Test your knowledge
Double for takeout
- Question 1
(of 12 on this page)
You are South. Your LHO (West) opens the bidding with 1 Spade. Your partner decides to double.
What is your partner telling you ?1. Please bid your best suit.
2. Pass! I don't believe they will make their contract, so I've doubled them
3. He has 8-15 HCP, with a 4-card Heart suit. Please bid something
4. He has an opening hand with good suits in Diamonds and Hearts. Please bid something
5. 16 HCP, balanced hand
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- Answer 1
(of 12 on this page)
You are South. Your LHO (West) opens the bidding with 1 Spade. Your partner decides to double.
( 1 ). Please bid your best suit.
What is your partner telling you ?
And you MUST bid, even with no points at all. The only exception to this is if the opposition have bid again, in which case you are off the hook. The point is that your must bid because your partner is most likely EXTREMELY WEAK in the suit that he apparently doubled.
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- Question 2
(of 12 on this page)
You are South. Your LHO (West) opens the bidding with 1 Spade. Your partner decides to double.
How many HCP does your partner have ?1. At least 8
2. At least 10
3. At least 11
4. At least 12
5. At least 14
6. At least 16
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- Answer 2
(of 12 on this page)
You are South. Your LHO (West) opens the bidding with 1 Spade. Your partner decides to double.
( 3 ). At least 11
How many HCP does your partner have ?
You need an opening hand to bid a "take out double". So, 7-losers, or 14 points including 3 shortage points for a singleton, so 11 is the minimum HCP.
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- Question 3
(of 12 on this page)
In this question and the next, you are South. In the first case, West opens 1 Club, partner North passes, then East bids 1 Spade. You decide to double.
What are you telling your partner ?1. Double for takeout, please bid your best suit.
2. 6-15 HCP, with a 4-card Heart suit. Please bid something
3. Opening hand with good suits in Diamonds and Hearts. Please bid something
4. 16 HCP, balanced hand
5. Pass ! I don't believe they will make their contract, so I've doubled them
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- Answer 3
(of 12 on this page)
In this question and the next, you are South. In the first case, West opens 1 Club, partner North passes, then East bids 1 Spade. You decide to double.
( 3 ). Opening hand with good suits in Diamonds and Hearts. Please bid something
What are you telling your partner ?
When the opposition have bid two suits, a "double for take out" implies that your strength is in the two unbid suits, again with an opening hand. Your partner cannot pass unless the opposition have intervened.
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- Question 4
(of 12 on this page)
In this question as in the previous one, you are South. This time, West passes, but partner North opens 1 Club. The rest is the same: then East bids 1 Spade, and you decide to double.
What are you telling your partner ?1. Double for takeout, please bid your best suit
2. You have 6-15 HCP, with a 4-card Heart suit
3. You have an opening hand with good suits in Diamonds and Hearts
4. 16 HCP, balanced hand
5. Pass ! I don't believe they will make their contract, so I've doubled them
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- Answer 4
(of 12 on this page)
In this question as in the previous one, you are South. This time, West passes, but partner North opens 1 Club. The rest is the same: then East bids 1 Spade, and you decide to double.
( 2 ). You have 6-15 HCP, with a 4-card Heart suit
What are you telling your partner ?
This is known as a negative double. Unlike the "double for takeout" after two ENEMY bids, you don't need an opening hand. That's because your partner has already shown some strength. You are now showing responding strength, 6+HCP in this case,and 4-cards in an unbid high ranking suit, in this case Hearts. Read all about this under "negative double" in the next quiz, or on page 123.
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- Question 5
(of 12 on this page)
You are North with this 2-suited 8-HCP hand.
Q 3 2
Q 6 5 4
6 5
K J 4 2
Your LHO opened the bidding with 1 Spade, and your partner doubled, requiring you to bid unless the opposition bid. But your RHO does in fact bid 1 NT. Should you pass or bid ?1. Pass
2. You should bid either Clubs or Hearts.
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- Answer 5
(of 12 on this page)
You are North with this 2-suited 8-HCP hand.
( 2 ). You should bid either Clubs or Hearts. Q 3 2 Q 6 5 4 6 5 K J 4 2
Your LHO opened the bidding with 1 Spade, and your partner doubled, requiring you to bid unless the opposition bid. But your RHO does in fact bid 1 NT. Should you pass or bid ?
Well, with an 8-loser hand your partner, who has an opening hand strength, wants to hear from you, and you have 6+ points anyway. He's got a 7-loser hand or better, and things could be right for a 3+ level contract. You should bid your best suit. Given you have two 4-card suits, you might want to think about which one to bid, Clubs or Hearts ? See the next question….
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- Question 6
(of 12 on this page)
Let's carry on. A reminder first of where we'd got to.....You are North with this 2-suited 8-HCP hand.
Q 3 2 Q 6 5 4 6 5 K J 4 2
Your LHO opened the bidding with 1 Spade, and your partner doubled, requiring you to bid unless the opposition bid. But your RHO does in fact bid 1 NT.
You decided to bid 2 Hearts, as it's a Major (not a mistake, even though you should normally bid your 4-card suits up the line, but not in this case since your partner has declared support for all suits other than Spades and it's best to choose a Major). Anyway, you partner now bids 3 Clubs. What is he saying to you ?1. I have 6-Clubs and 16+ HCP
2. I have 5-Clubs but 18+ HCP
3. either of the above (1) I have 6-Clubs and 16+ HCP or (2) I have 5-Clubs but 18+ HCP
4. I have 6-Clubs and 12+ HCP
5. I have the unbid suits, as I previously told you: please now choose between Hearts and Clubs
6. either of the two above (4) I have 6-Clubs and 12+ HCP or (5) I have the unbid suits, as I previously told you: please now choose between Hearts and Clubs
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- Answer 6
(of 12 on this page)
Let's carry on. A reminder first of where we'd got to.....You are North with this 2-suited 8-HCP hand.
( 3 ). either of the above (1) I have 6-Clubs and 16+ HCP or (2) I have 5-Clubs but 18+ HCP Q 3 2 Q 6 5 4 6 5 K J 4 2
Your LHO opened the bidding with 1 Spade, and your partner doubled, requiring you to bid unless the opposition bid. But your RHO does in fact bid 1 NT.
You decided to bid 2 Hearts, as it's a Major (not a mistake, even though you should normally bid your 4-card suits up the line, but not in this case since your partner has declared support for all suits other than Spades and it's best to choose a Major). Anyway, you partner now bids 3 Clubs. What is he saying to you ?
It can't be answer 4, since he'd have overcalled Clubs first time round. The point of this bid is to show great strength and a strong preference for Clubs. With your hand, should you now bid 4 or 5 Clubs ? Your partner has shown a 6 or 5-loser hand, and you have an 8-loser hand. And you have a 9 or 10-card trump fit. We'll leave it up to you to decide.... Your partner's power must be somewhere, enough to plug your gaps ?
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- Question 7
(of 12 on this page)
The enemy opened one Spade and your partner doubled. RHO passed. You have this 7-loser 11-HCP hand
K Q 3 2 10 9 8 7 K 6 5 K 3
What should you bid ?1. pass
2. 1 NT
3. 2 Clubs
4. 2 Diamonds
5. 2 Hearts
6. 2 Spades
7. 2 NT
8. 3 Diamonds
9. 3 Hearts
10. 3 Spades
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- Answer 7
(of 12 on this page)
The enemy opened one Spade and your partner doubled. RHO passed. You have this 7-loser 11-HCP hand
( 7 ). 2 NT K Q 3 2 10 9 8 7 K 6 5 K 3
What should you bid ?
Bid NT with good enemy suit stoppers. Bid 2NT with 10-12 HCP, or bid 1NT with 7-9 (following the usual logic of responding to a suit with NT, with a higher minimum cut-off due to the likely singleton). With 13+ bid 3NT.
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- Question 8
(of 12 on this page)
The enemy opened one Spade and your partner doubled. RHO passed. You have this 7-loser 9-HCP hand
K Q J 9 3 2 10 9 K 6 5 4 3
What should you bid ?1. pass
2. 1 NT
3. 2 Clubs
4. 2 Diamonds
5. 2 Hearts
6. 2 Spades
7. 2 NT
8. 3 Diamonds
9. 3 Hearts
10. 3 Spades
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- Answer 8
(of 12 on this page)
The enemy opened one Spade and your partner doubled. RHO passed. You have this 7-loser 9-HCP hand
( 1 ). pass K Q J 9 3 2 10 9 K 6 5 4 3
What should you bid ?
Convert the “take-out” double to a “penalty” double when strong in the opponents' suit, simply by saying “no bid”. You need 5-6 excellent trumps. By the way, the doubler is supposed to lead a trump, so that the enemy's trumps can be drawn. For this reason, it's not recommended that a takeout double be made with a void in the suit doubled.
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- Question 9
(of 12 on this page)
The enemy opened one Diamond and your partner doubled. RHO passed. You have this 7-loser 13-HCP hand
Q 9 3 2 K Q 9 8 K 6 5 K 3
What should you bid ?1. pass
2. 1 NT
3. 2 Clubs
4. 2 Diamonds
5. 2 Hearts
6. 2 Spades
7. 2 NT
8. 3 Diamonds
9. 3 Hearts
10. 3 Spades
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- Answer 9
(of 12 on this page)
The enemy opened one Diamond and your partner doubled. RHO passed. You have this 7-loser 13-HCP hand
( 4 ). 2 Diamonds Q 9 3 2 K Q 9 8 K 6 5 K 3
What should you bid ?
When you have an opening hand, respond to a takeout double with a Cue bid (in the the enemy suit). This is forcing to game, of course, so now the real conversation can start.
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- Question 10
(of 12 on this page)
Look at the deal on the table to the side. West deals and opens 1 Club. North doubles for takeout. East bids two clubs. You are South with this 8-loser 7-HCP hand
What should you bid ?1. pass
2. double
3. 2 Diamonds
4. 2 Hearts
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- Answer 10
(of 12 on this page)
Look at the deal on the table to the side. West deals and opens 1 Club. North doubles for takeout. East bids two clubs. You are South with this 8-loser 7-HCP hand
( 3 ). 2 Diamonds
What should you bid ?
Don't bid hearts, it's not your longest suit ! You might feel with only 7HCP that you should pass, given that East's bid exonerated you form bidding. But no, you have an 8-loser hand, so you should definitely bid.
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- Question 11
(of 12 on this page)
Continuing from Quiz no. B 0121 question 10, West now bids 3 Clubs.
What should North, with his 7-loser 12HCP hand now bid in response to South's bid of 2 diamonds ?1. pass
2. double
3. 3 Diamonds
4. 3 Spades
5. 4 Diamonds
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- Answer 11
(of 12 on this page)
Continuing from Quiz no. B 0121 question 10, West now bids 3 Clubs.
( 3 ). 3 Diamonds
What should North, with his 7-loser 12HCP hand now bid in response to South's bid of 2 diamonds ?
The reply from South promised 8 losers, so a bid of 3 Diamonds is in order. In any case, you don't want the enemy to take the contract, and doubling them into game would be unsafe.
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- Question 12
(of 12 on this page)
You have this 10-HCP 9-loser hand
K J 10 7 4 3 2 K J 10 7 Q 3 2
Your LHO opened ths bidding with 1 Heart. Your partner doubled for takout. Your RHO passed. What should you bid ?1. pass
2. 1 Spade
3. 2 Diamonds
4. 2 Spades
5. 3 Diamonds
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- Answer 12
(of 12 on this page)
You have this 10-HCP 9-loser hand
( 4 ). 2 Spades K J 10 7 4 3 2 K J 10 7 Q 3 2
Your LHO opened ths bidding with 1 Heart. Your partner doubled for takout. Your RHO passed. What should you bid ?
As you have more than 8-HCP, you should show your strength by jumping. If you don't jump, you are telling you partner that you have 0 to 8HCP. The lowest jump bid is 2 Spades. Don't worry that your hand has as many as 9-losers… your Heart losers are likely to be opposite shortage in your partner's hand, and you have a couple of nice 10s joined to Jacks.
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| West | |
|---|---|
 | K J 8 7 |
 | J 5 4 |
 | 8 |
 | A K 8 3 2 |
| North | |
|---|---|
| A Q 10 3 |
| 9 3 2 |
| K Q J 4 |
| 10 6 |
| East | |
|---|---|
| 6 5 2 |
| A 7 6 |
| A 10 3 |
| J 7 5 4 |
| South | |
|---|---|
| 9 4 |
| K Q 10 8 |
| 9 7 6 5 2 |
| Q 9 |
Other Deals that illustrate this technique