Vu-Bridge Quiz | Vu-Bridge === Play like a Champion!
Vu-Bridge | Play like a Champion!

Reopening Doubles by Paul Bowyer

In a follow-up to Negative Doubles we are looking at its cousin (maybe a distant cousin) the Reopening Double. There are many auctions that start by an opening bid, an overcall and two Passes. Why did responder Pass over the overcall? Well, there are a number of reasons. One is that he had a poor hand. Another is that he had something but had no convenient bid. Making a suit bid would show a decent suit and a Double would guarantee four cards in the unbid major(s). Sometimes responders are simply stuck for a sensible and accurate bid. The third reason is that responder has a trump stack - in other words responder has lots of cards in the suit that has been overcalled. In these circumstances responder can do nothing but Pass. What is best now is that opener reopens the bidding with a Double (for takeout) and responder Passes it (converting the Double into a penalty Double). On many occasons that can land the opener's side a juicy penalty.
Read More

Question 1

  South
♠ K J 7 5
♥ A Q 9 8 3
♦ A Q 8
♣ 4 		 
Q: 1 - Here you are the opening bidder. What should you do when the bidding gets back to you?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥2♣PassPass
?


 Your choice:
A: Double. A locus classicus for the bid. You can't allow the opponents to steal the deal in a pathetic 2♣ - you have to compete. The most flexible call is Double (for take-out, of course). Partner will now be free to choose any of the three suits (he already knows you have Hearts). The extra upside to this action is that partner might Pass the Double. He will only do this if he is stuffed full of Clubs, leaving West high and dry with nowhere to go. This happens more often than you might think.

Your result so far:
Choose Answer

Question 2

  South
♠ K 10 7 5
♥ A 9 8 3 2
♦ A Q 8
♣ 4 		 
Q: 2 - Here you are the opening bidder. What should you do when the bidding gets back to you?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥2♣PassPass
?


 Your choice:
A: Double. Although you are considerably weaker than Question 1 it is still right to compete and it is still right to Double. The basic rule is to bid when you are short in the opponents' suit. This gives you reasonable hope that partner has a fit with your hand somewhere.

Your result so far:
Choose Answer

Question 3

  South
♠ K 10 7 5
♥ A 9 8 3 2
♦ A Q 8
♣ 4 		 
Q: 3 - Here you are the opening bidder. What should you do when the bidding gets back to you?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥2♦PassPass
?


 Your choice:
A: Pass. It was right to compete on the previous deals because we were short in Clubs, the suit that West had overcalled in. Here, we have a singleton Club (where are they?) and have a dubious holding in Diamonds (this hand is not going to play well for us with the ♦K J likely to be lying over the ♦A Q). If we Double partner is very likely to bid 3♣ - and then what? This is a hand on which to keep schtum.

Your result so far:
Choose Answer

Question 4

  South
♠ A 6 5
♥ A K 8 7 6 3
♦ 4
♣ A 8 6 		 
Q: 4 - Here you are the opening bidder. What should you do when the bidding gets back to you?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥2♦PassPass
?


 Your choice:
A: Double. Yes, you might bid 2♥ but the upside of Doubling is that it brings all four suits into the game and - an essential point - it gives partner the chance of Passing if he has a trump stack. It is quite likely that North is sitting there with decent Diamonds and is itching to get at the opponents - you mustn't pass up the opportunity for a large penalty.

Your result so far:
Choose Answer

Question 5

  South
♠ Q 9 7
♥ K Q J 10 9 8
♦ 5
♣ K Q J 		 
Q: 5 - Here you are the opening bidder. What should you do when the bidding gets back to you?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥2♦PassPass
?


 Your choice:
A: 2♥. Here you should be reluctant to Double because you do not have defensive tricks (Aces, basically). You do, though, have offensive tricks (or playing tricks) in Hearts - so you can't sell out to 2♦. You must bid but Double is too dangerous - you just have to rebid your Hearts.

Your result so far:
Choose Answer

Question 6

  South
♠ 4
♥ A K Q J 9 7
♦ A 5 3
♣ Q J 9 		 
Q: 6 - Here you are the opening bidder. What should you do when the bidding gets back to you?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥2♦PassPass
?


 Your choice:
A: 3♥. You have to bid with this magnificent suit (even though you are not short in Diamonds). 2♥ is possible but you may be able to make game opposite a modest North hand. 3♥ tells partner you don't need much for game. Maybe he can scrape up a raise?

Your result so far:
Choose Answer

Question 7

  South
♠ K J 8
♥ A K 9 3 2
♦ A Q 8 6
♣ 4 		 
Q: 7 - Here you are the opening bidder. What should you do when the bidding gets back to you?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥2♦PassPass
?


 Your choice:
A: Pass. It's difficult to Pass with 17 points but the hand falls into the "What else?" category. You can't Double (10 gets you 1 that partner bids 3♣ - what next?) and there's little point in bidding 2♥. By Passing you are likely to get a plus score by defeating the contract (well, if it makes, you certainly weren't making 2♥!) and that may well be the limit of what you can achieve.

Your result so far:
Choose Answer

Question 8

  South
♠ A K 10 6 5
♥ K Q 10 7 5
♦ 
♣ J 10 8 		 
Q: 8 - Here you are the opening bidder. What should you do when the bidding gets back to you?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♠2♦PassPass
?


 Your choice:
A: 2♥. When we are short in the opponents' suit we should strain to bid. However, a take-out Double is rarely right when we have a second five-card suit and it's often the wrong thing to do with a void. You don't have much in the way of defensive values if partner Passes 2♦ Doubled and it is a positive handicap to be void in trumps. Much the best option is to pass up the opportunity of a penalty and to bid your second suit.

Your result so far:
Choose Answer

Question 9

  South
♠ 7 4
♥ A Q 10 7 5
♦ J 9
♣ K 10 5 3 		 
Q: 9 - Here you are the responder. What should you do next?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♦1♥
PassPassDoublePass
?


 Your choice:
A: Pass. This is called making a penalty Pass and happens when you leave in a take-out Double. You were right to Pass after 1♥ was bid on your right (what alternative did you have, though?) and now you have been rewarded. East is welcome to play in Hearts with a minority of the points and with trumps breaking badly. This could well be 500 territory.

Your result so far:
Choose Answer

Question 10

  South
♠ Q 7
♥ 7 6 5 4 2
♦ J 9
♣ K Q 5 3 		 
Q: 10 - Here you are the responder. What should you do next?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♦1♥
PassPassDoublePass
?


 Your choice:
A: 2♣. Your Hearts are too feeble to Pass 1♥ Doubled so you had better bid something. Clubs are your best suit so you have little alternative but to try those.

Your result so far:
Choose Answer

Overall Results

Your results:   out of    Average: 

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
More informations on our website: www.VuBridge.com

Rate yourself:

0 - 40% Maybe this quiz is on a lesson you didn't take yet!
41 - 50% If you have covered this in a lesson discuss the questions with your teacher.
51 - 60% Not bad, but you should re-read the lesson to build a stronger foundation.
61 - 75% Well done: You have a good base, although not yet perfect.
Perhaps review the difficult questions with your teacher or fellow sudents.
Over 75% You are a 1st class player! You really learn well. Kudos to you and your teacher!
Return To Home

© 2015-2021 Vu-Bridge. All Rights Reserved.