Friday, August 19, 2005 8:47 PM

D.S.I.P. - Bidding Partners Hand

PITBULLS:

I have heard many arguments in my time at the Bridge table which goes something like this. “You just bid your own hand – do not bid mine for me ! “ This statement is to prevent partner from wishful thinking in Bridge and placing cards in partners hand that would lead to the optimum result and bidding accordingly. In general , that is a good idea to avoid this. You describe your good hand and let partner place the contract. Do not bid her hand for her.

Not so with D.S.I.P. double theory though. Sometimes you must bid partners hand for her. This is in the case of trump stack penalty doubles. Remember that partner is not allowed to make “trump stack” penalty doubles in competitive auctions. This includes balancing auctions which turns into a competitive auction. I held xxxx void Q109xx KQ9x and the auction went 1♥-P-2♥-P P-X-P-2NT I bid 2NT as scrambling for the minors as the likelihood of partner holding 4 spades on this auction is remote and I have an excellent playing hand in the minors. Partner bids 3♣ and it goes around to the opener who bids 3♥ . Now what action do you take with your hand ? It looks like the opponents are getting a 4 or 5 nothing trump break. You could have zero HCP’s on the auction and you have 7 HCP . It looks like the opponents have over extended themselves. Anyway it does not hurt to find out as trump stack doubles are not in your repertoire. If partner has xxxx of trump , you can make a 4 or even possibly a 5 level contract in a minor. You want to compete again so you ask partners permission with a double. You have unexpected values on the auction so this will substitute for the quick tricks normally needed for a double. You put the double card on the table and partner puts the green card on the table . Down 4 for +800 as both opponents were bidding on nothing and ran into a horrible trump stack !!

In competitive auctions in the pass out seat do not forget that partner may not have competed again due to a trump stack in their suit. If you have the quick tricks in line with your bidding do not hesitate to re-open with a double. The auction goes 1♥-1♠-2♥-2♠

3♥-P-P-? Axx x KJxxx xxxx you have 1 ½ quick tricks and would like to bid 3♠ so you double. Partner has KQ10xx QJ10x x AQx and 3♥x gets severely punished.

The D.S.I.P. double in competitive auctions has an entirely different meaning from a traditional double. You can not lose by using it if your intent was to bid again anyway. The double preserves options a bid does not . There is no turning back after you have bid a suit. In all competitive auctions where you do not own the hand , do not leave home without the D.S.I.P. double !!