Saturday, November 12, 2005 4:01 AM

Hand Evaluation – Quick Trick Criteria

PITBULLS:

With D.S.I.P. theory , a 1^st double in competition means partner I have defense , nothing in their suit & I would like to compete again. In a rare occasion, you can have values in their suit as long as the criteria that you wish to compete again is met. Cards in their suit may be good for offense ( transferable ) since they are well located. BJ Trelford had such a hand ♠KJx ♥xx ♦xxx ♣AQ10xx , in 3^rd seat everybody vul RHO opens 2♠. The auction goes pass , pass & I balance with a double. BJ bids 3♣ which I alert as constructive ( we play Lebensohl ) but the opponents bid 3♠ . BJ in effect has already shown his hand by using Lebensohl so there is a case that D.S.I.P. theory should not apply as you have already shown your values in a competitive auction. However , values do not always equate to defensive tricks , so I think D.S.I.P. theory should apply. In this particular auction though, values in their suit are highly likely . BJ paid his card fees so did not want to sell out for 3♠ , therefore he made a D.S.I.P. double.

Anyway, I pulled the double as I have way too many clubs to leave the double in for penalty ( I thought ) . The opponents doubled 4♣ , BJ makes an overtrick for the rare score of +910 . I held ♠xx ♥AQ10xx ♦Kx ♣987x , If I chose to convert we get +500 for 3♠X anyway as the hearts are very favourably located for our side as are the clubs and spades. Good hand for yours truly as I could not go wrong. Change my hand to ♠xx ♥AQ10xx ♦Axx ♣xxx , I would have passed so we get the proverbial telephone number +800 in 3♠X. BJ is supposed to have 3 to 3 ½ defensive tricks for his double in this auction ( I am a passed hand ) , so simple arithmetic in counting defensive tricks allows me to convert.

Usually in competitive auctions , trump penalty doubles per se are thrown in the waste basket. If you have them too high by competing good enough - take your plus. There are auctions though where the D.S.I.P. double & the penalty double converge. As long as you are content with partner pulling your penalty double , go ahead & make a D.S.I.P./ penalty double. If BJ had a trump stack ♠KQxx of spades with the same hand he would of course have passed the re-opening double. He should not double if he just planned to push them higher because he knows 99 % of the time I will pull the double. Possibly he should not even have competed with a bad trump stack in their suit , unwilling to pass for penalty in the first instance.

If I held ♠x ♥AQ10xx ♦Axxx 109x , I would double 3♠ based on his “Lebensohl” bid showing values with my maximum defense for a passed hand balancing double. BJ can convert for the telephone number. Playing D.S.I.P. theory you must bid the table & sniff out the occasions that partner may have a trump stack penalty double. In negative double theory , you just re-open with a double in case partner has a trump stack. In D.S.I.P. theory you must read the table better & pick your spots before you double again. Playing D.S.I.P. theory you must resist the urge to be “trigger happy” & wait for partner to double for you. Not always easy ….