Thursday, May 01, 2003 11:31 AM

D.S.I.P. Pre-empts

PITBULLS:

When playing in a tough field there are certain auctions where you have to trust the opponents . These auctions are where their actions dictate that they have their trump suit wrapped up and they are making tactical game bids based on lots of trump . These auctions quite often include bids like Michaels , Unusual 2NT , pre-empts or just leaping to game in a major or minor . These type of auctions are automatic D.S.I.P. doubles for the defending side .

These doubles are pulled quite often depending on the vulnerability or the playability of your hand . The D.S.I.P doubles always have less then 3 trump to an an honour ( maybe xxx ) and just says I have some defense or offense so do something intelligent. If for some bizarre reason you do have their suit you must pass and partner might make a D.S.I.P. double !

The Steve Willards of the world love jumping to game on almost any kind of hand or distribution . The auction 1♥ 1♠ overcall 4♥ is a very frequent bid in Steves bridge vocabulary . Why ? Years of experience has shown that the opponents can not handle such a bid . He either steals the hand when 4♠ is cold , plays 4 hearts down 3 undoubled , opponents play 4♠ doubled going down as a pseudo sacrifice or an unwise penalty double for +790 . D.S.I.P. doubles are the best defense by far for this type of action . Doubles do not show trump in any of these auctions . It says I do not know whether to defend or bid but I do not have an abundance of cards in your suit or I would have bid. I will not have a singleton in your suit or their trump as I would wait until you make a D.S.I.P. double and convert for penalty.

D.S.I.P. doubles are essentially negative doubles in these pre-emptive auctions . You just can not expect a trump stack when the opponents are daring you to double them . Having this trump stuck mentality will just destroy you in these auctions . The doubles are far more useful as saying I do not have a clear cut action – YOU do the right thing . They make a Michaels Q and you double and they still jump to game anyway . Good players are not suicidal so when either defending side doubles its is D.S.I.P. as I do not have clear cut action . In these auctions “do not pull my penalty doubles” are thrown in the waste basket where it belongs.

These D.S.I.P. doubles are not negative doubles in the classical sense. They just show “cards” and no clear cut action. However one thing is certain , there will not be duplication of value in their suit. A green card is used for those hands.