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Alerting partner's flat T/O doubles?


SimonFa

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EBU

 

Despite long discussions partner continues to use T/O doubles to show a "opening hand" and may be flat, as well as having classic shape. I know this could be ok in pass out seat but he also does it in direct seat.

 

It's got to the point where I think I should be alerting. However I am worried that ops will see this as a penalty and are equally likely to misread pertner's bid. Leaving it until the end of the auction to clarify may also mislead ops.

 

Any thoughts on the best approach other than bashing partner over the head with a bidding box or getting a new partner?

 

As always, thanks in advance,

 

Simon

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Oppo should be aware that more than one meaning is alertable. According to the Orange Book,

 

"5G4: The following doubles must be alerted:

... © Any 'competitive', 'co-operative' or 'optional' double."

 

It seems to me that if the doubler could have a flat hand with 4 cards in opener's suit, this is sufficiently optional or card-showing that it should be alerted. It sounds like your partner's doubles mean "I have an opening hand with no suit I'm willing to overcall", and is unexpected enough to be alertable.

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Oppo should be aware that more than one meaning is alertable. According to the Orange Book,

 

"5G4: The following doubles must be alerted:

... © Any 'competitive', 'co-operative' or 'optional' double."

 

It seems to me that if the doubler could have a flat hand with 4 cards in opener's suit, this is sufficiently optional or card-showing that it should be alerted. It sounds like your partner's doubles mean "I have an opening hand with no suit I'm willing to overcall", and is unexpected enough to be alertable.

 

Thanks. I'll alert from now on.

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It sounds like your partner's doubles mean "I have an opening hand with no suit I'm willing to overcall", and is unexpected enough to be alertable.

I would have thought it so common amongst weaker players that it could not be considered unexpected.

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It sounds like your partner's doubles mean "I have an opening hand with no suit I'm willing to overcall", and is unexpected enough to be alertable.

 

I would have thought it so common amongst weaker players that it could not be considered unexpected.

Pretty common amongst stronger players too. In fact, who doesn't do this? Of course in practice the stronger players are filtering the hands, but the appearance is very similar.

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Pretty common amongst stronger players too. In fact, who doesn't do this? Of course in practice the stronger players are filtering the hands, but the appearance is very similar.

 

um... me?

 

Do you really think that it's common against strong players to double a 1S opening on

 

KQxx

Kx

Axxx

Jxx

?

 

That fits the description of 'an opening hand without an overcall' pretty well.

 

The question on alerts of second seat doubles is going to be discussed at the next L&E meeting, although nothing would change until Aug 2013 now.

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This is similar to a hand here from Monday night.

 

South opens 1S on AQJ42 JT QJT QJ7

West doubles. North raises to 2S and West doubles again.

 

West held K975 AQ5 97 AKT6

 

 

2S could make but South misplayed, partly misreading West's bidding.

North-South not very happy.

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Despite long discussions partner continues to use T/O doubles to show a "opening hand" and may be flat, as well as having classic shape. I know this could be ok in pass out seat but he also does it in direct seat.

I would just follow OB 5E2, and alert it if you think the meaning is potentially expected. I would say that a double which showed a weak NT or hands that all would double on fell into this category. Under 5E2, pretty much any double could have a potentially unexpected meaning, so just alert all doubles and fall back on that!

 

Partner will no doubt say "I have no idea why he alerted" ...

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No. We are told it is a takeout double in the opening post, so that it does not get alerted for that reason. If it was Lightner it would indeed be alerted. Then it would be a type of penalty double.

O.K., so if they call it a takeout double, that is all the matters? Somehow I thought differently. If we call it a takeout double, and I fear bidding the other major, for instance (1H) X (2H) 2S lest we play a 4-2 fit ---IMO, that information should be available to the opponents.

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Thanks everyone. Perhaps I should have been clearer, systemically we play T/O doubles which I always assume ops will take as 1444or possible 2344, hence my concern.

 

Simon

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Thanks everyone. Perhaps I should have been clearer, systemically we play T/O doubles which I always assume ops will take as 1444or possible 2344, hence my concern.

 

Simon

And you should be concerned. You have knowledge that partner won't have those hand types with the frequency the opps would expect; and your own advancing actions will be affected by that knowledge. They deserve to be alerted to that information.

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Pretty common amongst stronger players too. In fact, who doesn't do this? Of course in practice the stronger players are filtering the hands, but the appearance is very similar.

 

um... me?

 

Do you really think that it's common against strong players to double a 1S opening on

 

KQxx

Kx

Axxx

Jxx

?

 

That fits the description of 'an opening hand without an overcall' pretty well.

It does and, of course, you and the rest of the expert community filter these hands out. But you also double on a lot of hands that are not 4441 with a singleton in their suit.

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No. We are told it is a takeout double in the opening post, so that it does not get alerted for that reason. If it was Lightner it would indeed be alerted. Then it would be a type of penalty double.

I think that it's alertable under 'potentially unexpected' (which is new: "Doubles are also alertable if they convey a potentially unexpected meaning in addition

to take-out or penalties as defined above." OB5E2). I argued for that inclusion specifically because I didn't like the 'if you think it's takeout then it's takeout' definition which (as here) can easily mislead.

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It does and, of course, you and the rest of the expert community filter these hands out. But you also double on a lot of hands that are not 4441 with a singleton in their suit.

Let's say that the expert community is eager to make a takeout double with 1444 distribution (shortness in opponent's suit), or with distributions that are 1 card away from that. They might make these doubles with as few as 8 HCPs in a 0445 distribution. For takeout doubles on distributions that are 2 cards away from 1444, they will need more than full opening values (13-14 HCPs). Experts will double very rarely with distributions that are more than 2 cards away from 1444 (unless they have a big hand, of course). They are also perfectly capable of passing unsuitable 16 point hands.

 

Weaker players will pass nice distributional hands with little high card strength, but they will bid on "every hand with 13 HCPs".

 

Rik

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O.K., so if they call it a takeout double, that is all the matters? Somehow I thought differently. If we call it a takeout double, and I fear bidding the other major, for instance (1H) X (2H) 2S lest we play a 4-2 fit ---IMO, that information should be available to the opponents.

EBU: If they call it a takeout double, it's a takeout double, regardless of the distribution.

ACBL: If they call it "strong", it's strong, no matter how many points it has.

 

:o

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EBU: If they call it a takeout double, it's a takeout double, regardless of the distribution.

ACBL: If they call it "strong", it's strong, no matter how many points it has.

 

:o

That must be very helpful to the opponents. We discourage "naming" in favor of describing things. Except, when we don't.

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EBU: If they call it a takeout double, it's a takeout double, regardless of the distribution.

ACBL: If they call it "strong", it's strong, no matter how many points it has.

That's not the case. The EBU regulations provide a definition of "take-out double", in a section which also defines several other types of double.

 

A take-out double suggests that the doubler wishes to compete, and invites partner to describe his hand. Take-out doubles are frequently based on shortage in the suit doubled and preparedness to play in the other unbid suits, failing which significant extra values may be expected. Partner is expected to take out, though he can pass on a hand very suitable for defence in the context of what he can be expected to hold for his actions (if any) to date.
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I know one person who makes t/o doubles on any opening hand of any shape whatsoever (can include 5-cards in the other major for example) so overcalls are always less than an opening bid. She describes it clearly on her convention card but assures me she has been told by an EBU director that it is not alertable. She is an experienced tournement player who has a very high ranking.

 

Has she been misinformed?

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I know one person who makes t/o doubles on any opening hand of any shape whatsoever (can include 5-cards in the other major for example) so overcalls are always less than an opening bid. She describes it clearly on her convention card but assures me she has been told by an EBU director that it is not alertable. She is an experienced tournement player who has a very high ranking.

 

Has she been misinformed?

It was not alertable until the most recent update of the orange book (beginning of this month) in which the 'potentially unexpected' clause was added for doubles and redoubles. I believe this qualifies as 'potentially unexpected' and is hence now alertable

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um... me?

 

Do you really think that it's common against strong players to double a 1S opening on

 

KQxx

Kx

Axxx

Jxx

?

 

That fits the description of 'an opening hand without an overcall' pretty well.

 

I think paul means that its quite common to double one heart with a hand like KQxx xxx Kx Axxx. Which is not really a t/o double, strictly speaking.

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It was not alertable until the most recent update of the orange book (beginning of this month) in which the 'potentially unexpected' clause was added for doubles and redoubles. I believe this qualifies as 'potentially unexpected' and is hence now alertable

You'll never get club players to alert these doubles. They can't alert based on ideas they don't understand.

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