With any kind of fair strength the novice at Bridge is invariably anxious to double; but a few experiences with an adversary glad to embrace the opportunity to redouble, will turn the course of his anxiety to a desire to conceal such strength as he may hold.

Ordinarily be satisfied to win at all on the opponent’s make. By doubling you not only place the strength and thus enable the dealer to finesse successfully, but your double is a warning to the dealer to be cautious in leading trumps, and therefore, lessens your chances of winning tricks.

To increase safely the value of the tricks it is essential that you consider the state of the score, the possibility of a redouble, and your position in regard to the maker.

The score is a most important factor, and even, at times, justifies a double with only a fair hand. For instance, suppose the odd trick wins the game for your adversaries, and does not win it for you; if you double and secure the odd trick, the additional count may enable you to win the game on that deal or the next.

It is bad play to double when you need only an odd trick to win the game. If you double you lessen your chance of winning the trick, and by opening the way to a redouble perhaps give the adversaries the game.

Doubling on the rubber game is dangerous. The increased value of the tricks may enable your adversaries to win the rubber on that hand, when, otherwise, you might go out on the next deal.

Your position in regard to the maker claims equal consideration. If the trump has been made at your right, you play after the strong hand, and are, therefore, in a good position to make your high trump cards; but, if you double when this arrangement is reversed, and the maker is over you, the dealer has this advantage.

As spades are made for safety, occasions for doubling the spade declaration obviously arise more frequently than any other; yet players are prone to go to extremes in doubling spade hands, for, while it does not require much strength to double a defensive spade declaration, there is always a possibility of great trump strength in the adversaries’ hands.

Do not double the make of hearts, diamonds, or clubs without some strength in the trump suit; as high cards, particularly if the suits are long, may be trumped, strength in the side suits alone is unreliable. Spades, however, may be doubled with but little strength in the trump suit.

Be particularly conservative in doubling a “no-trump” make; for but rarely does it pay to double with a hand containing general strength. Remember that while you are in the dark as to your partner’s hand, the dealer has the enormous advantage of seeing and combining his own hand and the dummy; that he knows what suit to avoid, and what suit to establish; and that your doubling will place him in a still more advantageous position by enabling him to locate honours and make successful finesses. Be cautious, also, when you hold fair strength in three suits and are weak in the remaining one. The maker is apt to hold a very long suit and you will not find it easy to discard, and at the same time protect your hand.

Usually it is not safe to double a “no-trump” make unless you hold a suit that you are reasonably sure is established. It is a gamble to double with a six-card suit headed by ace, king, and queen with no other trick in the hand. You depend on your partner to take one trick, which he may not be able to do; and, should you find your long suit protected in the adversaries’ hands, you run the risk of being very badly beaten. If the odd trick wins the game for the adversaries and does not win it for you, such a double may be justifiable; still you cannot hope to win more than 24 points by doubling, and you risk losing three or four odd tricks with a possibility of a redouble. While such a double will often succeed it can hardly be classed as sound.

As the younger hand, it may be wise to double a “no-trump” make in order to prevent great loss or to save the game. In other words, it may pay to show your partner by a double that you have strength in a particular suit. There are at present two methods used by Bridge players to indicate this strength, one known as the Heart Convention and the other as the Weak Suit Convention.

REDOUBLING

Although the score may sometimes warrant a redouble without extraordinary strength, a redouble practically avows the ability to take six, and probably, seven tricks. In estimating your hand consider the possibility of finding all the remaining trumps in one hand, and do not value honours in the side suits too highly, for if he holds great trump strength the maker is probably short in the other suits. A redouble at “no-trump” indicates protection in every suit.

The dealer should often redouble, not so much on the strength of his hand, but to the score; knowing that should the adversaries win the odd trick the game is lost, and that his redouble will equalise the situation and make it possible for the odd trick to win the game for either side.

ESTIMATING THE VALUE OF A HAND

In considering your probable tricks those in the trump suit are of course most certain.

On the right side of the maker three trumps with a single honour, ace, king, or queen, may be estimated as being worth but one trick.

Do not count on ruffing with a single trump.

Should you hold three trumps with two honours, headed by the ace king, the king queen, or even the king jack, you are reasonably sure of two tricks in the trump suit—as can also be said of four trumps with two high honours. Indeed in the last combination, with the third best card an eight or better, there are probably three trump tricks.

With four trumps including three, or five trumps including two honours, provided the suit is headed by the ace or king, you can reasonably expect to secure three tricks in the trump suit.

Aces and kings in the side suits are usually good for a trick each; but allow for the length of the suit, the shorter it is the less probability that your honours will be trumped. It is not safe to count on making your queens; they may be classed as doubtful tricks.

Spades may be doubled with four tricks. To double hearts, diamonds, or clubs you should be sure of five tricks.

THE LEAD WHEN PARTNER HAS DOUBLED

A double by your partner indicates some strength in trumps as well as in the side suits. It does not necessarily imply a desire to get the trumps out, nor should you invariably lead trumps when your partner has doubled; your play must be influenced by the general character of your own hand.

If you hold a short suit it is obviously a better lead than trumps. You may be able to ruff with your small trumps.

It is also bad play to lead trumps up to the maker. This would place your partner’s high cards in a position to be easily captured by the dealer.

When dummy is the maker, the trump lead from weakness through the strong hand gives your partner the advantage of position; but it is safer play to win the first trick, if possible, and decide on your subsequent play after seeing the dummy hand.

Avoid leading trumps to your partner if you hold the ace, the king, or the queen of trumps guarded; your partner may have doubled on high suit cards with but little strength in trumps.

In leading trumps from weakness always lead the highest card, so that your partner can discover the distribution of the suit, and place the dealer’s trumps.

As a doubled spade make does not of necessity show strength in trumps, it is not as a rule the custom of good players to lead spades, except from strength, before seeing the dummy hand. If you hold trump strength your partner has probably doubled on his suit cards, and your trump lead will insure the safety of his high cards. Should you hold a strong suit hand, your partner’s double is presumably an indication of trump strength, and the trump opening would be advisable.

With only fair strength in the side suits and weak trumps, especially where you hold a short suit, do not be tempted to lead the trump originally. Wait until you learn more of the position of the cards.

THE HEART CONVENTION

When you have the first lead and your partner has doubled a “no-trump” make, you are expected to lead your highest heart.

Under this system the younger hand does not double “no-trumps” unless he is willing that a heart should be led; and although the doubling power of the younger hand is reduced, it makes your lead, unless you have the misfortune to hold no heart, a practical certainty.

Should you hold an established suit and the ace of hearts you must, of course, double to have the heart led. When you hold an established suit of hearts, or a long suit of hearts that can be established in one lead and a sure card of re-entry, a double may save the game.

THE WEAK SUIT CONVENTION

In England and in some parts of this country, if the younger hand doubles it is a signal for his partner to lead the highest card of his weakest suit; trusting that this weak suit and the doubler’s long one will prove identical.

As this convention justifies a double with any established suit, it multiplies the opportunities to double; but, on the other hand, since the leader may have to choose between two weak suits, there is no certainty that he will make the desired lead; he may instead strike the dealer’s long suit with a disastrous result.