Bridge in the Tri-Cities: The Stand-Up Double

* Hearts and a minor

Opening Lead: King of diamonds

Modern bidding has replaced the penalty double with a plethora of other doubles. In the old days, a double at the first opportunity was for takeout and almost all other doubles were for penalty.

Now we have the negative double, the support double, the responsive double and the snapdragon double, among others. We often joked about the “Stand-Up Double!” This was made standing up on your chair and saying in a most convincing way, “I double you!”

The Bidding: My partner did not like my 2S bid (Michaels). He said it should show five cards in both suits and either a weak or a strong hand. I agreed that I should have at least ten cards in my two suits, but I thought my hand qualified as strong. Regardless, my penalty double should not be pulled. He has a sure trick and possibly two, and his hand is without shape.

The Play: The play did not go well at 4H and minus 300 was a bottom. 4D doubled would have been down two for a top our way.

What Could Have Been: The late Jim Young told me once that he wished he could carry a squirt gun at the bridge table and when he sees that partner will be pulling his double, he pulls it out and gives partner a few quick bursts to cool him off.

This story was originally published July 16, 2016 at 7:58 PM with the headline "Bridge in the Tri-Cities: The Stand-Up Double."