[Hilver]

Your opponents play Bergen raises.

What should be in Your opinion the meaning of a double by Your side in the auction:
(1♥/♠) - pass - (3♣/♦) - double.

Should the meaning of Your double on 3♣ or 3♦ be:
1. take-out, or
2. lead directing?

What would be Your advice?

And how do You interprete 3♥ by Your side in the auction:
(1♥) - pass - (3♣/♦) - 3♥

Thx

Jan

[ArtK78]

Hilver, on 2013-November-01, 14:27, said:

Your opponents play Bergen raises.

What should be in Your opinion the meaning of a double by Your side in the auction:
(1♥/♠) - pass - (3♣/♦) - double.

Should the meaning of Your double on 3♣ or 3♦ be:
1. take-out, or
2. lead directing?

What would be Your advice?

And how do You interprete 3♥ by Your side in the auction:
(1♥) - pass - (3♣/♦) - 3♥

Thx

Jan

I play a defense which I believe is fairly standard, but I leave that for others to decide.

A double of a mixed raise is for takeout of the opener's suit.

A double of a limit raise is lead directional.

Other bids are natural.

[wyman]

ArtK78, on 2013-November-01, 14:30, said:

I play a defense which I believe is fairly standard, but I leave that for others to decide.

A double of a mixed raise is for takeout of the opener's suit.

A double of a limit raise is lead directional.

Other bids are natural.

I do this as well.

[neilkaz]

I'd think that bidding 3 of their major would be Michaels. At least that is what I played it as with a decent pick up when it came up and he agreed.

[Trinidad]

As Art and wyman have said, it is more or less standard to play double as takeout after a mixed raise and as lead directing after a limit raise.

Unfortunately some pairs mix their raises: they might e.g. play 1 under 3M as 7-8 and 2 under 3M as 9-12. Is the latter a strong mixed raise or a wide ranging, aggressive limit raise?

So, for simplicity, I play takeout doubles against any bid that promises support, whether it is a Bergen raise, Drury or Jacoby 2NT. I play them as if they bid 1M-Pass-2M. Note that this also means that 3M is Michaels.

Rik

[jallerton]

Trinidad, on 2013-November-01, 17:49, said:

As Art and wyman have said, it is more or less standard to play double as takeout after a mixed raise and as lead directing after a limit raise.

Unfortunately some pairs mix their raises: they might e.g. play 1 under 3M as 7-8 and 2 under 3M as 9-12. Is the latter a strong mixed raise or a wide ranging, aggressive limit raise?

So, for simplicity, I play takeout doubles against any bid that promises support, whether it is a Bergen raise, Drury or Jacoby 2NT. I play them as if they bid 1M-Pass-2M. Note that this also means that 3M is Michaels.

Rik

I'm surprised to read that this agreement of varying the meaning is "standard". In my view this is a recipe for disaster, for the reasons you state in your second and third paragraphs.

With some partners I vary the meaning as follows. If the doubler is a non-passed hand, double is takeout of their major. If the doubler is a passed hand, double shows the suit doubled (the same for Drury). This variation does not rely on the interpretation of an arbitrary wording used in an explanation given by an opponent.

[paulg]

As Roy Hughes says in his excellent book, The Contest Auction, it is worth questioning whether the standard use of double is appropriate in an age where an opening bid facing a limit raise often does not guarantee the majority of points. We play double as takeout to both Bergen raises (by an unpassed hand).

[gnasher]

I prefer takeout doubles of both raises.

[fromageGB]

jallerton, on 2013-November-01, 23:19, said:

If the doubler is a non-passed hand, double is takeout of their major. If the doubler is a passed hand, double shows the suit doubled.

Yes. This is simple and easy to understand/remember.