D.O.N.T. stands for Disturb Opener's No Trump, and that's exactly what it does.

Double shows a one-suited, 2C,2D,2H show the bid suit and a higher suit, at least 4-4. Depending upon vulnerability you should usually have more, but DONT practitioners are (generally speaking) an extremely aggressive lot. Typically used against STRONG NT. There is no way to even suggest a penalty double. Popularized by Marty Bergen.

2C = clubs and a higher suit

2D = diamonds and a major

2H = majors 2s = spades, bad hand

2N = some sort of big 2-suiter

I forget who taught me DONT, but that person (and most of the people with whom I've played it) and I had the agreement that the one-suiter double showed some strength to speak of (say, 11 HCP) with a suit that could run if you can get in again. Thus, advancer can decide with the right sort of hand to convert the double into penalty. This agreement is not part of Marty Bergen's original description of DONT. In fact, it seems to defeat the whole purpose of the "Disturb their Opening No Trump" theory (the source of the acronym). If you have to promise such good defensive values to show a one-suiter, you're going to give up lots of opportunities to "disturb" their auction. According to Bergen, "The doubler ... could be light in high cards, so partner should 'never' leave it in." Playing this agreement, do you have to pass an opening no-trump with a hand like xxx, Q1098xx, AJ10, x? Or do you have to put your neck on the line and bid 3H to avoid showing an 11-count and a semi-solid suit? The original description of DONT appeared in Marty Bergen's column in the Sept./Oct. 1989 issue of Bridge Today. It's 7 pages long and includes more details than Cohen gives in his Law of Total Tricks book I have a few questions: 1. Is it usually played so that with "the right sort of hand" advancer can pass the double? Or is it more normal to play that the double calls for an automatic relay? Passing the one-suited double would be extremely rare. I guess you could do it if you had a bundle of points and, ideally, an honor in every suit (giving you an extra assurance that partner's suit might run). 2. After a suit overcall, showing that suit and a higher suit, are advancer's new suits, other than the cheapest suit, to play or are they pass or correct? For example, I believe that: 1NT 2C P 2D asks over-caller to pass or bid his second suit. But what about: 1NT 2C P 2H Does that show an independent heart suit or does it show a willingness to play 3D if diamonds are the over-caller's other suit? This shows a fairly decent heart suit, but it does not show any interest in playing in diamonds or spades, or clubs for that matter. Opener can "run" to his other suit if his hand is totally unsuitable for hearts. 3. After the suit overcall, 2NT is a rarely used strong artificial inquiry. According to Cohen in "To Bid or Not to Bid", the over-caller's responses to 2NT clarify his strength and define his second suit. How does that work? Bergen's article said that in cases where over-caller's second suit isn't identified (when he has overcalled 2C or 2D), responder's 2NT shows a good hand and asks him to show his second suit at the 3-level. This promises excellent support for either of over-caller's possible second suits. The example Bergen gives is that after 1NT-2D-P, responder's 2NT shows at least an invitation in whatever over-caller's major is. 2NT can also be used directly over 1NT-2S (to show a game try in spades) or *after* over-caller doubles and shows his suit (as in 1NT-2C-P-2D, P-2H-P-2NT). 4. Anyone want to offer a simple defense to DONT? Here's what Marty Bergen recommended in his Bridge Today article: After a one-suited double: System on (Stayman, transfers, etc.) After a 2C overcall: System on, but double is Stayman. After a 2D overcall: Treat as a natural overcall for diamonds (transfers off, Lebensohl revolves around diamonds) After a 2H overcall: 2S = Minors (weak or strong) 2NT = Lebensohl 3C or 3D = natural and invitational 3H or 3S = shortness, game-forcing 3NT = to play, but with no major-suit stoppers (Lebensohl treatment) A 2S overcall would also be treated as natural, using spades as the stopper-asking suit for Lebensohl. 5. I realize that bidding over the opponents' notrump opening is controversial, but I'll ask anyway. Any comments on how DONT compares in practice to my usual notrump overcall conventions (Hamilton, Brozel)? I highly recommend it. It's far better than Hamilton (in my opinion) because you don't end up at the 3-level when your fit is in a minor. --

Interest in the DONT convention seems to be fairly high of late, and I've received mail from some people who wanted to know where they could find a complete description of the convention. It's mentioned in Larry Cohen's *To Bid or Not to Bid* books, but the most detailed write-up I've seen was the one Bergen wrote for *Bridge Today* magazine when he introduced the convention in 1989. Since many r.g.b. readers don't have access to old issues of *BT*, I've summarized the DONT convention below. Bergen's 7-page article is quite detailed and includes lots of example hands, but the summary below covers all the basics. I've included a few of Bergen's examples to clarify some of his recommendations, plus a couple of explanatory notes of my own [in brackets] that describe some other popular agreements and modifications. * * * * * * * * * * * * The DONT ("Disturb the Opponents' Notrump") CONVENTION Introduced by Marty Bergen in the September/October 1989 issue of *Bridge Today* magazine, pp. 23-29. Used in the direct or balancing seat after an opponent opens a strong notrump (14+ HCPs). [ Also used over a 2NT opener. ] ONE-SUITED HANDS -- decent 5+-card suit (may be 5-4 if the 5-card ================ suit is a strong major) 2S = Spade one-suiter, 6-card suit or strong 5-carder 3-bids = Long suit (7+ cards), preemptive Double = Unspecified one-suiter, relays responder to 2C AFTER THE DOUBLE: Responder bids 2C to let the doubler show his suit. The doubler can pass (if his suit was clubs) or bid 2D, 2H or 2S. If the doubler holds a strong hand with game interest, he can jump to 3 of his suit. Responder is not forced to take the 2C relay if he has his own suit (a 6-card suit or good 5-carder), especially when he is "afraid" of one of the unbid suits. One of the examples Bergen gives is Jxxx, x, KQJ10x, xxx -- he would bid 2D over partner's double. After the overcaller shows his suit, 2NT by responder shows a good game invitation. A raise shows a fit, but not enough for a "serious" invitation. Bergen warns that the since the doubler could be light in high cards, responder should "never" leave the double in. If the doubler bids 2S over responder's 2C, it generally shows some extra values because he could have bid 2S directly over 1NT. [ A slightly different agreement is that a direct 2S overcall shows longer, stronger spades. Since the double gives responder room to show his own suit, the double-then-2S auction tends to show a more balanced hand. This isn't discussed in the article, but many players are now using this treatment. ] TWO-SUITED HANDS -- usually at least 5-4, but a strong 4-4 is okay ================ 2C = Clubs and another suit 2D = Diamonds and a major 2H = Hearts and Spades And very rare: 2NT = Major-minor two-suiter, monster hand (6-5 or better) (This relays partner to 3C, over which opener identifies his two suits via a fairly complicated code.) 3NT = Major two-suiter, monster hand AFTER THE 2C, 2D OR 2H OVERCALL: Responder can pass or he can ask for overcaller's second suit by bidding the cheapest suit (2D over a 2C overcall, etc.). If responder "skips" the cheapest suit to bid another suit (i.e., 2H over a 2C overcall), he's showing his own 6-card suit or strong 5-carder. 2NT by responder (rare) is a strong game invitation and asks opener to bid his other suit at the 3-level. If responder asks for the second suit and then bids 2NT, it's a strong game invitation in the second suit. Raises of minors tend to be preemptive. Raises of majors are mildly invitational, since 2NT is available to show a good invitation. In general, if you're responder, assume that partner's second suit is probably the one where you have shortness. As Bergen notes, if partner overcalls 2D and you hold QJ10x, A, xx, QJ109xx, "dream on" if you think his second suit might be spades. He recommends bidding 3C. OVER OPPONENTS' INTERFERENCE ============================= If the opponent bids or doubles directly after your DONT overcall or double, responder never "guesses" which suit his partner has. The *only* way to get the overcaller to bid his unnamed suit is to double or redouble. The general meanings of responder's bids are: Pass = he's content to play in the current contract Redouble (over a double) = he wants you to bid your second suit Double (of a natural bid) = he wants you to bid your unnamed suit. This double shows some high cards and tolerance for all unbid suits. Double (of an artificial bid) = lead directing [ Some players forego the lead-directing definition and agree that a double of an artificial bid is the same as the double of a natural bid -- it shows values and encourages partner to bid his unnamed suit. ] Any suit bid = he's showing his own long suit DEFENDING AGAINST DONT ====================== Over DBL: Play "front of the card" (Stayman, transfers, etc.) Over 2C: Same as above, except use double for Stayman. Over 2D & 2S: Treat as natural. (Jacoby transfers off, Lebensohl on.) Over 2H: Double = "Cards", 2+ hearts, often a raise to 2NT 2S = Minors, weak or strong 2NT = Lebensohl 3C or 3D = Invitational 3H or 3S = Shortness, game-forcing 3NT = To play, but with no major-suit stoppers [ Most people play Texas transfers are "on" over any DONT overcall or double. ] --