[ciscokid]

IMPS, WHITE VS RED

In first seat you open 1♦ (may not be everyone's choice) and partner bids 1♠, double on your right to you:


You opp pard opp
----- ----- ------ -----
1♦     P     1♠     DBL
??

♠  xxx
♥   Qx
♦   AQJxxxx
♣  J

- If you play support doubles, are you required to redouble?
- Do you play support doubles but can use judgement on when to use them?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I would have opened 4D.

Now, I would bid 2D.

If you play supp X,XX and you dont use it,
then partner will assume, that you do not have
support.
This means, you cant convince him with later
bids, i.e. you should not even try.

That is all.

Another consequence, in the seq.

1T - (Pass) - 1H - (1P)
1NT - (Pass) - ???

2D by responder can be weak, because you
dont need NMF, since opener already denied
3 card support, which will be true in 95%, even
if opener is allowed to use judgement.

Marlowe

[mikeh]

I would never open this 1♦, but then you already specified that many would dislike your opening.

Having opened, I would not make a support re-double. I would rebid 2♦. I view support doubles and redoubles as descriptive, not mandatory. Thus I would pass had I opened a very minimum balanced hand. This is not a hand on which you want to play in ♠ unless partner can bid them again without encouragement from you.

BTW, as responder, I would alert my partner's 2♦ (or a pass) and, if asked, would state that it 'tends to deny' 3 card support.

[mike777]

I also would not have opened this hand 1d but that being said, yes I will make a support double now and grin and bear it if I must. This means support x are almost mandatory but my guess is most do not play it this way except for certain Texas players.

[keylime]

I'm not a fan of support doubles but at times, yes, I am endplayed into using them.

The problem with this hand is, it is woefully inadequate for 1 diamond. It's at least a 3 diamond opening to start, maybe even five if colors and seat position is right.

Many people get very upset when you rebid your six card diamond suit instead of doubling/redoubling. They think it's more important to show the 4-3 fit instead of a more comfortable rebid.

I strongly prefer the ability to rebid my six bagger and THEN retreat to the major. Pard will make a better decision then.

[Gerben42]

Hate 1♦. Rdbl is not mandatory, bid 2♦ here.

[mila85]

Looks like text-book 3♦ opening - 6-10HCP, 7diamonds, two top honours, no side ace, no 4card major, ...

Now I'm unable to show what I have - 2♦ is underbid (we can have 7 quick tricks in diamonds), 3♦ is overbid and support redouble is strange.

[han]

I like to have the support redouble available, and I would bid 2D .

I would not have opened 1D.

[beatrix45]

I am firmly in the camp of the 2♦ bidders. Get it off your chest now and then shut up except to take a spade push if pard shows a long, powerful spade suit. Partner needs to know that we can compete in diamonds.

Opening 1♦ looks fine to me, but raising spades by using a support redouble is seriously wrong IMO. The very thought of playing a shaky 4-3 spade fit with a side seven bagger gives me the willies.

[Robert]

Hello everyone

My support double method 'says' that I can use them when my hand suggests the bid. I normally do so most of the time @ 90-95%

A hand like this example screams for a 2D rebid 'if' that is possible in the system. If the other pair settles in 2H, you can later bid 2S showing 3 card support and a likely 6 card diamond suit that did not want to make a support double. This is only be an aggressive pair, If you need values to compete, rather than shape, this hand should rebid 2D and pass at most other turns to bid.

Hands that are minimum and have a doubleton Qx in the enemy suit are often worth about 9-10HCP. Partner expected about 11-12HCP for your minimum when you opened.

Anyone opening lighter than 11-12HCP can reduce my values to reflect their standard type opening bids range. You know who you are.

4333 types with xxx of trumps should also not make a support double with minimum values. If system permits and you open 1m with 4333 and AK and AK
a support double might be possible since you hold solid values.

An understanding partner is also needed if you use support doubles with 4333 type hands.

Make sure partner is on the same wavelenght. A conventional bid that is misused or misunderstood is often a road leading directly to Minus city.

I have played support doubles that were mandatory, however, partner agreed with my suggestion of not make support doubles with unsuitable hand types.

Regards,
Robert

[ciscokid]

In first seat you open 1♦ - I've changed the hand slightly. Does this change your bid on whether or not to make a support redouble?

You opp pard opp
----- ----- ------ -----
1♦   P    1♠     DBL
??

♠  xxx
♥ Qx
♦ AQJxxxx
♣  K

- If you play support doubles, are you required to redouble?
- Do you play support doubles but can use judgement on when to use them?

[temp3600]

ciscokid, on Nov 21 2005, 09:57 PM, said:

In first seat you open 1♦ - I've changed the hand slightly. Does this change your bid on whether or not to make a support redouble?

The change will make a lot of people open 1D instead of preempting, but likely not change their answers regarding the second bid.

[FrancesHinden]

I play that support doubles/redoubles are mandatory (OK, I play support NT not redouble, but the principle is the same) in that I'm not allowed to pass with 3-card support.

Here I would rebid diamonds.

[joker_gib]

I open that 3♦

I also play support X/XX but I think I would bid 2♦ here

Alain

[whereagles]

The hand is a good advertisement for a good-bad 2NT...

1♦ pass 1♠ dbl
2NT pass 3♣ pass
3♦... etc

[FrancesHinden]

I've never heard of playing good/bad 2NT over a 1-level overcall. What do you do with a strong balanced hand?

[whereagles]

Well, that's simple: redouble and follow up with 2NT or double opps. But then again.. if you're playing support redoubles you probably can't do that.

Anyway, the more I think of it, the less I like support doubles and redoubles. Just support with 3 cards if the hand is distributional enough for that and you're all set.

[keylime]

You do realize why support doubles were formed in the first place, right?

[Fluffy]

You can play support doubles as mandatory, or showing a bit of extras.

I play them mandatory. Still I would probably bid 2♦

[Winstonm]

I never read anything on support doubles but sort of picked them up along the way and from day 1 never used the double/redouble without a reason to be bidding. For example: 1C-p-1H-1S: AQ10, xxx, Kx, KJxx. I much prefer 1N as more descriptive than the nebulous double here. Also, if I feel I am too weak and shapeless to act or have a more descriptive bid available that is what I do instead of the double. IMO convetions are tools, so you don't have to be a slave to their use but instead dip into the toolbox when the tool is of value.

Winston