Takeout double

In the card game contract bridge, a takeout double is a low-level conventional call of "Double" over an opponent's bid as a request for partner to bid his best of the unbid suits. The most common takeout double is after an opponent's opening bid of one of a suit where the double shows a hand with opening values, support for all three unbid suits and shortness in the suit doubled. Normally, the partner of the doubler must bid his best suit but may pass if his right hand opponent intervenes or on the more rare occasions when his hand is such that he wishes to convert the takeout double to a.

Requirements

Commonly a double is considered for takeout whenever one of the following conditions is met :

Opponents have previously bid only one suit, and the player did not have chance to double that suit before.
Opponents have previously bid two suits, and partner has passed.
Opponents have found a fit.

Most common requirements to make a takeout double are:

Shortness in the opponents' suit - preferably two or less, three at most
Length in each unbid suit - preferably four cards, at minimum three
* Some partnerships play that the double of a major promises four or more cards in the other major
High card point strength of at least a minimal opening bid - 11 or more HCP
* More high-card strength is required when opponents have bid on higher levels.

The most common treatment is that the fewer high card points the hand possesses, the more strict are the distribution requirements. With stronger hands a common treatment is to double first, regardless of distribution, and then make your bid even when it differs from partner's bid:

16+ HCP and a good six-card suit can convert partner's bid to this suit
18+ HCP and a good five-card suit can convert partner's bid to this suit
19+ HCP balanced with a stopper in opener's suit can convert partner's bid to notrump
Exception: 15-18 HCP balanced hands with a stopper in opener's suit usually make a 1NT overcall instead of a takeout double

Partnership agreement is required on the level to which Takeout doubles apply. A typical treatment is that a double up to the level of 4 is takeout, while doubles on higher levels are for penalties or "cooperative". However an alternative is to play takeout doubles even higher for several reasons:

It is rare to hold a "true" penalty double
With highly distributional hands it is possible for both sides to have a making game
Usually the preemptive bid is designed to be sacrifice

Sometimes a “shape” double can be made on less than 12 HCP and can be made with 9+ HCP but requires 4 cards in all unbid suits or 5–4 in unbid suits

Examples

Responses

Opponents pass

If the RHO passes, the advancer is forced to bid and should make a descriptive bid indicating suit length, high-card strength and any stoppers:

Showing the shape:
* With a longest suit bid this
* With 2 suits of equal length but different rank favour the major suit
* With 2 suits of equal length and rank bid the stronger suit
* With 3 suits of 4 cards bid the major
* With a balanced hand and at least 1 stopper in the opponent's suit bid notrump
* With an opening strength hand and no clear strain, a cue bid of opponents' suit is often used to set up a game forcing auction and asking doubler to describe their hand
* When advancer's best suit is the opponent's suit, the takeout double can be passed for penalties and this is described in more detail below
Showing the strength when bidding a suit:
* 0-8 HCP - bid at the lowest available level in a suit
* 9-11 HCP make a jump-bid
* 12+ HCP jump to game, or if the strain is unclear, a cue bid of opponents' suit is often used to set up a game forcing auction and asking doubler to describe their hand
Showing the strength when bidding notrump:
* 8-10 HCP bid 1NT
* 11-12HCP bid 2NT
* 13+ HCP bid 3NT

The strength requirements above are lowered when the partner is known to be stronger, and raised when partner can be weak.
One conventional variation is that 1NT shows 6+ points and the cheapest bid in a suit is a natural "weak squeak" denying 6 points.

Opponents bid

If the RHO bids advancer is not forced to make a bid so, if one is made, it is a free bid and different strength ranges are used although the guidance on showing the shape remains the same except for the availability of the double as a new bid:

Showing the strength when bidding a suit:
* 0-5 HCP pass
* 6-8 HCP bid at the lowest available level
* 9-11 HCP jump bid or compete at the 3 level
* 12+ HCP bid the game or cue bid the opponents' suit
Showing the strength when bidding notrump:
* 8-10 HCP bid 1NT
* 11-12HCP bid 2NT
* 13+ HCP bid 3NT
A special case for 1NT

Typically doubles of notrump bids are for penalty, the exception is when opponents make a "Glossary of [contract bridge terms#dustbin|dustbin]" notrump bid:

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	1NT	?

In this case, responder is not showing a balanced hand but denying both support for opener and the values to make a two-level bid so a double is for takeout in this situation. However attention must be paid to the likely meaning of the 1NT bid. In this case, responder is likely to have long clubs so it will be safe for North–South to play in hearts or spades.

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	1NT	?

Spades would be considered a safe suit but East might have length in clubs or diamonds.

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	1NT	?

There are no safe suits, East might have length and strength in any suit below spades. In addition, opener might have a second suit but have decided against bidding at the two-level given responder's weakness. In addition, since East-West may not have a fit it is possible that North-South do not have a fit and might end up at the two-level doubled so will need to exercise caution when vulnerable.

Later-round takeout doubles

Double can be for takeout even in later rounds of bidding. As before, it denotes support for unbid suits and, often, extra values. In general, any low-level double after opponents have bid a suit and partner has passed is generally played for takeout:

the opener himself can double for takeout in the second round of bidding, after the opponents have entered the auction and partner had passed
also, an overcaller can second-round double as well, to show extra values and support for unbid suits.
a first-round takeout doubler can make a takeout double again, with a strong hand
Balancing (protective) doubles

doubles occur when the doubler had to choose between passing and ending the auction or bidding again to reopen the auction. Distribution and strength requirements for a takeout double are lowered in this situation. A common expression is "borrow a King" meaning that the balancing doubler can add 3 points to their hand and then bid according to strength guidance. So in this case a [|balancing double] can be made with as little as 8HCP. and in some situations as little as 6HCP.

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	Pass	?

South, holding can now double, expecting to find partner with strength and likely length in hearts, allowing him to pass for penalties or make a bid and this is a case for bidding with a little as 6HCP with the right holding, shortness in hearts is particularly important and 4+ in all other suits would be ideal.

West	North	East	South
		1	Pass
2	Pass	Pass	?

Although the bidding is a level higher East-West have found a comfortable fit and will probably be happy to play there. This suggests that North–South also have a fit and should be very keen to enter the auction. Competing at the three level might be risky as the major auction says very little about the minor suit holdings of East-West. South should double with 10+HCP and shortness in hearts.

West	North	East	South
		1	Pass
2	Pass	Pass	?

As above South should be keen to compete but the auction has suggested that east–west don't hold length in any other suits.

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	1	Pass
2	Pass	Pass	?

South, holding was not strong enough to double in the first round. However, he can expect the partner to have shortness in hearts and likely 4 cards in spades or diamonds, and thus make a balancing takeout double. Such doubles are more frequent on matchpoint scoring, where even a penalty of −100 for the failure to make 2 can be profitable against −110 or −140 that the opponents could score in 2.

West	North	East	South
1	1	Pass	Pass
?

West's double denotes shortness in spades and support for the other, unbid suits with a hand such as.
Reopening doubles once showed extra values as well. With adoption of the negative double, however, responder must pass with length and strength in the opposing suit. In order to protect against such situations, opener is obliged to double even with thin values, whenever his distribution is suitable. Some pairs even require opener to act somehow; responder's pass is forcing.

Equal level conversion doubles

This convention can change the meaning of doubler bidding a new suit in some situations, for example:

West	North	East	South
1	Dbl	Pass	2
Pass	2	Pass	?

This does not promise the extra values in diamonds but shows a hand with 5 diamonds and 4 spades and the values for a normal takeout double. In this case doubler would need to jump in diamonds to show the stronger hand. Some partnerships only play the convention in a sequence like this converting clubs to diamonds.
The name is derived from the fact that doubler is converting partner's bid at the same level.

West	North	East	South
1	Dbl	Pass	1
Pass	2	Pass	?

This sequence does show a strong diamond hand as doubler has converted at a higher level.
Some partnerships also play this convention when holding 5–4 in the majors but with a hand that is neither weak nor strong and, therefore, they cannot use a 2 suited bid.