Saturday,
March 29, 2003 3:17 PM
Hand Evaluation - Escapes
PITBULLS:
Sometimes a
partnership gets into trouble . The opponents have
doubled you due to bad trump breaks or a preponderance of HCP’s. Just sitting there and taking your lumps is not
a good idea .
Established partnerships have well planned escape routes . Sometimes though , it is fuzzy
on who should take the initiative in rescue auctions .
Partner makes an overcall
either at the one or two level with a negative
double converted for
penalty in front of the overcaller . The bidder has the responsibility to initiate escape
routes not the partner. Partner rescuing might lead to a greater
disaster because she does not the quality of partners suit or
hand , but the overcaller does.
A redouble by the overcaller is always SOS . A run
to NT usually means minor tolerance while bidding the opponents suit is natural . The SOS redouble implies the majors or the unbid suits
when that’s what is left.. The SOS redoubles follows takeout principles . You redouble with ♠Q10xxx ♥xx ♦xx ♣xxxx when 1♦x gets left in . You
pull 1♥x to 1♠ so you show your
club tolerance. You do not rescue overcalls before the doubling starts. A bid
is forward going so not a rescue .
Partner
opens , LHO makes a takeout double but the contract
gets converted for penalty. It is the opener who is responsible to initiate
rescue sequences . You do not rescue before the fact . Partner is going to
assume you are bidding on values , not being concerned
that the contract is going to be converted for penalty by the opponents. You do
not pre-rescue.
O.K.
the situation changes when the re-opening
double gets converted for penalty . The overcaller does not get a chance to rescue herself because she
does not know that the hand is going to be
converted for penalties. Experience shows that it is best to escape ,
if at all possible . Again a redouble is SOS and NT means pick a minor and the
opponents suit is natural . When the opponents say
partner is getting a horrible trump break, it is best to believe them
. Even players with sound overcalls get bad
breaks so why play in that suit if you have a reasonable chance of
an alternative contract ?
Established
partnerships have rescue understandings when their NT opener or overcall gets doubled . DONT is a good run out treatment as the redouble
to show a one suited hand is very helpful .
DON’T runouts have been modified with a “toughing/nontouching” element . If you bid immediately , you are showing touching suits. There are 6 combinations of suits that fall
into the touching/non touching category 4C2.
Non touching is simple as there are only two of them, ♣’s & ♥’s and ♦’s & ♠’s . Touching suits have
4 combinations ♣’s & ♦’s , ♦’s & ♥’s , ♥’s & ♠’s and finally ♠’s & ♣’s.
However, what a about the situation where partner doubles a NT but hits you with a
bad hand ? Passing can be expensive as –580 is not a good score
. If you are vul sometimes it is best to let
them have their –180 or –380 rather than going for a huge number yourself.
Peter Jones & I had an understanding that if you can not
stand partners double you always bid 2♣
unless you have a long suit . This does not show clubs
but tells partner to start running. Sometimes doubling 1NT in the balancing
spot is a gamble . If the opponents are vul , it
is a good gamble to double with 10-12 points. If you hit partner with 10 HCP or
more the opponents are in deep trouble as 2 HCP or less will show up in the dummy . Sometimes you strike out since the opponents have
the greater HCP’s . Partner should pull to the
automatic 2♣ so maybe you can land on your feet.
There
is another sequence where to rescue or not to rescue is the question
. This is where either after an overcall or a balance , the opponents double you for penalty . If you have
what partner can reasonably expect you to have for your overcall
, you should pass . If you have extra , you
should redouble to tell
partner not to rescue .
A hand that Lorna & Lloyda had Thurs nite resulted in a lot of discussion . Lorna held
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The auction
went 2♥
and around
to Lorna in the balancing position . She balanced 3♣, Lloyda bid 3NT which was doubled . Should Lorna pull ? My opinion is
that if you have enough to balance , you have enough
to pass . If you have extra say 16 HCP you should redouble to tell
partner not to pull but you should never pull by yourself . This is an auction where partner knows more what is going
on then you do .
Partner can have 16 HCP with a heart trap or any assortment of hands.
Lloyda actually held ♠xxxx ♥QJxx ♦xx ♣AJx so in the absence of
a redouble , partner has around an opening bid 12-13 HCP
. With your 8 HCP the opponents have as many points as you do
, which is a recipe for a disaster. Leaving the double in and best
defense by the opponents results in 6 down
or 1400 not vul . With Lloyda’s hand , you do not mind trying 3NT but when it gets doubled
,. 4♣ would be discretion before valour.
Maurice
& Tom had an auction where the SOS redouble saves the day
. 1♦ by Maurice with ♠xx ♥AJ10x
♦Qxxx ♣AQJ , Tom passes with ♠Q10xxx ♥98x ♦xx ♣xx . Lisa doubles in the balancing
so Stan converts for penalty. This is a time to believe the enemy and run . Which escape tool do we use ?
Bidding 1♠ is a little single
handed as you do have heart tolerance. The redouble is a good bid as this shows
the majors . It cannot be that the passed hand has magically
grown HCP’s so wants to play a redoubled contract. Maurice pulls to 1♥
, both Lisa & Stan have 3 hearts so a penalty double is averted. Even
if 1♥ somehow gets doubled
it plays quite well so the defense has to be sharp to beat it. Anyway, using the
appropriate rescue tool a disaster like 1100 in 1♠x is averted.
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The
opponents open 1♦ in 4th seat and your vul
partner overcalls 1♠ . They pass and the
diamond bidder ( Nick G ) re-opens with a double which
gets converted for penalty. Your call ? Partner did
not open a weak 2♠ vul
but came in vul ( Bob C ) so
partner is not suicidal . You know the spades are 5-1 so passing looks like –500 . This is a hand for the S.O.S. redouble . You have 2 excellent unbid
suits and the opponents might be hard pressed to double. Partners hand is ♠KJ10xx ♥KQ10x ♦xx ♣xx . They will not double
2♥ but more importantly
they will realize they do not have a heart stopper so it might keep them out of
their cold 3NT. Partner fell from grace so we lost 7 IMPS in 1♠X for –500.