DSIP DOUBLES,COOPERATIVE DOUBLES,

& FORCING PASSESJIM BERGLUND

WITH MUCH CREDIT TO BOB CROSBY & LARRY COHEN

DSIP DOUBLE RULES♠ WHEN THE OPPONENTS PERSIST IN AN AUCTION THAT APPEARS TO BE YOURS, MAKE A DSIP DOUBLE. ♠DSIP STANDS FOR “DO SOMETHING INTELLIGENT, PARTNER” ♠ A DSIP DOUBLE SAYS “ I HAVE GOOD CARDS, BUT NO CLEAR OTHER ACTION. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?”♠ IT NEVER IMPLIES A TRUMP STACK♠ SINCE MORE THAN 95% OF ALL LOW-LEVEL DOUBLES ARE NOT FOR PENALTY YOU (OR YOUR PARTNER) SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEDUCE WHEN A DSIP DOUBLE HAS BEEN MADE)♠ PLAYING DSIP DOUBLES REQUIRES A TRUST THAT BOTH YOU AND YOUR PARTNER HAVE UNDERSTOOD AND EVALUATED THE PREVIOUS BIDDING!

How to Tell when a 1-or 2-level Double is DSIP

1. You hold: AJ432 ♠ ♥A2 ♦832 Q76♣

West North East SouthOpener You1♥ PASS 1 ♠ 2♦PASS PASS Dbl

2. You hold: A64 ♠ ♥Q52 ♦K832 976.♣

West North East SouthOpener You1 ♣ Dbl 1NT PASS 2 ♣ PASS PASS Dbl

4 You hold: AJ64 ♠ ♥A2 ♦KJ82 ♣976West North East SouthOpener You1♣ 1 ♥ Dbl PASS 1♠ PASS PASS ?

3. You hold: 864 ♠ ♥A2 ♦KJ82 ♣976.West North East SouthOpener You 1♣ 1 ♥ Dbl PASS 1♠ PASS PASS Dbl

By Larry Cohen

Partner is likely to rebid his suit, or raise yours

You have cards, but no clear bid

You’ll never have this hand and not bid over the Dbl. However, if you did, your DSIP double and partner’s response would give you direction as to what to do next

Since you didn’t act earlier, partner won’t misinterpret your bid

Test Question 1BOTH VULNERABLE

YOU ARE SOUTH ♠♥

♦♣

108276532Q10542

W N E S

P 1♥ 2♠ P

P 3♦ P P

3♠ Dbl P ?

♠ Partner’s double should NOT be interpreted as old fashioned penalty.♠ The double says I have extra defense based on my previous bidding. If the hand is a misfit or you have trump values , please pass. Otherwise do something intelligent by raising one of my suits .

♠This is a clear cut 4♦ bid - no 2nd choice.

DSIP Double

Test Question 2BOTH VULNERABLE

YOU ARE SOUTH

♠♥

♦♣

KQ756532107542

W N E S

1♠ 2♣ 2♦ ?

Jump to 4 . ♣ They’re in a forcing auction and your jump bid shows Offense – not Defense. A PASS would give the opponents too much flexibility

DSIP Double

HOW MUCH DEFENSE IS REQUIRED FOR A D.S.I.P. DOUBLE

CONVERSION ? •This requirement obviously changes due to the level of bidding , and whether you’re the overcaller/opener or responder. •Defense is never based on HCP. For Example, holding ♠AKQJ10987654 ♥A ♦3 ♣, you likely have only one defensive trick over 7♣

Quick Tricks Evaluation: A or KQ = 1 Quick Trick King = 1/2 Quick Trick AQ = 1 1/2 Quick Tricks AK = 2 Quick Tricks

Eric Kokish calls these controls “transferable values” as they are useful for both defense & offense. Failing to have those cards will throw partner off in judging Bridge hands so bad decisions will result.

For judging competitive auctions for a D.S.I.P. double , the primary player ( the opener or overcaller) should have the quick tricks required to come within a ½ trick of booking their contract. The responder just needs to be maximum for his bid but measured in quick tricks (1 ½) ! D.S.I.P. doubles are playing with fire. Partner must rely on your controls so with her holding in their trump suit she is able to confidently convert. Think quick tricks for all your competitive doubling decisions.

Test Question 3BOTH VULNERABLE

YOU ARE SOUTH ♠♥

♦♣

A2Q2AKKJ109852

* Michaels, showing Hearts and a Minor and shortness in clubs

DSIP Double

W N E S

P 1♣

P 1♠ 2♣* 3♣

3♦ P P 3♥**

Dbl 4♣ 4♦ Dbl

** Western Que-bid – asking partner to bid 3NT with a partial stopper in hearts.

A double here says ‘I have extras and really wanted to bid 5♣, partner, but I’m giving you a chance to decide what to do.Partner’s dilemma:

When partner holds ♠Jxxxx ♥x ♦xxx Axxx 4♣ ♦ makes and 5 makes♣

When partner holds ♠KQxx ♥Jxx ♦xx xxxx♣ 4♦ goes for 500 and 5 ♣goes for 500When partner holds ♠Jxxx ♥Jxx ♦xx Axxx♣ 4♦ makes and 5 goes 1 ♣

down

FORCING PASSES

When partner makes a strong bid like a reverse, strong jump shift or a 2NT rebid , this action turns on forcing passes when the opponents interfere.

Forcing pass theory takes precedence over D.S.I.P. competitive double theory as this is not a competitive auction, you just have an intruder in your midst.

In Summary, if there’s a game-forcing auction, forcing passes are on and DSIP doubles are off!

Test Question 4BOTH VULNERABLE

YOU ARE SOUTH ♠♥

♦♣

1098752K72A1032-

W N E S

1♣ P 1♠P 2NT 3♣ ?

♠ A double is penalty saying that I have club values or I just think this is the best spot to get a plus. ♠ A (forcing) pass says that I prefer offensive action , but if you do double them I will abide by your decision. ♠ A bid says I strongly prefer offensive action so we are ignoring the intruder. ♠ Of course , pass & pull is the slam try as is a Que-bid.

DSIP Double?

DSIP DOUBLESVS

COOPERATIVE DOUBLES♠ D.S.I.P. doubles are competitive doubles & not co-operative doubles per se. ♠ Co-operative doubles are penalty-oriented doubles whereas competitive doubles are T/O unless converted. ♠ The two doubling concepts converge when your side does not have an announced fit. ♠ D.S.I.P. competitive doubles can become co-operative doubles. ♣ When the level of bidding is up in the stratosphere but forcing pass theory still does not apply (we do not have game values), co-operative doubles are the tool of choice.

♣ These doubles mean we have the balance of power, but we do not own the auction per se, but the opponents are just too high to make anything.

♣ When partner is too distributional to leave in the double , she pulls. Very simple.

Test Question 5E-W VULNERABLE

YOU ARE SOUTH

♠ This is NOT a DSIP double! Why? ♠ South didn’t bid 1♠. It’s a cooperative double. Why?♠ South is not certain that game is on, and this looks like the best way to get a great score.

• If partner doesn’t Pass, 4♥ will likely make.

♠♥

♦♣

Q75872J32AKJ10

W N E S

1♥ P 1NT

P 2♦ 2♠ ?

DSIP Double?

Test Question 6BOTH VULNERABLE

YOU ARE SOUTH

♠♥

♦♣

7QJ10982103AQ95

W N E S

P 1♦ P 1♥

3♠ 4♥ 4♠ ?

DSIP Double

DBL – DSIPPass – not forcing4NT - Ace-asking5 - Q-bid for slam♣

5♦ - No club control5 ♥ - to play

Test Question 7BOTH VULNERABLE

YOU ARE SOUTH ♠♥

♦♣

1094263K7510972

W N E S

1♠ Dbl P 2♣

2♠ Dbl P ?

Is this a DSIP Double?

Yes, it should show around 19+ points, a flat hand with quick tricks, and no interest in a club game

Miller AK7653 AJ98 Q10 4 Zia Hamman10942 QJ63 KQ102K75 A64210972 AK3 Wold 8 754 J983 QJ853

It was played in a Cavendish competition. Zia bid 3♣ for down 3, whereas if he’d passed, the set would have been 2-3 tricks a swing of 1100 IMPs – and they could have won the event!

IS THIS TOO MUCH TO REMEMBER?

♠ Surprisingly, “No”♠ As long as you and your partner play these doubles and the forcing pass, you’ll be able to use them. It’s a simple matter of figuring out from what has been bid, what hasn’t been bid (just as important) and what you have in your hand, what the meaning might be. ♠ Just knowing that these bids are in your repertoire will make you stronger players. ♠ Try them – record your results, and see if you have better results and fewer disasters.