Tuesday, January 17, 2006 1:49 PM

Dynamic Hand Evaluation

PITBULLS:

Hand evaluation is “dynamic” . What do I mean by that ? the opponents bidding and location of a “big” hand changes the value of your hand during the auction. A tormentee opened 1NT with a super maximum AK xxx AKxxx K10x . I personally would not have opened that hand one NT as I have a good 5 card suit and all controls . This hand gets promoted to a minimum of 18 HCP and therefore a 2NT rebid. You can not just be a slave to the HCP system. You , like a personnel manager in a company , should be constantly demoting and promoting hands depending on 5 card suits or whether your HCPs are controls or queens & jacks. BJ Trelford would evaluate this hand to a 2NT opener J .

Anyway the Tormentee opened 1NT and Steve Willard doubled which in their system shows a single suited hand. I passed and LHO bid 2♣ and Mr. Willard bid 2♥. I crawled in 3♣ and LHO bid 3♥ . So now what do you do ? Hand evaluation is dynamic . What is the heart suit pattern around the table ? Steve shows 6 hearts and LHO shows 3 so the pattern is 6-3-3-1 so partner has a stiff heart !! All we need from partner is Axxxxx of clubs and 6♣ has a shot. Turned out I held xxx x Qxx QJxxxx and 5♣ is cold. The tormentee did not re-evaluate her hand in light of the opponents bidding and passed 3♥ which we beat one trick.

This hand evaluation goes back to our old friend patterns . Applying patterns during the auction is standard dynamic hand evaluation. Like splinter theory , by applying patterns you have found a stiff heart in my hand. Your xxx of hearts as in splinter theory is no duplication of value. Tom Gandolfo would have made a slam try with this hand. The Willards of the world by always being in the auction can be helpful to re-evaluate your hand. Using the opponents as a “stepping stone” to further your own bidding is a basic Bridge strategy. Bidding is still another application of hand patterns.

You hold Qxxx AQ Kxx J10xx and you find yourself in 4^th seat. You have a marginal 12 HCP hand but you do have 4 spades so you open 1♣. They overcall 1♦ and partner bids 1♠ and LHO bids 3♦ . Dynamic hand evaluation so has your hand improved or got worse during the auction ? The location of the diamond king has turned your hand into a non opening bid. You probably have a flat 9 working HCP’s for your passed hand partner. So do you freely bid 3♠ to show a hand worthy of going to the 3 level ? Of course not , so you pass and partner now bids 4♣ and you give preference to 4♠ and with favourable location of cards you make +450. OK we will force a 3♠ bid on you and partner bids 4♦ so do you do anything but bid the “death response” with a hand that had only 12 to begin with but went down on the auction ? The tormentee now Q bid 4♥ and partner bid 6♠ for a zero. Hand evaluation, do not leave home without it ..