Saturday, February 18, 2006 6:55 AM

Bidding the Table

PITBULLS:

The is a Bridge expression called “bidding the table” you should all know about. This expression derives from being at the Bridge table and being aware of what is happening. This entails noting table position , who is a passed hand and who is not , who is vulnerable and who is not and if the opponents are taking pre-emptive action.

A tormentee and BJ Trelford held the same cards at a sectional last night. The auction went Pass-Pass-3♠ everybody vulnerable. From “being at the table” what information has been presented thus far ? You have a passed hand to your left and a 3^rd seat pre-empt ! An average passed hand contains 0 to 12 HCP with a median of 6 HCP . You have a 3^rd seat pre-empt. The opponents have pretty well announced for you that you “own this auction” . Another expression for this realization is “table presence” .

OK what happened at both tables differs very greatly between BJ Trelford and the tormentee. They both held AJ KJ109x A9x xxx and BJ Telford “bid the table” and the tormentee did not . BJ doubled 3♠ with this hand. Under other circumstances , BJ would never double a 3 level pre-empt with this hand forcing partner to the 4 level. Why did he do it this time ? The opponents by their bidding gave him the “green light” . He is in effect making a pre-balance because the opponents have informed BJ that his partner had values !!

OK the tormentee passed this hand and the passed hand upped the ante to 4♠. At our table , I now doubled 4♠ . The spade pattern must be 7-3-2-1 on this auction with me holding the singleton. By doubling , I am “bidding the table” that a passed hand and a 3^rd seat pre-empt are in game ! If they have all the 10 HCP’s in spades we are playing with a 30 HCP deck. At BJ’s table , his partner with my hand bid 5♥ and made it for +650. The cards as expected were in the non pre-empters hand so the finesses as predicted did work. At our table , the tormentee decided to convert for penalty and take her plus.

Rather than lead blind , the Tormenee led the Ace of trump to look at the board. Excellent lead for two reasons . We overpower them in HCP so a trump lead is called for and you get to look at the board to plan your defense. She has 13 HCP and her passed hand partner doubled at the 4 level so our side must have nearly all the outstanding HCP’s outside the spade suit. The board hit with xxx A Qxx KJ1098x and everybody followed to the 1^st spade. This confirms the trump pattern as 7-3-2-1 . Now what ? Well you can not stop a heart ruff but there is a dangerous 6 card club suit looming as a source of tricks . Time to cash out. So you lay down your diamond Ace and partner encourages in diamonds with his KJ and you cash 3 diamond tricks . This is one down but if the pre-empter has two clubs you are picking up +800. if only one club you are picking up +500 which is an excellent result.

What happened at our table was a disaster. Ignoring the danger of a 6 card club suit on the board, the tormentee continued spades. Holding the diamond Ace she can get away with her gamble though. Declarer won the spade as I discarded a heart. He led a club and thought a moment and went up King . I had AQx of clubs as announced on the auction so I won my club Ace . I now panicked due to the club suit and returned the deuce of diamonds from my KJ52 so we can cash our 3 diamond tricks . The tormentee in a doubled game contract inserted the diamond 9 with the club suit looming. Declarer won it and ruffed out my club honour so making 5 doubled for –990 instead of +500 our way. This result did not match point well L .