Hi Stan

Yes, if it mattered to you then I guess you have to ask about the double of 1NT given the alert regs being what they are.  Like you, I was a bit surprised by the meaning though, and even more surpised by how weak dummy was given it is only a balancing double.  I too might not have thought to ask.

I also think the 1NT shows 4+ clubs and that makes bdding 3C tempting.  If partner did have a 4333 (or 3433 / 4423 if those shapes are systemically possible) they may have, perhaps should have, redouble instead of bidding 1NT.  If your side is in trouble that will let you play suits at the one level.  If you're not in trouble they are very unlikely to tag you in 1Cxx.

But I'm not going to bid 3C now, even knowing the meaning of their double.  It just seems too risky when they have already exchanged quite a bit of information.  -200 even if they don't double is possible and a presume you're playing pairs so that smells like a bottom.  The delay has taken the pressure off them to bid 3 of a major and so deminished the upside for me.

I think I would have bid 3C directly over the double of 1NT if I thought to ask and been told the meaning (assuming we play my understanding of what redouble of 1C means).  That would put a good amount of pressure on them to bid their major at the three level - the upside is then much higher.

As to the non-altert rule for doubles, I don't like it, but at least it has the advantage of being easy.  I've been caught out twice by pairs playing Fishbein (yes, some people still play it) who doubled by partners two level pre-emptive opener for penalities and I failed to bid a new suit I might have had I realised.

UNALERTED DOUBLES

Our club sessions consist of a majority of junior and intermediate members. Most of the open players bid naturally with no hidden meaning or without psyching. When our beginner, transition sessions end these players play in our regular sessions so they will expect bids to be in accordance with the Acol bidding system or, in the case of one or two pairs, standard American.

Recently we saw one pair with an unusual double of a suit meaning, 6-7 HCP and two four card suits. It was not alerted, in accordance with the NZ Bridge guidelines. On another occasion, the double of one of 1 spade was, when the bidding had ended, stated to be asking for a heart suit (explained as a negative double). It had 9 HCP. Understandably, for ordinary club players, this is beginning to cause concern as there is the perception that some open players may be adopting these systems in order to confuse and to prevent their opponents from finding a contract. Orewa Bridge Club’s objective is to ensure that we keep players and ensure that they enjoy their bridge. We do not want to lose players as a result of what they may perceive as unfair practice by better players.

NZ Bridge defines all doubles as being self-alerting. This may be fine for open players who seem to adopt some bidding that is strange compared with what is being taught and expected by most ‘lesser’ players.

I took a look at the approach of other countries to this and was interested to see what they had to say.

The ABF (Reg. 31.1), whilst not commenting specifically on doubles, requires full disclosure of your agreement by alerts, pre-alerts and announcements. Reg. 13.3 stated that any call showing two suits is conventional and should be alerted.

The ACBL states that doubles do not require an alert unless they have highly unusual or unexpected meanings. Furthermore, ‘Bridge is not a game of secret messages; the auction belongs to everyone at the table.’

The EBU’s guidance note ‘Doubling and Alerting Part 1 states: ‘… a double, if for take-out, which for nearly all players it is, requires no alert. If it means something else, then it is alertable.’

 With the current action of some open players, we should recommend to all our members that any double of one of a suit must be questioned as it does not need to be alerted and may have an unexpected meaning.

Perhaps NZ Bridge should re-consider this rule of not alerting the double of one of a suit. It would certainly be appreciated by club players.

Posted by Ron Cooper (same e-mail address as Sandra Cooper)

Hi Sandra, I wrote this comment because I found the double in this case, and in this situation, a bit unusual.

However your reply indicates that you don't teach negative doubles, and that many of your members, not novices, don't use them either.

This is surprising, as this bid comes up fairly frequently each session, but if you don't play it, you won't recognise it.

A simple example, partner opens 1C, RHO overcalls 1S, and you hold xx, Kxxx, Kxxx, xxx. Clearly you would have responded to the 1C bid if there had been no intervention, so not having a bid now gives all the action to the opponents who overcalled.

After beginners are finished their first lessons, they should be introduced to the Negative Double at the novice lessons. There is plenty of stuff on Google, all absolutely straightforward, I don't need to give you a copy of my lesson. 

As I wrote above, it comes up all the time.

Keeping players, and ensuring they enjoy their bridge, is not incompatible with teaching standard well known methods. Not teaching these methods holds players back and stops them from improving. IMHO

Hi Stan

Thanks for the comment but many do use the negative double which you described.  I believe that I had not worded my comment accurately.  The double was by RHO over an opening bid of 1 spade by the dealer which I do not believe is a negative double as used by many of us.

My major concern is when the double of an opening bid means something different to what is generally accepted by most players.

Ron Cooper