[Shugart23]

MATCHPOINTS......NOT IMPS....

I am looking for some general guidelines where the Opponent has opened 1NT (15-17) and Partner has doubled for penalty in the direct seat . What are the circumstances where you might pull the double and how/if those guidelines might be modified depending upon whether the Opening bidder is in 1st,2nd,3rd,or 4th seat ?

I am strictly interested in Matchpoint bidding....Thanks for any response

[helene_t]

In fourth seat p is a passed hand so his double isnot penalty.

In 3rdseat maybe we should pull less often because the1ntopening might be a psych.

But generally I pull with 0-3 points and a five card suit.

[Shugart23]

thanks....To be clear...the doubler is in the direct seat....not 4th seat which I agree is re-opening.....so if it goes P-P-P-1NT- double -P -? vs, say 1NT-double-P -? is there any difference/nuance...

[billw55]

If partner has originally passed and then doubles an opening 1NT, I think this must be conventional and you should have an agreement with your partner about what it means. i.e. p-p-p-1NT-x. This seems almost impossible, but I suppose people can think up uses for almost any call.

If partner has not passed, doubles directly, and this is agreed for penalty, then you should pull only with a very weak hand and long suit. i.e. hand where you really think 1NTx is going to make, and you have a safe(ish) escape.

[ggwhiz]

I have found doubling 1nt with big balanced hands to be a loser in the long run and play that it guarantees a good lead from a real suit. When we run it's with 2♣ (alerted) and land in whatever that suit is. Bidding your own suit is allowed but rare.

Nothing worse than running to 2♠ to find partner with the goods in a lower suit.

Balancing doubles of 1nt including past hands show 11+ balanced that wants to scramble into a playable spot and only from the passout seat.

[rmnka447]

You'd like to pull 1 NTx if you think it's going to make. But you need to ask yourself "Do I have a better place to play the hand?" and "If so, do I have a way to get there?"

1 NTx making is usually a bad result at MPs. But without a hand that yields a better landing place, you may just find it better to take your "bad" result rather than run to a worse result. If you're looking at something like xxx xxx xxxx xxx, anything you do might get you in more trouble.

If you hold K10xxx xxx xxx xx, then 2 ♠ looks better than 1 NTx, so run if possible.

Another thing to remember is that partner may be doubling on a holding that may not have as many HCP but has a chance to beat 1 NT no matter what you hold -- something like xx AKQJxxx xx xx or xx Axx Ax KQJ10xx.

[Shugart23]

I believe that when I (or you) are allowed to play 1NT white, in Matchpoints that you are almost assured a top (maybe 75-80% of the time) even down 1 or 2..For this reason, my partner and I strive to not allow the opponents to play 1NT when they are white, especially when we are white as well. Red is a different matter...If they are red and we are white, we tend to push them off their 1NT.....If we are both red, we are bit more conservative and may just go for an average

[jodepp]

This may seem simplistic, but in my partnerships where a double of a strong notrump is penalty we have the agreement that 'we never pull them'. I heartily concur about the wisdom of not doubling with big balanced hands stated previously (unless one is practically looking at the setting tricks in their hand).

We found that the doubler just got frustrated when partner yanked, so we just agreed to 'always sit'. This is isn't perfect to be sure, but it does smooth out the partnership aspect.

[dwidman]

I think that RMNKA447's response is correct and well said.

[ggwhiz]

 Shugart23, on 2015-October-26, 11:14, said:

I believe that when I (or you) are allowed to play 1NT white, in Matchpoints that you are almost assured a top (maybe 75-80% of the time)

I believe you are correct but coming in profitably is important. We pass the good but unsuitable hands and you should see some of the crap we balance on in pass out seat.

[Shugart23]

lol....ditto....You should see some of the crap I open 1NT with in first seat...(My range is 10-12) eg : ..Jx Qx Axxxxx Kxx

[iandayre]

 ggwhiz, on 2015-October-26, 09:44, said:

I have found doubling 1nt with big balanced hands to be a loser in the long run and play that it guarantees a good lead from a real suit. When we run it's with 2♣ (alerted) and land in whatever that suit is. Bidding your own suit is allowed but rare.

Nothing worse than running to 2♠ to find partner with the goods in a lower suit.

Balancing doubles of 1nt including past hands show 11+ balanced that wants to scramble into a playable spot and only from the passout seat.

Balancing with 11+ balanced points against a strong NT is utter nonsense. The NT bidder's partners knows his partner's hand and will often know exactly what to do. You will do much better passing and defending.

[Left2Right]

To test out the advice you're choosing on this topic, try my BBO constraint file. Scroll down to find "Escape 1NT doubled" at http://www.charlesan...onstraints.html

The constraint is oriented toward you South or North being doubled, but you can just as easily sit East or West and see the pattern of success unfold or perhaps the reverse. 8-)

Charles A. Lee
Left2Right on BBO

[ggwhiz]

 iandayre, on 2015-October-27, 11:24, said:

Balancing with 11+ balanced points against a strong NT is utter nonsense. The NT bidder's partners knows his partner's hand and will often know exactly what to do. You will do much better passing and defending.

The OP is of the opinion that defending a white 1nt at MATCHPOINTS is a losing proposition and I agree. Unless we're red I'll take my lumps and win the board more often than not. I agree with you at imps though.

[dave_beer]

I never pull direct double of 1NT with a balanced hand. Since it is virtually impossible to know that we can take 9 tricks on both offense and defense I can't really bid 3NT at unfavorable vulnerability.

If I have a bad unbalanced hand I will pull with 6-card suit or with chunky 5-card suit and side singleton.

If I have a good unbalanced hand and I think we have reasonable chance for game I can cue-bid 2NT which partner will assume is bad hand with both minors but I will do something inconsistent with that later.

[mcphee]

Players seem to have the idea that dble (playing capp) indicates an equal hand. For me it shows 7 (or very close) defensive tricks in the direct seat. In bal seat dble is protective and does not have to be so good.

[zillahandp]

None