Most doubles are takeout doubles. Are any of the following doubles penalty doubles? Do you have any rules about when doubles are for penalty?
1) 2♠ Pass 3♠ Pass / Pass Double?
2) 2♠ Pass 4♠ Pass / Pass Double?
3) 2♠ Pass 2NT (Ogust) Pass / 3♣ Pass 3♠ Double? (3♣ is bad hand/bad suit)
4) 1♠ Pass 1NT Pass / 2♠ Double?
All four doubles are penalty
The following experts have the right idea: Make a rule and live with it. There are two possibilities for the meaning of double here. One is penalties and the other is a light takeout double. Since you could have doubled earlier, penalties makes more sense.
Kit Woolsey:---All are penalties. General rule is: If had a chance to make a takeout double of the suit previously and passed instead, then the double is penalty. Only exception is when they raise (don't take a preference between two suits) to the two-level — then a double is takeout.
Fred Stewart:---All of them are penalties. Our philosophy is to act sooner rather than later... thus (1) unless they have raised to the two-level, and we could have made a take out double earlier, then all later doubles of that strain are for penalties. (2) All doubles of 4♠ and higher are penalties.
Jeff Rubens:---(1) Penalty, but not so much spades as transferable values, typically three aces or the equivalent. (2) Penalty; above the "level of expected takeout." (3) Penalty; sort of hand that I did not want to double for takeout. (4) Penalty.
Carlos Pellegrini:---All four are penalty doubles.
Marinesa Letizia:---All are penalty. I have a simple rule. If I didn't make a takeout double the first time, why would it be takeout the next time when suit is just repeated?
Chuck Berger:---All are penalty.
Frank Stewart:---In my opinion, all of these doubles are logically for penalty.
There are some auctions where double is takeout even though you could have doubled earlier. After 1♥ – Pass – 2♥ – Pass – Pass, double is a balancing double and not a penalty double. After 1♣ – Pass – 1♥ – Pass – 2♣ or 1♣ – Pass – 1♥ – Pass – 1NT, double is a takeout double of 1♥.
Richie Schwartz:---Penalties. Only minors are takeout. Example: 1♦ – Pass – 1NT – Pass – 2♦ – double or Pass – Pass – double.
Alan Sontag:---(2) and (4) are penalty. After the auction: 1♠ – Pass – 1NT – Pass – 2♠ – Pass – Pass – Double is a "look at your hand double." Generally if you are in front of the suit, double is takeout, unless you have another agreement.
Some doubles are takeout
Ron Smith:---(1) Takeout (2) Penalty (3) Takeout (4) Penalty.
Marty Bergen:---(1) sounds like light takeout. The other three sound like penalty.
Jill Meyers:---(1) Takeout. (2) Takeout with notrump strength but not great in other major. (3) Takeout. (4) Penalty. I play most low-level doubles are takeout.
Drew Casen:---(1) Light takeout double with zero or one spade, probably 9-11 points. (2) Typically 2=2=5-4 with no spade stopper and lots of defense. (3) Light takeout. (4) Penalty. On the first three hands, the opponents voluntarily raised themselves in spades, so there is no penalty double. On the last auction, only one opponent bid spades, so there is no agreed fit by them, therefore penalty.
Danny Gerstman:---(1) Takeout — after all I'm forcing to the four-level. I'd guess a 2=4=2=5 pattern. (2) Penalty — the only one of the four I think is clear cut penalty. You're not coming in at the five-level now when you couldn't act earlier. (3) Penalty/cooperative — good hand, wasn't willing to walk into their good hand, but now that partner knows they're going nowhere, he has to protect. (4) Takeout — right shape too weak to act the first time.
Billy Pollack:---(1) Penalty. Makes no sense to pass at the two-level, and then back in at the three-level. (2) Penalty, same as (1). (3) Takeout doubles "in front" much more likely to be takeout. (4) Penalty.
Adam Wildavsky:---I usually play all these as penalties, but it would be reasonable to play them as two-way. Surely partner will know your intent better than 95% of the time. Two-way doubles can lead to disasters.
Zia Mahmood:---I play most of these two-way. Penalty or takeout, but to be penalty, you MUST know partner has no more than one trump. (4) is penalty.
Steve Garner:---Not strict rules — most doubles at the two- and three-level are takeout, but sometimes partner can work out they are NOT penalty. (1) This would be a "look at your hand" double. (2) Penalty in my book. (3) Takeout. (4) Very likely penalty.
Joel Wooldridge:---(1) Two-way is optimal. If not, then takeout. (2) Penalty. (3) Penalty. (4) Penalty.
Barry Rigal:---(1) Two way strong penalty or weak takeout. (2) Ditto. More likely penalty though. (3) Penalty. (4) Penalty.
Eddie Kantar:---(1) Either-or. (2) Penalty. (3) Penalty or either-or depending on agreements. (4) Penalty. Suit has not been supported. Doubler is behind the bidder.
Dave Berkowitz:---Our simple rule is that if it is not defined in our notes as penalties, it is takeout. (1) and (3) two-way. Either light takeout or penalty. (2) and (4) Penalty.
Steve Bloom:---(2) Penalties. The rest are takeout. Our rules are pretty simple — doubles at the one and two-level are take-out, unless specifically agreed otherwise. Doubles at the three-level are not penalty when the suit has been raised. Doubles at higher levels are more penalty oriented, so (2) is penalties.
John Carruthers:---I like (1), (2) and (3) as penalty; (4) as some sort of flawed takeout.
Ralph Katz:---Either you can play pass and then double as takeout, penalty, or, what might be best is takeout when the opponents are vulnerable and penalty when they are non-vulnerable. The last auction, a double of 2♠ is clearly penalty. The most important thing is that your partner knows what the double is.
I think all four should be for penalties. What's more important is that your partner knows what the double is.