Old Dog Still Has Legs

By Bob Klein:

One of the oldest in the bridge player's bag of tricks is to double a strong 1NT holding a solid 7-card suit and nothing else. It shouldn't work against experts or even advanced players, but sometimes people get caught in the net. Even when the opponents have a good clue that this could be happening, they don't always see it. I've seen on more than one occasion when the auction proceeds redouble, all pass.

Last night I held xx/AKQTxxx/xxx/x. Both sides vulnerable. RHO opened 1NT, so I tried a double. LHO, with a balanced 10-count including Jxx of hearts, passed. Many would redouble. My partner, who was broke, ran to 2C. This came to me and I bid 2H. LHO, with his 10-count, bid 2NT. This came around to me and I doubled again. Now he really should have smelled a rat. He had stoppers in all the other suits. Yet he passed and they went for 800.

There are two lessons from this. First, if RHO doubles 1NT, never redouble to play with an unstopped suit. Second, if partner doubles and RHO redoubles, don't pull it. Let partner bail out if his double was this type.

Sounds like a bundle of imps to me. Thanks to Bob for letting us in on one of his tricks...don't fall for it!

See you at the table!