Sunday, March 28, 2004 7:12 AM

D.S.I.P. & Pre-empts

PITBULLS:

D.S.I.P. theory is a way of thinking penalty doubles in Bridge. In pre-emptive auctions by the opponents , D.S.I.P. theory still applies . Even if you have trapped with the opponents suit , the only way the opponents can play the contract doubled is if you convert partners double. Single handed trump stack “enforcer” doubles simply do not exist.

There are many pre-emptive auctions where the opponents are or might be stealing from you . 2♥-P-3♥ , 3♦-P-4♦ , 3♠-p-4♠ , 1♥-p-3♥ pre-emptive and 1♣-p-3♣ pre-emptive to name a few. In these auctions , it is the responsibility of the partner in the sandwich position to get in their and bid with the required shape even though the HCP ‘s are not quite up to snuff ( vulnerability taken into consideration of course ) . Do not punish partner in the sandwich position by getting slam happy or stretching to tight contracts. He will play you for about 7 HCP’s ( law of pre-empting ) and bid accordingly anyway. Bidding in the “sandwich position” is quite often pre-balancing as in all pre-emptive auctions.

O.K. the auctions has gone 2♥-P-3♥-P and passed around to you . Partner has had a chance to double with the right distribution but did not. This does not mean you let the auction die. AKxx xx Axxx xxx with this hand you thought you were too light to double initially but now that the opponents have limited their hand you can back in with a double. Change you hand slightly by adding a heart and I would pass. The bidding marks partner with shortness in hearts yet he did not double.

A lot of these auctions are “vulnerability dependent” and bidding not vul vrs vul can suggest a sacrifice. With other vulnerabilities , the double shows “cards” but not a trump stack and partner is supposed to do something intelligent. Sometimes doing something intelligent can just be passing and handing them 4 IMPS for their game making doubled. You can not win them all when these doubles carry some risk. Usually these doubles have a flaw that prevented you from doubling in the first place like shortness in an unbid suit or not enough HCP’s for the level you are asking partner to bid. You choose to double now because you are “bidding the table” as the opponents are telling you that we have something. Taking your fix and passing with values in their suit is automatic . Taking your fix with a lot of other hands with no duplication of value is not generally recommended.

Doubling by you in these auctions may take some scrambling to find your fit. Equal level conversion just means that I do not have that suit partner lets try again. Quite often partner is just going to pass your double as you show cards and he has defensive values also . A trump lead is automatic on these auctions and sometimes they get caught speeding.

I had a hand tonight with Barry Pritchard that shows the importance of “getting in there” in the sandwich position when the opponents may have re-pre-empted. Everybody vul Barry’s RHO opens 2♥ . Barry held QJ J10xx Axx KQxx and passed. LHO bid 3♥ and I doubled with 109xxx void KQxx AJxx . Barry bid 3NT and I started the scramble with 4♣ . Barry bid 4♥ to show the club fit and RHO doubled and I passed to slow things down. Barry bid 5♣ and that contract happens to make for +600. If I pass 3♥ the auction will go around to Barry and he is in a very difficult situation. He knows I am very short in hearts yet I did not double. Based on that information he will probably pass. We collect a paltry +100. Do not punish the “pre-balancer”.