Takeout Double

Takeout Double

Fundamentally, a takeout double forces the Advancer to bid.  The Overcaller promises a hand of opening strength or more and at least 3 cards in each of the other unbid suits.  Ideally, the Overcaller will have less than three cards in the opponent’s suit; i.e., four or more cards in most or all the unbid suits.

Openers, Responders, and Advancers can double, too.  However, doubles from these roles constitute something other than a takeout double; e.g., Support double, Negative double, Responsive double.

Hand Evaluation

Should the Overcaller/Advancer partnership win the auction, the Advancer will likely become the declarer.  Thus, the Overcaller counts dummy points rather than length points.   However, if the Overcaller intends to double and originate, the Overcaller will likely become the declarer and should count length points instead of dummy points.

As the auction progresses, both Overcaller and Advancer must re-evaluate hand strength to account for wasted values.  For example, a QJ doubleton may initially represent 3 HCPs, but becomes 0 HCPs if in the opponent’s suit as neither will likely take a trick.  Similarly, an AK doubleton represents 7 HCPs, but becomes 8 or 9 HCPs if in opponent’s suit as both will likely take a trick and allow ruffing thereafter.

Suitability Factors

In addition to HCPs and distribution, two factors determine the suitability of a takeout double, namely level and vulnerability.

Level:  Asking partner to bid after doubling an opponent’s 1-club bid carries significantly less risk than asking partner to bid over an opponent’s 3-spade preempt.  In the first case, partner can bid at the 1 level.  In the second case, partner must bid 3NT or bid at the 4 level.

Vulnerability:  Asking partner to bid when vulnerable carries more risk than asking partner to bid when non-vulnerable.  After partner’s bid, opponents can always double for penalty.

A doubler unilaterally increases the partnership’s risk.   The doubler’s hand must support partner’s response regardless of partner’s HCPs and distribution.

Double and Originate

After making a takeout double, most partnership agreements interpret an Overcaller’s subsequent bid of a new suit as a statement about the Overcaller’s hand strength.  Specifically, the Overcaller promises 17+ points and at least 4 cards in the new suit.

Takeout or Penalty

Partnership agreements differentiate between takeout and penalty doubles based on bid level.  For example, a double of 3-hearts and below is for takeout while a double of 3-spades and above is for penalty.

The bidding sequence can override this basic agreement to allow for takeout doubles at higher levels and penalty doubles at lower levels.  Consider the following examples.

Low Level Penalty Double

East could have bid a takeout double after North’s 1-Heart bid, but did not.  Thus, East’s double is for penalty.

High Level Penalty/Takeout Double

The Overcaller’s double of North’s 4-Spade preempt could be for takeout or penalty.  West has the option to pass (and accept the double for penalty) or bid (and compete for the auction).  Vulnerability along with Advancer’s HCPs and distribution drives the Advancer’s decision.

For example, a non-vulnerable Advancer might bid 5-Diamonds with a 6-card diamond suit, 10+ HCPs, and a void in Spades.  Even if the East/West contract goes down, it will likely produce a better score for the partnership than allowing the North/South partnership to make 4-spades doubled.

Double of Opponent’s 1NT

A partnership may agree to use a convention when competing against NT bids.  For example, the Meckwell convention interprets the Overcaller’s double of a 1NT bid as asking for a 2-club relay bid from the Responder.

Without a conventional agreement, partnerships commonly agree to interpret the Overcaller’s double of a 1NT bid as a penalty double.

Advancer Responses