DONT: Bidding 2 or 2 or 2 over their 1N opening shows that suit and some higher ranking suit.
Double shows some single suited hand.

How many systems do you have for your partner's 1N opening?
Do you play Blackwood, 4 Suit Transfers, Texas, Smolen, Weisburger, Fragments and Minor Suit Stayman?
When the opponents interfere, most systems are OFF and you and your partner might not be prepared.
The same stands for many other partnerships. Many don't have DONT defences. Catch them unprepared!!!

Get ready to alert! Everything is alertable with this one.

Minimum distribution: 5-4 in the two suits when not vulnerable and 5-5 when vulnerable
Points? You need points? How about a minimum of 8 HCP (WITHOUT EXTRAORDINARY distribution)?

RHO opens	My bid	Worst Case Scenarios:
		Not Vulnerable	Vulnerable
1N	2 = clubs and some other suit	3 AT84 J32 K9765	Add 1 card to the suit
	2 = diamonds and a major	Q654 K97 QJT85 J	" "
	2 = majors	AJT86 QJ94 T2 T2	" "
	2 = weak spades	KQT876 K2 T43 T2	A longer suit or extra K
	Double = some suit	KQT98 A43 K32 32/ K2 A43 543 KT965/ K2 A43 T9765 K32/ K2 AT965 543 K32	A longer suit or extra K

Partner's Responses to my Two Suited Overcalls

1N	2	Pass	Pass - another suit might be worse (e.g. K9732 J9743 3 32) 2 - no other suit is worse than your clubs (e.g. KQJ2 JT943 32 32) 2 - I have a good heart suit (at least KQTxxx) 2 - I have a good spade suit (at least KQTxxx)
	2		Pass - another suit might be worse (e.g. K9732 3 32 J9743) 2 - Neither major is worse than your diamonds (e.g. KJT4 92 92 A8765) 2 - I have a good spade suit (at least KQTxxx)
	2		Pass - my spades aren't better than my hearts 2 - my spades are better than my hearts

Partner's Responses to my Single Suit Showing Double

1N

Double

Pass

Pass - 15+ HCP (e.g. QJ9 KJ9 AT43 A32) 2 - I have no good suit of my own to bid. Bid your suit/pass if it's clubs. 2 - I have a good diamond suit (at least KQTxxx) 2 - I have a good heart suit (at least KQTxxx) 2 - I have a good spade suit (at least KQTxxx)

 

None Vul Dealer: North Board 1 A K Q J 4 3 A T 8 4 Q 7 6 Q J 9 8 7 5 5 3 2 K J 9 5 W N   S E 3 A 9 8 7 6 K J 9 7 4 3 2 T 6 5 4 2 K T 2 Q 6 A T 8 West Pass All Pass North 1 N 3 East 2 ! Pass South 3 ! 3 N !D.O.N.T. is alerted: 2 shows diamonds and a higher suit (a major) 3 is Stayman (partner, bid a major if you have one) 3 shows four hearts 3 N denies four hearts and shows four spades

D.O.N.T. page 1 Conventions Fall 2001

Here North-South have enough for game.
East's 2 bid interferes with transfers and invitations.
South might normally have transferred to spades. Did you bid 3 ? That's not really much of a suit.
How about Stayman instead? Was 3 Stayman for you? The cuebid of a known enemy suit is Stayman here.

A Defence to the D.O.N.T. defence

1 N	X	XX - Relay to clubs, suggesting a minor 2 - Stayman (all systems are on) 2 - transfer to hearts 2 - transfer to spades 2 - shows weak clubs (?)
	2	X - Stayman 2 - diamonds, to play 2 - hearts, to play 2 - spades, to play
	2	X - Penalty 2 - hearts, to play 2 - spades, to play
	2	X - promises 8 or 9 HCP and at least 3 cards in either major 2 - shows both minors (at least 5-4) 2 N is Lebensohl (usually a long weak suit) 3 of a minor is forcing 3 of a major is shortness with 10+ HCP

 

 

 

NS Vul Dealer: East Board 2 A 2 T 8 K J 9 8 7 6 9 7 4 J T 5 4 K 9 7 6 3 - - - A Q T 8 W N   S E Q 9 7 6 3 5 2 5 3 2 K 6 5 K 8 A Q J 4 A Q T 4 J 3 2 West 2 ! All Pass North 3 East Pass 4 South 1 N 4 N 2! shows hearts and spades (the majors) 3 is invitational with diamonds 4 shows spades, maybe preemptive 4N is a guess

D.O.N.T. page 2 Conventions Fall 2001

Lots of play here!
The 3N contract couldn't be beat and 4 had good play.
Was 4N a sacrifice then?
You had a choice between 2 and 2. Which did you choose?

Reaching game playing D.O.N.T. (with a Forcing 2 N reply)

1N	2 shows diamonds and a major	Pass	2 N - Game interest. What do you have?
Pass	3 - Diamonds and Hearts Minimum 3 - Diamonds and Spades Minimum 3 - Diamonds and Hearts Maximum 3 - Diamonds and Spades Maximum

If the 1N bidder's partner interferes: my double or redouble means bid your other suit my pass means we play here my raises are weak

 

EW Vul Dealer: South Board 3 J 7 6 5 Q J 8 7 6 T 9 8 4 K 4 3 2 A 4 3 K Q J 9 8 6 W N   S E T 9 8 A K T 9 5 J 7 6 2 5 A Q 2 4 3 K Q 5 A T 7 3 2 West X! Pass All Pass North 2 ! 2 East X! X South 1 N Pass 2 X! shows some singled suited hand (good vulnerable) 2 ! is Stayman (alertable here) X! shows points and tolerance for any suit 2 shows hearts and at least a five card suit X is for penalty 2 is a good choice: partner should have at least four spades

D.O.N.T. page 3 Conventions Fall 2001

That heart suit is good, but not good enough for East to bid.
Would your 2, as North, still have been Stayman?
Does Stayman promise just both majors here or points too?
Pass was a good alternative to Stayman.

If you play DONT, you give up the penalty double in order to show a single suiter.
There is still a chance to penalize: partner might pass for penalties with 15+ HCP. You promised 8+ HCP.

Endnotes:
You can still increase the pre-empt with 3 or 4 level suit bids.
With a very strong hand and a long suit, you can double and maybe later bid at the 3 level.

I prefer a lighter 5-4 not-vulnerable vs vulnerable requirement at matchpoints.
"Partner, I owe you one." is one of my favourite sayings.
Unfortunately, so is "Sorry about that partner!"

Would you play D.O.N.T. in balancing seat?