Test your knowledge

Double a 1NT

Question 1 (of 8 on this page)
Your LHO is the dealer and opens the bidding with 1 Spade. Your partner doubles. Your RHO passes. You have this terrible 5-HCP 10-loser hand

Q 3 2
Q J 5 4
10 5 2
8 7 6

What should you bid ?

1. pass
2. 1 NT
3. 2 Clubs
4. 2 Diamonds
5. 2 Hearts
6. 2 Spades

Back to explanation

Question 1 (of 8 on this page)
Your LHO is the dealer and opens the bidding with 1 Spade. Your partner doubles. Your RHO passes. You have this terrible 5-HCP 10-loser hand

Q 3 2
Q J 5 4
10 5 2
8 7 6

What should you bid ?
Answer
5 ). 2 Hearts

Your partner has doubled for takeout, and is forcing you to bid your longest suit.

Back to explanation

Question 2 (of 8 on this page)
The enemy is vulnerable and you are not. Your LHO opens the bidding with 1NT. Your partner doubles. There is no response from your RHO. You have this 6-HCP 9-loser hand

A 9 8 7 6
Q 3 2
8 6
10 9 4

What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 2 Spades
3. 2 NT

Back to explanation

Question 2 (of 8 on this page)
The enemy is vulnerable and you are not. Your LHO opens the bidding with 1NT. Your partner doubles. There is no response from your RHO. You have this 6-HCP 9-loser hand

A 9 8 7 6
Q 3 2
8 6
10 9 4

What should you bid ?
Answer
1 . pass

After an opening bid of 1NT, a double really is for penalties. Your partner is NOT requiring you to bid your best suit. He thinks that the opener will fail to make his 1NT contract. Did you fall into the trap ? It's important to learn this difference.

Back to explanation

Question 3 (of 8 on this page)
Your LHO opens the bidding with 1NT. Your partner doubles.

How many HCP points does partner have at the very least ?
1. 10
2. 12
3. 14
4. 16
5. 18
6. 20
7. 23

Back to explanation

Question 3 (of 8 on this page)
Your LHO opens the bidding with 1NT. Your partner doubles.

How many HCP points does partner have at the very least ?
Answer
4 . 16

Well, he might have 15-HCP if his hand is a "good" one.

Back to explanation

Question 4 (of 8 on this page)
The enemy isn't vulnerable but you are. Your LHO opens the bidding with 1NT. Your partner doubles. There is no response from your RHO. You have this 9-HCP 8-loser hand

A Q 8 7 6
10 3 2
8 6
K 9 4

What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 2 Clubs
3. 2 Diamonds
4. 2 Hearts
5. 2 Spades
6. 2 NT
7. 3 Clubs
8. 3 Diamonds
9. 3 Hearts
10. 3 Spades

Back to explanation

Question 4 (of 8 on this page)
The enemy isn't vulnerable but you are. Your LHO opens the bidding with 1NT. Your partner doubles. There is no response from your RHO. You have this 9-HCP 8-loser hand

A Q 8 7 6
10 3 2
8 6
K 9 4

What should you bid ?
Answer
4 . 2 Hearts

A Transfer bid showing game interest. You know partner has a 6-loser hand, or 15/16-18 balanced. Game appears to be a real possibility. The enemy if not vulnerable, but you are. You'll score 600+ for game. You'll have to get them down 4-tricks to do better than this. Are you sure you can hold them to 3 tricks if they have max. 16 HCP ?

Back to explanation

Question 5 (of 8 on this page)
Starting with West, the bidding sequence from the first four players goes like this: 1NT - doubled - 2 Spades - doubled.

What does the last double mean, after the bid of 2 Spades ?
1. I'm fine in all suits other than Spades, please tell me which you prefer.
2. I think the enemy will fail to make a contract in 2 Spades
3. Partner, please keep bidding to game, we have some strength
4. Partner, please keep bidding for one round, we have some strength

Back to explanation

Question 5 (of 8 on this page)
Starting with West, the bidding sequence from the first four players goes like this: 1NT - doubled - 2 Spades - doubled.

What does the last double mean, after the bid of 2 Spades ?
Answer
2 . I think the enemy will fail to make a contract in 2 Spades

After a genuine NT bid has been doubled, all subsequent doubles are for penalties.

Back to explanation

Question 6 (of 8 on this page)
Doubling a weak NT opening requires 16-18 HCP. Or 15 "good ones".

What are "good ones" ?
1. Mostly Aces
2. Grouped honours
3. Inner strength
4. Long suit
5. Even distribution (e.g. 4333)
6. Stopper in all suits

Back to explanation

Question 6 (of 8 on this page)
Doubling a weak NT opening requires 16-18 HCP. Or 15 "good ones".

What are "good ones" ?

Well done if you answered: Grouped honours, Inner strength, Long suit. Go to the bottom of the class if you answer even distribution. Of course, you want stopper in all suits if possible. An example of "good HCP" would be Q J 10 9 8 - only 3 HCP, but at least 3 winners even without any help from partner. Flat hands are not so great, because you can't get any free tricks from your small cards: "flat hand" is NOT the same as "stopper in all suits". Mostly Aces is usually a disaster. If you have 4 Aces that's 16 HCP, but only 4 tricks. Combined with a flat hand that would be pretty horrible, unless of course your partner is also very strong in which case it's wonderful ! You should deduct points. . ..

Back to explanation

Question 7 (of 8 on this page)
Your LHO opens the bidding with 1NT. Because he's vulnerable, he chooses to open with the "Strong NT" convention. Your partner doubles.

How many HCP points does partner have at the very least ?
1. 14
2. 16
3. 18
4. 20
5. 22
6. 25

Back to explanation

Question 7 (of 8 on this page)
Your LHO opens the bidding with 1NT. Because he's vulnerable, he chooses to open with the "Strong NT" convention. Your partner doubles.

How many HCP points does partner have at the very least ?
Answer
3 . 18

A strong NT promises 15-17 HCP. So your partner is promising to be even stronger, having at least 18 HCP. Obviously this is rather a rare bid, as there are only 40HCP in the pack ! The double of a 1NT bid is much more likely to arise after a weak NT, and is a very useful bid, provided the meaning is kept to "my cards are better than the opponent's". Remember that American Standard players don't usually understand the weak NT opening, and will generally fail to punish it correctly when they are strong, for instance doubling when they have 13+ points, asking partner for strongest suit. They might stumble to a fit, and certainly fail to punish the enemy.

Back to explanation

Question 8 (of 8 on this page)
Your vulnerable RHO opened the bidding with a weak 1NT. You have this 14-HCP hand

8 5 2
A 5
A
K Q J 10 9 6 2

What should you bid ? Answer the question twice: once for weak NT and once for Strong NT openings
1. pass
2. double
3. 2 Clubs
4. 3 Clubs

Back to explanation

Question 8 (of 8 on this page)
Your vulnerable RHO opened the bidding with a weak 1NT. You have this 14-HCP hand

8 5 2
A 5
A
K Q J 10 9 6 2

What should you bid ? Answer the question twice: once for weak NT and once for Strong NT openings
Answer
2 . double

Whichever system is being played, you are going to be on lead. You will undoubtedly make 8 tricks provided you lead a high club. Who cares if you have only 14-HCP?… the enemy is going down. Let's hope your partner realises your bid is for penalties. Given that the enemy is vulnerable, he will normally pass provided his wine hasn't addled his brains.

Back to explanation