Tuesday, December 28, 2004 10:16 PM

D.S.I.P. Competitive Toys

PITBULLS:

Weak 2’s , Michaels Q bids & Unusual 2NT bids are pre-empts. With the latter two bids , Tom & I only play them weak or strong as intermediate two suiters are handled with overcalls. We do not want to assist the opponents in playing the hand or confuse competitive auctions by overusing these toys. If we have a moose that is a different story as we will be playing the hand or they will be doubled. Generally with pre-empts , D.S.I.P. theory does not apply. This is true because we are already supposed to know the hand within a very narrow range. This is only a half truth though. A two suited hand can be weak with a lack of defensive tricks QJ10xx QJ10xx xx x or weak with defense AJxxx Axxxx xx x . It is a bit of a stretch calling the 2^nd hand “intermediate” therefore you can not Michaels with the hand.

If partner makes a forcing bid like 2NT over a weak two or a Q bid after a Michaels or unusual 2NT it conveys to the table that we own the hand. Therefore penalty doubles apply throughout the auction. What if partner just competes by bidding one of the suits ? In these specific auctions I see no reason why D.S.I.P. theory should not apply. You would like to avoid pseudo sacrifices in these auctions also and a D.S.I.P. double is a tool to do this. The auction goes 1♥-2♥-3♥-3♠ 4♥-P-P-? You have QJx xxx AKx xxxx and you can passively pass 4♥ not vul against vul hoping to beat it. Why not have the best of both worlds ? You double and If partner has K10xxx x QJ10xx xx he pulls to 4♠ . You do not have to make the decision for both sides of the table. Change partners Michaels hand to Axxxx x xx KQxxx and you catch them speeding in 4♥X.

Of course if the Michaels hand wants to sacrifice with defense , he can double from his side when you have “opened the door” by competing. Vulnerability conditions , distribution ( 6-5 instead of 5-5) as well as defensive tricks are variables in these competitive auctions. With so many variables , D.S.I.P. doubles can assist on who is going to buy this hand. By the mere act of competing you relinquish your “captaincy” to the auction and allow partner to compete within the framework of D.S.I.P. doubles. Leaping to game is just competing as you could have bid 2NT or Q bid initially.

If partner had a chance to make a strong bid but does not , D.S.I.P. doubles apply . I think a leap to game should allow D.S.I.P. doubles into the fray. Gone are the days where you are trying to “trap” the opponents with a clever leap to game with your defensive 18 HCP. I still remember a hand in the Red Deer Calcutta where Tom opened a weak 2♠ not vul and I had a reasonable hand so I took a shot and bid 4♠. The infamous Mr. Willard came in vul at the 5 level with a 5♦ bid and back to me. I did not have enough to double him so I passed and we got +100. Disaster as we can make 5♠ ! The rest of the field was allowed to buy it in 4♠ as there was no Willard factor at their table. Tom has a void in diamonds and he can not bid as Willard could have run into my 150 honours in diamonds. I feel I should be able to make a D.S.I.P. double as I did not bid 2NT going in. Tom can then make the decision from his side even though he opened a weak two. A jump to game is so ambiguous that I think you should always bid 2NT or Q bid if your side “owns the hand” .This switches on forcing pass theory. If you do not show a sign of strength by just competing , D.S.I.P. theory applies.