When is it right to make a penalty double?

I was watching Isabelle Smith and Sondra Blank play against Glen Ashton and Jeff Smith.  This deal got me thinking.  First let’s look at Isabelle’s hand.

S K105

H KQ1095

D A

C 10743

 

She was sitting North and was non vulnerable against vulnerable opponents.  This was the first few rounds of the auction.

Jeff	Isabelle	Glen	Sondra
1D	1H	1NT	pass
2D	pass	3D	pass
3NT	?

 

What do you think a double by Isabelle should mean?  I know this is a matter of partnership understanding and I am sure that Isabelle and Sondra have this worked out.  I have seen that they quite like to use the axe and penalty double is one of their weapons.  So I suppose that they like to use that double for penalty.  I prefer to use it as lead directing and given that I overcalled hearts I think it should suggest that partner find another lead.  I can see arguments for other meaning as well. 

Now let’s assume that double by you is penalty (I could be wrong but I think that is what they play.)  What are the pro’s and con’s of doubling.  Since it is not lead directing there are two possible purposes, you hope to get your opponents out of 3NT or you think that you will score a decent penalty here and ideally in the contract that they end up in. 

In the context of this hand, if they leave 3NT they are headed to 4D or 5D.  Is that better than 3NT?  It certainly isn’t clear you are beating 3NT but the odds seem in your favor.   Diamonds isn’t quite so clear.  What is the risk/reward ratio of a double here?   The benefit will come if your opponents pull out and 3NT is the right spot.  A small number is a possibility too.  I know that this bid does create some pressure on your opponents though.  It forces them to make a decision.

Now let’s consider Jeff’s hand

S 4
H 74
D KQJ1032
C AK98

 

Jeff has the advantage of knowing Isabelle very well.  He could probably take a pretty good guess at what she had.  He knew that 3NT was a gamble even when he made the bid.  He pulled to 4D.  He might have bid 4C to help Glen decide between 4D and 5D.  That’s close.

As it turned out 3NT can make.   Here was the whole hand

	Isabelle
	S K105
	H KQ1095
	D A
Jeff	C 10743	Glen

S 4		S AJ9
H 74		H A8632
D KQJ1032		D 974
C AK98		C J5

	Sondra
	S Q87632
	H J
	D 865
	C Q62

 

On a heart lead declarer and North must both duck.  Now Sondra would shift to a spade which would go to the SK and SA.  Glen would have to concede a diamond and the hand can not be defeated whether Glen guesses spades or not.

So on this deal the double got the best possible result.  It pulled the opponents out of a making game into a partscore.  It put pressure on the opponents and they quite reasonably guessed wrong.  That is what I like about this pair.  They are going to create action.  Some times a bid like this will go wrong.  That is the nature of this style but quite often good things will happen.  They will be tough opponents.

Its a part of Isabelle’s game I always liked when I played with her.  Sondra and Isabelle together are even better at it.