Crush the Opposition

There's been a few hands with Anna lately where I've made a bold penalty double of a partscore. Not unreasonably, Anna has taken these doubles as takeout and she's bid on. This is a shame, as it means we missed out on a chance to crush the opposition.

So, I've been thinking about when we can safely make a penalty double.

1. After partner opens/overcalls 1NT, your doubles are penalties.

If partner opens 1NT, then you know he's got points and a few cards in each suit.

W	N	E	S
-	1NT	2♥	?

South has

♠ K 9 8

♥ Q 6 4 2

♦ A 4 2

♣ J 3 2

Time to double for penalties. If partner has overcalled 1NT it's the same, but he has an even stronger hand, so you need less. For example:

W	N	E	S
1♠	1NT	2♠	?

With the hand below, South can also double for penalties.

♠ J T 9 4

♥ A 4 3

♦ Q T 4

♣ 5 4 3

2. If partner's already doubled for penalties, your doubles are penalties.

W	N	E	S
1NT	x	2♥	?

South can bid, if he has a very long suit and doesn't want to defend. A balanced hand with a few points Should double:

♠ A J 2

♥ Q T 3

♦ 8 7 6 2

♣ T 3 2

3. After partner preempts, your doubles are penalties.

Partner has described his hand well with the preempt, so the only possible meaning for your double is penalties. You need a really good hand here though, as partner doesn't have much.

W	N	E	S
-	2♥	2♠	?

South has:

♠ Q J 9 8 3

♥ 5

♦ A K 3

♣ A Q 3

and can double for penalties. I was on the wrong end of a double like this against Jake, in the second hand here: Weighing In.