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conventional direct doubles


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What conventional uses of a direct double (of a natural 1 level suit bid) have you seen or heard of? For example -

 

1m-(X)

1M-(X)

 

Years ago these were penalty and never came up. Now almost everyone plays these as takeout, except for those few of us playing overcall structure where we overcall 1NT for takeout and double with a 1NT overcall or a very strong hand.

 

Has anyone seen any other meanings assigned to these doubles? I'm not saying takeout is a bad treatment, but then again, I bet nobody thought penalty doubles were a bad idea a long time ago either (and they weren't when they came up).

 

Just trying to keep an open mind...

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I've seen strange version of takeout, where the double was one type and 1NT another.

 

I've also seen takeout where the doubler may also have that suit and will rebid it. E.g., 1C-X-P-something-P-2C as natural.

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There's the suction double, showing the cheapest suit or the two higher suits (i.e. 1-X is diamonds or both majors). While this is more common as a defense to strong club/diamond, I've played it against "could be short" minor suit openings as well (with some additional followups for constructive bidding).
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I remember reading about some jokers playing a "comic NT" overcall where 1NT was either any weak 2 bid or a real 1NT overcall. (I doubt it would be a good idea, but) I suppose if you're using power doubles you could switch to "comic power doubles" where you either have a weak 2 bid or 15+. In overcall structure and other systems with power doubles, you often don't have a weak 2 bid overcall available since that's usually a 2 suited bid of some sort.
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EHAA plays the double as standard takeout (but strong), but since overcalls are SOUND, there's no real need for the Big One-Suiter Double, so the "Double and bid a suit" is a One-and-a-half suiter - 1C-X-p-1S; p-2D would be some sort of 1-4-6-2.

 

Michael.

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