Sunday, June 18, 2006 4:53 AM

Hand Evaluation - 2/1 ( Exceptions )

PITBULLS:

Do not be overly strict with your decision to make a 2/1 bid. Yes , they are forcing to game but use hand evaluation & not rote rules via HCP’s in making your decision. Good two suited hands are difficult to describe after making a forcing NT. Stretch & bid a 2/1 with these hands. This is the best lie when game or slam is the goal as it is with IMPS. ♠Qx ♥KQJxx ♦QJ10xx ♣x & partner opens 1♠ so do you bid a forcing NT ? No , bid 2♥ as getting your two suits in will be very difficult after bidding 1NT. You also must show invitational values after your forcing NT bid which is all but impossible.

Remember that the spade suit buries the heart suit. When you have an invitational hand in hearts , bid a 2/1 rather than a forcing NT . ♠x ♥Q10987x ♦Axx ♣Axx & partner bids 1♠. Do not bid a forcing NT with this hand. Bid 2♥ which will simplify the auction. Yes , you may blow a partial , but in IMPS this 2/1 increases your chances of getting to a slam or good game. My partners & I play a 3♥ rebid as an out but even if you do not , choose the aggressive route in IMPS anyway .

A 2/1 as unconditionally forcing to game puts the partnership in a straight jacket & goes against the “Bridge is a game of suits” philosophy. A forcing 1NT to describe nice 6 or 7 card suits is sick bidding , so you can never catch up after you have probably wrong sided the NT. Even if you do not play a simple rebid of the suit as an out , quite often the best lie is to make a 2/1 in the first instance. ♠xx ♥xxx ♦AKJ109xx ♣x is a 2♦ bid after a 1♠ opener so not a forcing 1NT. Just keep bidding diamonds until partner gets the message.

Re-evaluate & promote your hand to a 2/1 when you have a fit for partner . ♠Q10x ♥Axx ♦KQxxx ♣xx , partner opens 1♠. At one table they bid a forcing NT & then jumped in spades. They reached 4♠ for +710. Zia bid 2♦ so partner splintered in hearts. They reached 7♦ which made for a huge pick up. The spade fit promotes this hand to a 2/1.

When you have an exceptional suit even with a 4 card fit for partner , choose a 2/1 rather than some conventional bid that shows a strong major raise. When partner bids a 2^nd suit , then make a jump preference to show the 4^th trump. A suit is the 1^st on the pecking order to describe to partner as a suit is the greatest source of tricks.

A 2/1 in competition does not need 10 HCPs. A nice suit will do nicely. AQJ10xx is a 2/1 in competition even though you do not have HCP’s . As my partner says , this hand evaluates to 10 HCP’s. As long as you rebid your suit , you have not deceived partner. You have in effect made a negative free bid.

When partner opens , you have a 6-4 with a 4 card major with invitational values make the best lie of a 2/1. ♠Axxx ♥xx ♦x ♣KQJxxx . partner opens a red suit. This is a 2♣ bid & not a 1♠ response. You are only making a tiny lie & in my opinion responding a spade with these hands is a big lie. You can never recover by bidding like this. You can not invite & show your 6 card suit in any standard bidding system. IMPS vrs matchpoints again.

Good advice is do not be a slave to the HCP system nor to a 2/1 . Rules are made to be broken. You just need to know when to do it. Playing IMPS is a good excuse to take the aggressive route.