Advancing a Takeout Double

Before starting this page, you may want to review the requirements for takeout doubles. And a quick reminder about bridge vocabulary: Opener and Responder are partners; Overcaller (or Doubler) and Advancer are partners.

Advancing a takeout double is similar to responding to an opening bid or advancing an overcall. You count your points, and make a minimum bid, a game invitation, or a forcing bid according to how many points you have.

Your first reaction might be, "Good, I know how to do that."

Sorry to disappoint you, but... counting points is a little different after Partner makes a takeout double.

How to Count Points After Partner Doubles

1. Count hcp points normally: A = 4; K = 3; Q = 2; J = 1
2. Subtract 1 point for 4333 shape
3. Subtract 1 point for each honor in the opponent's suit

For example...

♠ K 4 3 2 ♥ Q J 5 ♦ 9 8 3 ♣ A Q 6

West	North	East	South
2♥	DBL	P	?

Start with counting hcp. (12 hcp)

Subtract one point for 4333 shape. (12 - 1 = 11)

Then subtract 2 points for two honors in the opponent's suit (11 - 2 = 9).

This hand is worth 9 points.

Why are heart honors worth less than other honors?

• Partner is short hearts, and the opening bidder, on your left, is likely to have most of the heart honors you don't have. So at least some of your honors are likely to get squished.
• Even if your heart honors don't get squished, they don't help develop tricks in any of Partner's suits.

  For example, suppose Partner holds ♣AQ54, and you have the ♥K (the opponent's suit). Maybe your ♥K will be worth a trick. Maybe not. But if you held the ♣K instead, it would be a certain trick, AND Partner's ♣Q also would be a certain trick. So the ♥K is worth less than the ♣K. This is true of all honors – they're worth less in the opponent's suit.

• Sometimes you can tell when an honor in the opponent's suit will be worth even less than the minus 1 adjustment suggests. For example, if you hold a doubleton Qx in their suit, it would have zero chance of winning a trick on its own because the opponents will play their ace and king on the first two rounds. So it would be reasonable to count it as zero points.

Practice Counting Points

For this set of hands, the opening bid is 1♦. Partner doubles, then Responder passes.

West	North	East	South
1♦	DBL	P	?

♠AK75  ♥QJ8  ♦K6   ♣AQ65    How many points? show answer

♠KJ5  ♥JT92  ♦KQ6   ♣J65    How many points? show answer

♠KQ5  ♥QJ8  ♦KJ6   ♣AJ85    How many points? show answer

♠9875  ♥AT84  ♦KQJ6   ♣5    How many points? show answer

♠J75  ♥KJT83  ♦J74   ♣K5    How many points? show answer

♠875  ♥T84  ♦AKQ3   ♣765    How many points? show answer

Set #2
For this set of hands, the opening bid is 1♠. Partner doubles, then Responder passes.

West	Partner	East	You
1♠	DBL	P	?

♠QJ6  ♥KT765  ♦6   ♣AQ65    How many points? show answer

♠AQJ5  ♥QJ6  ♦KQ64   ♣65    How many points? show answer

♠Q75  ♥QJ8  ♦KJ6   ♣5432    How many points? show answer

♠Q85  ♥T864  ♦982   ♣T76    How many points? show answer

♠T8  ♥JT83  ♦K9   ♣KQJT9    How many points? show answer

♠QJT98  ♥T84  ♦73   ♣AKT    How many points? show answer

What to bid

Now that we know how to count points, we'll turn our attention to what to bid – starting with the weakest hands.

Horrid Hands (0-5 points)

Advancing hands with 0-5 points are horrid. Note: "horrid hands" is my name for these bad hands. You probably won't find other players using the word horrid, but they will know what you mean.

First, you cannot bid no trump with a horrid hand.

LIttle Bear isn't paying close attention, so I say, "Wake up Little Bear! You've never heard anything like this before:

If Responder passes after Partner's double, you cannot pass with a horrid hand.

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

This is so important I'm going to say it again:

If Responder (East in this bidding example) passes, you MUST NOT pass – no matter how bad your hand is."

LIttle Bear is wide awake now, "Well, that is different. But can you show me why passing would be bad if I have nothing?"

example 1

♠ 5 4 3 2 ♥ 4 3 2 ♦ 4 3 2 ♣ 4 3 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

Hmmm... this is not good.

Partner's takeout double says she has shortness in diamonds with good support for all three unbid suits – you expect 4441 distribution. Partner requests that you pick one of her suits.

Your hand is horrid, but you can easily do as Partner requests. Pick spades, the only suit where you expect to have a fit, and make the cheapest legal spade bid available – 1♠.

Why can't you pass? Because Opener could also pass, ending the auction.

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	P
P

The auction would be over and the contract would be 1♦ doubled – the last thing Partner wanted.

1♦ would be an easy contract for the opponents to make. They might well make overtricks. After all, you expect Partner to have only one diamond which means the opponents have 9 diamond trumps. In addition, your zero point hand screams that the opponents have more than half the points.

Lots of trumps and lots of points makes low level contracts, like 1♦, easy to make. Expect them to make overtricks. Doubled overtricks will score a lot of bonus points... for the wrong team!

Passing partner's double will also cost you partnership trust, which is worse than losing a bunch of points.

example 2

♠ 5 4 3 2 ♥ 4 3 2 ♦ 4 3 2 ♣ 4 3 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	1♥	?

Same hand. Partner doubles the 1♦ opening bid, but this time Responder bids 1♥ . An important difference.

Now, if you pass, and Opener also passes, the auction isn't over, and the final contract will not be 1♦ doubled. Partner might even like the idea of the opponents playing a contract in one of her three suits. Your hand is still horrid. But there is no longer a threat that the final contract could be 1♦ doubled.

So after Responder bids a suit, you can pass with your bad hand.

example 3

♠ 4 3 2 ♥ 4 3 2 ♦ 5 4 3 2 ♣ 4 3 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

This hand is even worse than what we've looked at so far because there is no fit for any of Partner's three suits.

Responder has passed, so we have to do something to avoid the disaster of having 1♦ doubled be the final contract. But we have no fit...

In cases like this, consider all of partner's suits where you have 7-card "fits" and make the cheapest legal bid among them. With this hand, bid 1♥ and hope someone bids something else so you won't have to play the contract in a 4-3 fit with your horrid hand.

Bidding Summary – a Preview

Now that I've hammered home the importance of not passing with a horrid hand, let's take a look at the overall bidding structure for all hands.

0-8 points (0-5 "horrid" hands and 6-8 "modest" hands)

• make a minimum bid
• horrid hands may not bid NT

9-11 points (invitational)

• jump 1 level

12+ points (game forcing)

• bid the opponent's suit (this is called a "cue bid")
• both partners then bid naturally until a game is reached

As a memory aid, just remember the middle group: 9-11 points is invitational. The groups below it and above it are both catch-all, so they fall in place if you remember that 9-11 is the invitational range.

We'll look at example hands for these three hcp point groups one at a time.

But first...

General Guidelines

1) As with responding to opening bids and advancing overcalls, our priorities are:

• first: major suit fits
• second: no trump
• third: minor suit fits

2) We expect Partner to have 4441 distribution, with the singleton in the opponent's suit. So we need 4+ cards in one of Partner's suits to have an 8+ card fit. If it's a major, that's the suit we'll bid – following our first priority even if it's not our strongest suit.

3) What does it take to bid NT?

You have to be prepared for the opening lead to be in their suit, and Partner is short, so... you should have a "good" holding with 4+ cards and 2+ winners in the danger suit.

I admit that this no trump rule must sometimes be broken - when there is no decent alternative. For instance:

West	Partner	East	You
1♥	DBL	P	?

♠T42  ♥K973  ♦Q53   ♣KJ6    (9 hcp, -1, -1, = 7 points)

You cannot pass. You don't have support for any of partner's suits. And your hearts are too weak to bid NT.

0-8 Points - Horrid Hands (0-5) and Modest Hands (6-8)

With modest strength (6-8 points) we make minimum bids – no jump bids.

For example, after Partner doubles the opponent's 1♦ opening bid, we will only consider bids of 1♥ , 1♠ , 1N, and 2♣.

example 4

♠ K 4 3 2 ♥ J 9 ♦ T 8 5 3 ♣ Q 8 6

West	Partner	East	You
1♥	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

You will not bid again with such a poor hand. And Partner will need to be cautious about bidding more because your point range starts with zero.

example 5

♠ K T 3 2   ♥ Q 7 ♦ K T 9 8 ♣ J 5 4

West	Partner	East	You
1♣	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

This time you have a maximum for your bid. If the opponents bid again, you may have to be the one to bid a second time because Partner will be very cautious after hearing your possibly-horrid 1♠ bid.

If the auction continues...

West	Partner	East	You
1♣	DBL	P	1♠
P	P	2♣	?

...you could bid 2♦ , showing your second fit and promising that you do not have a horrid hand. Partner can then show which of the two suits she prefers.

example 6

♠ 9 2   ♥ K 7 ♦ Q T 9 3 2   ♣ K Q T 6

West	Partner	East	You
1♣	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

This is a robust maximum for 1N. Not only do you have maximum points, you also have plusses we haven't counted points for – two tens, two nines, and a 5-card suit. If Partner invites game by bidding 2N, you will gladly accept by going on to the 3N game.

Yes, you have a fine diamond fit, but NT is a higher priority than a minor suit.

example 7

♠ Q 9 2   ♥ K 7 ♦ J 8 5 3   ♣ Q J 6 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♣	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 8

♠ Q J 2   ♥ 7 ♦ K T 9 5 3   ♣ Q J 6 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♣	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

You have the same number of points as the previous hand, and the same club holding. But your red suits are different.

What's your call? show answer

9-11 Points – Invitational Hands

With invitational strength (9-11 points), jump one level.

For example, after Partner doubles the opponent's 1♦ opening bid, we will only consider bids of 2♥, 2♠, 2N, and 3♣.

example 9

♠ K Q 2 ♥ K J T 5   ♦ J 3 ♣ J 9 6 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

This is the same hand, with different bidding.

example 10

♠ K Q 2 ♥ K J T 5   ♦ J 3 ♣ J 9 6 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♥	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 11

♠ Q 4 2 ♥ J 7 ♦ K J 3 ♣ Q J 9 6 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♠	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 12

♠ T 9 4 2 ♥ K 7 ♦ T 5 ♣ A Q T 7 3

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 13

♠ A Q 2 ♥ K 7 5 ♦ T 5 3 ♣ J 9 6 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

3♣ = 9-11 is indeed the system bid. However...

• Your hand is a bare minimum for an invitational jump (only 9 points).
• You have a weak suit.
• You have only four trumps.

So I suggest you consider bidding the hand as 8 and not 9. Bidding 2♣ (0-8) might give you a better chance to make your contract.

Another reason to bid only 2♣ is that stopping at the two level while showing only 0-8 points might induce the opponents to bid again. And you can probably defeat any contract they attempt. Beating them is far better than going set yourself.

example 14

♠ J 9 6 2   ♥ K 7 5 ♦ T 5 3 ♣ A Q 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

This is the same hand as the previous example, with the spade and club suits switched.

Your points have not changed – 9 points. (10 hcp, minus one for 4333 shape = 9 points.)

When our four-card suit was a weak minor, we held back from jumping to the three level with minimum points. But do we hold back when our weak 4-card suit is a major?

No.

• Jumping only takes you to the 2 level for spades compared to the 3 level for clubs.
• Game in a major is 10 tricks and scores more points than an 11 trick game in a minor, so jumping is more likely to lead to an improved score when Partner has extra strength.

Always choose to show a 2-level major suit invitation when your hand qualifies for it, even if the suit is weak. Major suits are our first priority.

example 15

♠ K Q T ♥ Q J 6 ♦ K T 6 ♣ J T 4 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♠	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

Yes, 3♣ is indeed the system bid. However, your weak 4 card minor is a flaw for bidding 3♣, and not having a 4-card holding to go with your two spade winners is a flaw for bidding 2N.

When both bids are flawed, choose NT over minors because it's a higher priority. 2N is a better bid than 3♣.

12+ Points – Game-Forcing Hands

With game-forcing strength (12+ points), we either jump to 3N or bid the opponent's suit (called a cue bid):

• 3N (12+ points) requires two winners in the opponent's suit, and denies a 4+ major.
• The cue bid (12+ points) has no specific distributional requirements, just enough strength to drive to game. Neither partner may pass until game is reached (3N, 4♥, 4♠, 5♣, or 5♦).

For example, if the opponents open the bidding with 1♦, and Partner doubles, your "cue bid" is 2♦.

What does Partner bid after your 2♦ game-forcing cue bid?

The first priority is to find a major suit fit, so... She always bids 2♥ if she has 4 of them, and 2♠ if she has 4 spades without 4 hearts. If there is a major suit fit, it will be found at the two level. But of course, you can't stop bidding at the two level. One of you will have to bid a game in the fit suit.

example 16

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦
P	2♥	P	4♥

What does your 2♦ bid promise? show answer

What does Partner's 2♥ bid promise? show answer

What does your 4♥ bid promise? show answer

Since 4♥ is a game contract, Partner is now permitted to pass.

example 17

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦
P	2♠	P	?

How many spades must Partner hold to bid 2♠? show answer

Our initial assumption when Partner doubles is that she holds 4441 distribution, short in their diamond suit. But she didn't bid 2♥ after your 2♦ cue bid, so she doesn't actually have 4441.

How many hearts does she have? show answer

After Partner's 2♠ bid, how many hearts would you need to now bid hearts yourself? show answer

example 18

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	3N

Your jump to 3N requires two winners in diamonds, the opponent's suit. It also denies a 4 card major.

Partner would only bid again if she had hopes of taking 12 or 13 tricks – a "slam" which scores a lot of bonus points for bidding it. Of course you must make your slam contract to get the bonus points!

example 19

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦
P	2♠	P	3N

After your 2♦ cue bid, Partner shows a 4-card spade suit, while denying 4 hearts. We know that means she has exactly 3 hearts because she needs heart support as part of her three-suit takeout double.

Your jump to 3N promises two winners in the opponent's diamonds. What does it say about how many spades you have? show answer

When you jump to 3N, how does Partner know you don't have 5+ hearts? show answer

example 20

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦
P	2♠	P	2N
P	?

This is almost the same as example 19, except this time you don't jump to 3N, you bid only 2N.

3N requires two winners in the opponent's suit.

2N only requires one winner. It gives Partner a chance to express an opinion about playing the NT game with only one diamond winner.

If Partner thinks NT would be OK, she'll raise to 3N. But what if she doesn't think 3N would be a good contract. What would she bid? show answer

example 21

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦
P	2♥	P	?

Your 2♦ bid promises 12+ points.

Partner's 2♥ bid promises 4 hearts.

If you also has cheeseburger... I mean 4 hearts, you will normally bid game in that suit – an immediate 4♥ bid.

When Partner's hearts are not a fit, you will not raise hearts. (Duh!) Instead, you will continue looking for the right game to play, following our priorities – majors first, then NT, and minor suits last.

You can think of bidding as a conversation between you and your partner. Each bid has two parts, one part telling, the other part asking. If you don't have a heart fit, this is what your four other bidding choices would mean following Partner's 2♥ bid:

example 22

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦
P	2♥	P	2♠
P	4♠

South's 2♦ "cue-bid" (12+ points) starts the search for the right game contract.

The 2♥ bid says Partner has 4 hearts.

South's 2♠ bid says, "Sorry, no heart fit. How about Spades. Do you also have 4 of them?

North's 4♠ bid says, "Yes, I do. Let's play our game in spades."

Let's follow a sample game investigation and see what each bid means.

example 23

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦

2♦ (cue bid) = "I have 12+ points. Let's find a good game contract."

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦
P	2♥

2♥ = "I have 4 hearts. Do you?"

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦
P	2♥	P	2N

2N = "No, I don't have 4 hearts. And I don't have 4 spades either, or I would have bid 2♠ , because majors come before NT.

The reason I didn't bid 3N with my first bid is I don't have the two diamond winners that are required for a jump to 3N. I only have one diamond winner. Do you think NT would be OK with only one diamond winner?

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦
P	2♥	P	2N
P	3♣

3♣ = "No, I don't think 3N is OK with only one winner. I have clubs. Is that a fit?"

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	2♦
P	2♥	P	2N
P	3♣	P	5♣

5♣ = "Yes, I have very good clubs. Let's play our game in clubs."

This has been a very long page! Now we're ready for a dozen review and practice hands. Good luck!

example 24

♠ A 6 2 ♥ Q 7 ♦ 8 7 3 ♣ K J 9 6 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 25

♠ K 8 2 ♥ T 7 5 3 ♦ 8 7 ♣ A Q J 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 26

♠ K 9 5 ♥ J 2 ♦ A J T 5 ♣ K J 9 4

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 27

♠ J 7 4 ♥ 4 3 2 ♦ K J T 9   ♣ 8 6 4

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 28

♠ K J 9 7   ♥ A 9 7 ♦ A 5 3 ♣ Q 8 7

West	Partner	East	You
1♥	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 29

♠ K J 9 7   ♥ K Q 9 7 ♦ 6 5 3 ♣ Q 8

West	Partner	East	You
1♥	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 30

♠ A T 8 6 3   ♥ K 2 ♦ T 6 4 ♣ J T 4

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 31

♠ J 9 7   ♥ K T 4 ♦ 7 3 ♣ K Q 5 4 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♥	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 32

♠ K Q 9 7   ♥ K Q 9 7 ♦ 6 5 3 ♣ Q 8

West	Partner	East	You
1♠	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 33

♠ K Q T 7   ♥ K Q 9 ♦ Q 7 5 3 ♣ Q 8

West	Partner	East	You
1♠	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 34

♠ J T 5 4 ♥ J 9 ♦ K Q 7 3 2   ♣ 8 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♣	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

example 35

♠ A J T 5 4 ♥ 9 ♦ K Q 3 2   ♣ K 3 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♣	DBL	P	?

Count your points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

When Partner makes her takeout double, she assumes you will bid one of her suits, and 1♦ doubled will not become the final contract.

Usually that's what happens, but occasionally your hand is so good for playing with diamonds as trumps that you decide not to do as Partner expects.

You pass, which "converts" Partner's takeout double into a penalty double. A penalty double is when you choose to allow the opponents to play the contract because you anticipate a big score for defeating them. "Doubling" greatly increases the score for whichever side prevails.

In the example above, West would have to win 7 tricks to make 1♦. To defeat him, you would have to hold him to only 6 tricks, which means taking 7 tricks yourself. (6 + 7 = all 13 tricks in the hand)

What kind of hand do you need so you can be confident of defeating 1♦?

1) 5+ trumps

Your 5 trumps, and partner's expected singleton, means there aren't enough diamonds in the deck for the bad guys to have an 8 card trump fit.

2) 3+ trump winners

This makes the trumps they do have less effective.

3) 2+ high honors (A,K,Q) in Partner's suits.

You cannot defeat them with just your 3 trump winners. You need 4+ tricks in Partner's suits too.

example 36

♠ T 8 2 ♥ K T ♦ Q J T 9 8   ♣ A 9 2

West	Partner	East	You
1♦	DBL	P	?

Count your high-card points. show answer

What's your call? show answer

♠ T 8 2 ♥ 7 6 ♦ A K Q 5 3   ♣ J 9 2

This hand also has 10 hcp, but it is not as good for converting Partner's double.

You use up almost all your hcp to take your three trump tricks, and you cannot offer much help in Partner's suits where you will need four more tricks to defeat 1♦ doubled.

When Partner makes a takeout double...

• assume she has 4-card support for all unbid suits.
• devalue honors in the opponents' suit when counting points.
• if responder passes, do not pass with a bad hand – pick one of Partner's suits.
• to bid NT, "try to have" 4+ cards and 2 winners in their suit
• bid without jumping on 0-8 points.
• jump one level on 9-11 points (this is game-invitational).
• cue bid the opponents' suit with 12+ points (game-forcing).
• before passing to convert to penalty, be confident you can defeat their contract.

Go to the next topic:

3-Level Competitive Bidding

Or see all articles in the Bridge Bidding series.  +