Glenfield Bridge Club – Technical Library

Take Out Double

Last Updated on 17^th August 2008

The take out double of an opening bid of one of a suit from the opposition shows one of the following hand types:
1	A three suited hand of opening values or better with the shortage in the suit opened.
2	A one or two suited hand that is too strong for a simple or jump overcall.
3	A balanced hand that is too strong for a one no trump overcall.

This hand, from the 2002 final of the Gimson is a good example of the three suited type.
ª AQJ4 © 2 ¨ AK32 § K876	After right hand opponent opens one heart, this is a straightforward double, showing the other three suits.

This hand comes from the Derbyshire Green Pointed Swiss Pairs on 27^th September 2003 and provides an example of the balanced type.
ª K82 © AKT4 ¨ A2 § K752	Left hand opponent opens one heart and, after two passes, you have to find a bid in the protective position. You are too good for a bid of one no trump, so you begin with a double intending to rebid no trumps at the earliest opportunity.

This South hand does not seem to fit any of the hand types described in the introduction.
	North ª 532 © AT8765 ¨ 6 § J32	Board 25 Dealer N EW Vul	Yet, when the hand was dealt at Glenfield Bridge Club on 10^th August 2005, the best North/South scores went to those South’s who doubled East’s opening bid of one spade. After a double, North feels confident to bid hearts, even if West makes a barrage bid of two spades, and South has sufficient additional values to make a cue-bid in spades, asking if North can stop the suit for no trumps. North cannot, and the heart game is reached. Tim Glover elected not to double, instead preferring to bid diamonds. It is one of those awkward hands; two diamonds is an underbid, but the suit isn’t good enough to bid three diamonds. He chose to bid two diamonds and his partner eventually languished in three hearts. With a site of all four hands, it is easy to see how to take advantage of the well-placed diamond suit to make eleven tricks. Nick & Teresa Daniels and the North/South winners, Pam Leeson & Olive McClain, were the only pairs to read the position at the table and, having bid the game, made an overtrick for a shared top. However, if East cashes the ace and king of spades and switches to a club; North has a very difficult decision to make. Playing dummy’s nine seems to guarantee the contract whenever East has either minor suit king, while, if the position of the minor suit kings were switched, rising with the ace of clubs and taking the diamond finesse risks going down when West has the king of diamonds and East the king of clubs. Best East/West score went to the winners, Ray Le Vesconte and Brenda Coltman, who defeated five hearts by one trick. Click here for the results. Click here for the travellers.
West ª T98 © 42 ¨ 87532 § K54		East ª AKQJ4 © 93 ¨ KT § 876
	South ª 76 © KQJ ¨ AQJ94 § AQ9

There is no great need to vary the method over a prepared minor or, indeed, the Precision opening bid of one diamond.
Board 6 Dealer E EW Vul	North ª AKQJ43 © KQ8 ¨ 863 § J		North/South went adrift in this auction from the Glenfield Club Pairs on 14^th May 2003. After two passes, West, playing Precision, opened one diamond. North considered his hand too powerful for a strong jump overcall and began with a take out double. East passed and South, wishing to deprive West of the opportunity of introducing a four card spade suit at the one level barraged with a bid of two hearts. West passed and North, concerned not to miss a slam, bid three diamonds. South, thinking that North was now showing a hand that was too good to make an immediate jump overcall in diamonds, decided the auction was going nowhere and passed. The play is not recorded, but North finished three down for a bottom. I think North would have been wiser to bid either two spades or three hearts over two hearts. South perhaps should have just bid one heart, although this would allow East/West to find their club fit. Indeed the second best East/West score went to Brenda Coltman and Sylvia Horn who made an overtrick in three clubs. Most pairs played in spades, making between eight and eleven tricks; nine looks to be about right; it seems a poor defensive effort not to collect at least a club, two diamonds and a heart. I guess that the North’s who made eleven tricks received the lead of ace of hearts and another from East.
West ª 7 © J74 ¨ KT94 § AKQ54		East ª T985 © A3 ¨ Q52 § T963
	South ª 62 © T9652 ¨ AJ7 § 872

A take out double, in the protective position, can be made on lesser values.

ª Q8 © 65 ¨ A8653 § AQ42

In this deal, from the National Masters Pairs of 2002, I had to cope with an opening bid of one heart on my right. Although there are sufficient points to compete, the shape is unsuitable. The diamonds are too flimsy and I have nothing sensible to say should I start with a take out double and partner respond one spade. So, for now, I pass. Left hand opponent bids two hearts and, after two passes, it is my turn again. Now I consider the odds are in favour of bidding. The opponents have found a fit, so we should have a fit too. I shall make a take out double and, if partner bids two spades, I shall bid three diamonds. In the event partner bid three clubs and the bid had its desired effect when the opponents pressed on to three hearts and were defeated by one trick. We could have made ten tricks in either minor but we gained most of the match points by pushing the opponents to the three level.

Many players use the take out double as a defence to pre-emptive bids.
ª K © K765 ¨ KJ83 § AK76	In this deal, from the Buildrite Cup, left hand opponent opened three spades and, after two passes, it was your turn to bid. Those pairs who could double for take out fared relatively well as partner, with a good spade holding, was able to pass and defeat the contract. Those who played Film or Fishbein did less well, finishing in a four heart contract that went four down.

It is, of course, possible to convert a takeout double into penalties; although it did not work well for North/South on this deal from the Derbyshire Green Pointed Swiss Pairs on 27^th September 2003.
Board 7 Dealer S Game All	North ª 9 © KT653 ¨ AKQ862 § K		Even a four figure penalty wasn’t enough to give Tim Glover and Peter Neville an average score against Chris Jagger and Amanda Griffin. Tim opened one club, Amanda overcalled two spades, Peter doubled for takeout and Tim elected to pass for penalties. Amanda was just able to collect four tricks in spades for a score of –1100. However, twelve tricks are easy in no trumps or hearts and thirteen will be made if the queen of hearts is found. With thirty three points and plenty of distribution most pairs bid the slam. No doubt Paul Bowyer would say Tim got what he deserved for opening one club instead of one spade.
West ª QT8652 © Q98 ¨ 7 § 973		East ª J3 © 42 ¨ J943 § J9652
	South ª AK74 © AJ7 ¨ T5 § AQT4

Tim’s Statistics MPs	Top	Partner	TO * For	MPs	%	TO * Against	MPs	%
Gimson Final	20	Peter Neville	1	18	90.00	2	20	50.00
Total			1	18	90.00	2	20	50.00

Tim’s Statistics IMPs	Partner	TO * For	Imps	Imps/Bd	TO * Against	Imps	Imps/Bd
Porter – Nottinghamshire 5 Leicestershire 15	Peter Neville	1	-4	-4.00
Porter – Leicestershire 20 Staffs & Shrops 0	Peter Neville	3 (4)	9 (5)	3.00 (1.25)
Porter – Lincolnshire 0 Leicestershire 20	Peter Neville	1 (5)	-13 (-8)	-13.00 (-1,60)	1	5	5.00
Glenfield A 12 Spencefield 0	Peter Neville	1 (6)	-8 (-16)	-8.00 (-2.67)
Total for 2006		6	-16	-2.67	1	5	5.00
Glenfield A 6 Phoenix A 6	Peter Neville	2 (8)	20 (4)	10 (0.50)	1 (2)	-3 (2)	-3.00 (1.00)
Glenfield A 9 Loughborough A 3	Peter Neville	3 (11)	2 (6)	0.67 (0.55)	1 (3)	6 (8)	6 (2.33)
Porter – Leicestershire 5 Oxfordshire 15	Peter Neville				2 (5)	4 (12)	2 (2.4)
Total for 2007		5	22	4.40	4	7	1.75
Total		11	6	0.55	5	12	2.4

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6.1.2 Opening Bids	One Club	One Diamond	One Heart	One Spade	One No Trump	Pre-empts
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6.1.3 Responding to an Opening Bid	Simple change of suit	Opener’s Rebid	Responder’s Rebid	Preference	Opener’s Second Rebid	Jump in a new suit	Responding in no trumps
	Limit Raise	Inverted Minors
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6.1.4.1 Conventional Opening Bids	Lucas Twos	Multi Two Diamonds	Weak Twos
6.1.4.2 Competitive Conventions	Jump Overcall	Lebensohl	Unassuming Cue Bid	Unusual No Trump	Continuing after opponent’s take out double	Take out Double	Cue Bid
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	Asking Bids	DOPI and ROPI
6.1.5 Doubles	Optional	Penalty	Lead Directional
6.1.6 The Protective Position
6.2 Declarer Play
6.2.1 General Technique	End Play	Squeeze	Finesse	Lose tricks early	Pin	Avoidance	Restricted Choice
6.2.2 Trump Management	Ruffing	Ruffing Losers before drawing trumps	Trump Coup	Ruffing Finesse	Loser on Loser	Coping with bad splits	Cross Ruff
	Dummy Reversal
6.3 Defence	Second Player	Signals	Third Player	Play the cards you are known to have
6.3.1 Defensive Tactics	Forcing Defence	Passive Defence	Merrimac Coup
6.3.2 Opening Leads	Fourth Highest	Third and Fifth	MUD	Top of Nothing
6.3.3 Plays in Third Hand	Finesse Against Dummy	Finesse Against Partner
6.3.4 Entry Management	Unblocking
6.4 Probability
6.5 Glossary of Terms
7 Through the Pack