth guide to take-out doubles, check out our digital resource pack. It includes a written guide, board examples with commentary and an interactive quiz!<\/p> <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \t <\/div>\r\n\t \r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t

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    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCheck It Out<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t \t<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \t <\/div>\r\n\t \r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Take Out Doubles Take out doubles are a hugely useful bid. They have a few key features, which if you can get to grips with, will allow you to take the trouble out of doubling! What is a Take-out Double? Broadly, there are two kinds of double. The first is a penalty double. These doublesContinue reading →<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":361,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"builder_content":"Take Out Doubles\n

    Take out doubles are a hugely useful bid. They have a few key features, which if you can get to grips with, will allow you to take the trouble out of doubling!<\/p>

    What is a Take-out Double?<\/h2>

    Broadly, there are two kinds of double. The first is a penalty double. These doubles say that you do not think that opponents will make a bid contract and penalises them more heavily for going off. We will not be discussing penalty doubles much here.<\/p>

    We are concerned with the second kind of double - the take-out double. It is not usually the case that you will want to penalty double a low level contract, as opponents are likely to make it. So instead of wasting the double card in the early auction we designate any double of a bid up to 3 Hearts as a take-out double. Take-out doubles can be further categorised into things like responsive or negative doubles, but they are all a kind of take-out double and have the same key features so it is probably easier not to get bogged down in unnecessary labels!<\/p>

    What Does a Take Out Double Do?<\/h2>

    What makes doubles so useful? They have 2 key features.\u00a0<\/p>

    1. Take-out doubles are FORCING. They mean you can keep the auction going, even when you do not have a long suit or are not sure what to do.<\/li>
    2. They show UNBID SUITS. The exact suits shown depend on the auction so far, but doubles can allow you to show 2 or 3 suits at once!<\/li> <\/ol>

      B unpacking the consequences of these features we can become masters of the double!<\/p>

      Doubles as Forcing<\/h2>

      Take-out doubles are forcing. This means that they cannot be allowed to be the last call of the auction. This is why they are called take-out doubles. They must be taken out as the last call.<\/p>

      This does not necessarily mean that your partner has to bid, if the interim hand bids than your partner does not as the double is no longer active.<\/p>

      If partner makes a take out double then this may or may not be a forcing bid. It depends on whether the next hand bids.<\/p>

      \"\"<\/p>

      In this auction the hand after the double has passed. This means that West is now FORCED to bid something.<\/p>

      \"\"<\/p>

      This time South has bid something. This has taken out the double. West can still bid if they want, but they are allowed to pass.<\/p>

      Either way a double will ensure that you get another bid in the auction if you want to take further action.<\/p>

      Showing Points<\/h2>

      Since you may well be forcing partner to bid, make sure you have enough points to play at whatever level you are forcing to. For example if you double 2 Spades, partner will have to bid at the 3 level and you need to make sure you have enough points for this.\u00a0<\/p>

      This is why doubles also show points enough to continue the auction. The exact number will depend on what (if anything) partner has shown.<\/p>

      Showing the Unbid Suits<\/h2>

      Take-out doubles also show ALL suits unbid so far in the auction. This means that if opponents have opened 1 Club and you double you are showing the other 3 suits. But if partner has opened and opponents have overcalled then a double shows the TWO unbid suits.<\/p>

      Prioritising the Majors<\/h2>

      We are always looking to get into a major contract if we can. If you only have a 4 card major it can be tricky to show it though. So doubles also show a 4 card suit in the UNBID MAJOR. For example if opponents have opened 1 Heart and you double you are showing 4 Spades.<\/p>

      More Points, Less Shape<\/h2>

      If you have a strong hand you do not need to conform to the shape requirements of a double. This is because you will have enough points to bid on your next turn.\u00a0<\/p>

      Conversely, to double and then bid a new suit shows a strong hand.<\/p>

      Conclusion<\/h2>

      Doubles can seem overwhelming, but they are really worth learning. You will be surprised how often the opportunity to double comes up.<\/p>

      Learn More...<\/h2>

      For a more in depth guide to take-out doubles, check out our digital resource pack. It includes a written guide, board examples with commentary and an interactive quiz!<\/p>\n\n Check It Out\n <\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/977"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=977"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2062,"href":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/977\/revisions\/2062"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pontybridge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}