Friday, November 25, 2005 3:56
PM
Hand Evaluation - Defense vrs Pre-empts
PITBULLS:
D.S.I.P. theory has a unique relationship with the opponents pre-empts . The penalty double is never & I mean
never a trump stack double at any level.
Doubling pre-emptive overcalls for penalty by responder
is an almost certain recipe for
disaster. To distinguish between a trump stack double & I have
“cards” double is impossible. The ambiguity
is just too great. One double has
got to go , so the trump stack double
disappears.
Here
is a hand from last night ♠Jx ♥Q1098 ♦AK ♣98765 , the opponents are vul & you are not. Partner opens 1♣ , LHO “pre-empts” 4♠ . Virtually the entire
field from Thurs nite
IMPS doubled 4♠
for penalty. The opener held a lot of defensive tricks ♠void ♥Axxx ♦9xxx ♣AK10xx . So with them being vulnerable & you having a void
in spades , this is certainly going to be a juicy set – right ? Wrong ! The average score for the board
was -790 or –990 as the “pre-empter” held ♠AKQ1098765
♥x ♦xxx ♣void .
Now for those players who play D.S.I.P. theory over
pre-empts. This is a D.S.I.P. double from either
side of the table. The direct double
would say I have cards so do
something intelligent , the balancing double says I have 3 defensive tricks for
my opener so do something intelligent . If you have their trump, please
convert. This results in +650 as 5♣X makes with an overtrick. One pair got to
that spot for an astronomically huge IMP pickup.
One
enterprising pair got to two spades
( moi & BJ ) when RHO passed a forcing
pass as she only
had 11 HCP’s for her opener.
P-1♣-1NT-X
P- P-2♥-X
P-P-2♠-P
P-P!!
This should have been a huge pickup for us as 4♠X is –200 , but the field does not understand suit preference signals. They cash the AK
of diamonds & partner with QJ10x of diamonds on the board plays the 9 on
the 2nd diamond. This high spot must be suit preference
so you switch to a heart & get your diamond ruff. The entire field switched
to a club which got ruffed for –990.
We lost 12 instead of winning +200 +170 +9 IMPS because the entire field
is defensively challenged. BJ
& I had a very accurate auction
to buy the hand in 2♠ against
their cold 6♣ J & lost 12
IMPS L