The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (8 page)

first bid made by the opponents – if any – interrupts the

communication established between the opener and his partner,

and is by definition a defensive bid.

Doubles A penalty double is one you make because you genuinely

believe you can defeat the proposed contract. Any double ofa No

Trump bid is for penalties, as is a double made when the

opponents have bid three dif erent suits natural y.

A take-out or informative double is one that asks your partner to

take you out of it by making another bid. Its purpose is to convey

useful information rather than to seek to exact a penalty. Suppose

you have an openable hand suchas SA AJxx Kxxx xx AQx and

your right-hand opponent opens 1 . A good way of indicating your

hand is to use a take-out double. This tel s your partner you have a

biddable hand which is short in the suit opened but lacks a positive

long suit (unlike, say, x AQJxx AQxx QJx, with which you

would cal 1 ). This double is forcing for one round, requiring your

partner to show his best suit in the event of a pass by your left-hand

opponent.

Whether a double is meant for penalties or for a take-out may

vary with circumstances. Usual y, it is a conventional or take-out

double when

doubler’s partner has not yet spoken, or

has spoken, but only to pass;

doubler has doubled at the first opportunity to do so; and

the doubled bid was in suit and not above 3-level (unless pre-

emptive).

Acol bidding: summary and guidelines

1. Assess your hand by counting strength points as follows: