No Doubling?

 

At a recent event for novices one contestant was aggrieved that an opponent had doubled their contract giving them -300 instead of -100.

That person evidently believed it was in the rules that a novice had the right to over-bid with impunity.

 

And also recently at a club session, which players from other clubs were invited to, the director announced “we have a number of novices here (and how they are identified). You are not allowed to double them”.

 

Pardon???

 

I am all for encouraging novices but not by demanding the opponents “not play bridge” when playing against them. All that does is screw up the learning process.

 

And it can backfire in a number of ways

 

Just one example:

A novice opens 1NT.

LH opponent has 20 points and, not allowed to double, passes as do the other two players.

The novice declarer makes the maximum which is 5 tricks

Every other table the LH opponent doubles and RH opponent, only expecting 16 points, takes it out.

The opponents can only make a part-score and if they bid game they go down.

 

How do you explain the bottom score of -200 to your novice?

 

I am not condoning doubling a novice without a bridge reason with the expectation they will mis-play the hand. That is bad manners which everyone should be expected to avoid. It is also bad bridge.

 

There are good guidelines on this website on how to look after your new players. A lot of those just come under “common decency”

I prefer to add to those things like (when beginner(s) are at your table):

No wild or gambling bids

and

Where circumstances permit, use the same methods the beginners use

 

But NOT “no doubling” please.

 

Started by NICK WHITTEN on 13 Sep 2017 at 01:44PM

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Latest Posts on this Thread

  1. NICK WHITTEN07 Nov 2017 at 07:56AM

     

    Try enforcing "no doubling" to the expert pair who had a pair of novices from Cambridge bid 3S against them on Board 3 at the NZ Wide pairs tongue-out

    Declarer made 11 tricks

    1130 was a lot better than 200

    Especially as most of the field played in 5C making 6C

  2. NICK WHITTEN10 Jan 2018 at 09:27AM

     

    Anybody out there prepared to post arguments in favour of a “no doubling” rule?


    The practice of this being an “official” rule appears to be widespread.

     

  3. NICK WHITTEN30 Sep 2021 at 11:35AM

     

    I believe any instruction to “not play bridge” is an abomination and NZB should step in and prohibit the practice at all levels of competition.

    For any who disagree:
    What advice should be given to a novice who has been taught “with this hand the correct call is ‘double’” but in this competition to double is forbidden?

  4. NICK WHITTEN20 May 2023 at 08:24AM

     

     

    This thread has been here for over 5 years and not attracted any comment.

    Is there ANYONE out there who can cite ONE example (made up if you like) where a no-double rule actually has some merit?

     

  5. JANE STEARNS05 Dec 2023 at 04:48PM

    The only time that I advocate "no double" is when beginners first emerge from lessons into a regular playing session.  So if a club has a "Welcome Pairs" series for example.  I just feel students are so nervous, so easily put off, so shaky when trying to draw a pass line (I remember being this person myself) that doubling them just seems an unnecessary burden for the first few weeks.  Will the world really end if we don't exploit their newness and just give them a few weeks to settle in before seeing them go for a 4 digit number?  Plus I always make it clear ahead of them coming through into their first session what the position is with announcements to the existing club members.  eg. No, these next sessions won't be fair, yes they will be able to ask for help, yes they'll be able to look at crib sheets, no you are not to double them in this first series.  If you don't like it don't come - basically getting these new players to stick is far more important in the bigger picture than you getting 1200 on every second board and them ending with 15%, believing they are useless at the game and never returning.  After that short transition period, then yes, doubling is part of the game and by all means double if you think that is the correct bid.  However, I urge anyone doing that to a beginner to do so without gloating, without announcing "top board for us" or suggesting in anyway the beginner was stupid to get into that contract in the first place.  Phrases such as "that told you" or "you won't try that again" or "smack" are unhelpful and unnecessary.  Retention of beginners is just about the biggest hurdle every club faces and the game itself is seriously under threat if we cannot make newcomers comfortable at the table.  I put comfort of the beginner and retention at a far higher level than the need to cream a great score from a beginner in their first or second outing at the table in a club competition. After that, a kind and considerate few words at the start of play from the tutor or club captain - okay it's gloves off now so you may find you are doubled in the contract.  If you go down in a heap, don't you worry, it's all part of the game.  It's just one board and you'll probably learn from it.  Giving beginners a few weeks grace to know which way is up - yes it gets my vote.  Just like "phone a friend" or using a crib sheet or introducing herbal teas! Anything to support the new player in their first steps.

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