BRIDGE NOTES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21656, 14 December 1935, Page 12

BRIDGE NOTES

THE REDOUBLE (■nCIALLT WBITTKX FOB TEX PR181.) [By WILLIAM SHACKLE.] The redouble bid, is never used by the vast majority of auction bridge players and by an even greater majority of those who favour contract. The main reason possibly for this neglect of a most useful bid is twofold. First, because it seems that the score is/so large, in either penalties or bonus, that it seems too big a gamble, and second, that oldest of reasons, namely, a prophet is unknown in his own countryin other words, one seems to have more confidence in an opponent’s bid than in one’s partners. Nevertheless the redouble can be of considerable use when it is used logically. There are two main occasions for its use. First, the genuine redouble when one feels confident that contract is obtainable. This bid, however, should generally come from partner of the original declarer, as he is likely to be in the better position to judge the risk than his partner. The reason for this is that the opening bid denotes certain specific strength, &hile partner’s supporting bid may have been made for various reasons, each perfectly justifiable yet denoting quite different types of hands. For example, if Z bids one spade, and A two hearts, Y may raise to two spades because he likes A’s heart bid and he hopes thereby to Get AB to bid too high and thus be heavily penalised by a later double. On the other hand such a bid may denote shortage in hearts and length in spades. Even on later rounds Y may be pushing to get his double in or only supporting Z. While such bidding is in progress Z is totally in the dark as to which type of hand his partner is holding-rthus it is much safer to allow Y to bid the redouble if the necessity, or opportunity, as the case may be, arises. Second, there is a recognised redouble which is intended to frigh+m either of the opponents back into his own suit, which in turn may be doubled by oneself. The onno’-tumtv for this bid occurs when, the opponents seem to have been taMng •■'*ch other out, or when one feels confident that their original bid was not a sound one. In the latter case the ruse is almost certain to be successful, because almost every player dislikes the thought that his initial bid has deceived his partner and he will accordingly risk a great deal to avoid showing how completely he has befogged his colleague. Take the - following bidding as an example: A' Y B< Z

1 spade 2 hearts 2 spades 3 clubs No bid 3 hearts 3 spades 4diam. 4 spades double re-double ?

B originally raised his partner because he held good hearts. On the second round he would have liked to double three hearts but he was nervous that Y would switch back to clubs. Also his hand was stronger in support of his partner's spade bid because he held a singleton club —thus three spades instead of double three hearts. After Z bidding four diamonds and A being doubled, B realised that possibly Y or Z had been bluffing. Could he do anything to save his partner? Yes! suppose he also bluffed, perhaps one of the opponents would get cold feet and bid back into his own best suit, so “redouble” says B. Frightened by the magnitude of the possible secret Z bids five diamonds, and is doubled by B. The position is reversed for now YZ lose, instead of gaining some hundreds of points above the line.