Support For Unbid Suits
Partnerships have different understandings about the length in unbid suits that is shown by a negative double, and the understandings differ according both to which suits remain unbid and to the current level of the bidding. Nevertheless, the following are popular understandings:
- After 1♣ – (1♦), a negative double is often understood to show at least four cards in both hearts and spades. The degree of support for this agreement has grown over the years. A poll of experts taken in 1983 showed that about half concurred that doubler should have at least four hearts and at least four spades; a similar poll taken in 2000 showed 80% in concurrence.
- After 1m – (1♥), a popular agreement is that a negative double shows exactly four spades. Responder would bid 1♠ with five or more. However, in 2000, this approach was favored by fewer than two thirds of polled experts.
- After 1m – (1♠), in contrast to the prior sequence, most experts prefer the negative double here to show at least four hearts – not exactly four hearts.
- After 1M – (2m), most play that a negative double shows at least four cards in the other major.
- After 1♦ – (2♣), few play that double shows at least four cards in each major, but most play that doubler shows at least one major at least four cards long.
- After 1♥ - (1♠) or 1♠ - (2♥), the negative double shows at least 4 cards in each minor because there are no unbid major suits.
Read more about this topic: Negative Double
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