TAKE OUT DOUBLE

This convention is applied by nearly all bridge players in the world. In bridge courses for beginners it taught already around the third lesson.
Amalya Kearse says in her bridge bible: "BRIDGE CONVENTIONS COMPLETE":
"The take out double is so widely used that most people no longer think of it as a convention, but instead, unconsciously accept it as a natural part of bridge bidding. It is nevertheless a convention, since, by agreement, it has a meaning other then the desire to penalize the bidder in the suit he has bid. " *
A "take out double" is a direct double of an opening bid in a suit, by the player in the second or the player in the fourth position.

For the meaning of double of a 1NT opening bid, which in fact is penalizing, please go to the multi-Landy page, where the handling of opponent's 1NT opening bids is explained.


The the player, who made the double, must have one of the next two hands:

Until the doubler makes some more revealing rebid, his partner must assume he has the first type of hand and rebid (the double is forcing anyway): 2« without jumping while having >10 hcp's and not being able to call a 4+suiter on 1-level. This is also always forcing.

*
In Gerrit Jan Förch's dutch bridge convention books neither the "take out-" nor the "information-" double is mentioned. So one must really assume that Gerrit, as a dutch authority in these matters, also considers this convention as a natural part of bridge bidding.



If you want to see examples of bridgames in which the matter, treated above, is practiced you should click on examples and choose for the appropriate convention or for any other typical call.




return to:   "Double MENU"