Sunday, October 29, 2006 2:58 AM

Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( 5-5 Blacks )

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Opening weaker 5-5 in the blacks with 1♣ has a good tactical bidding advantage in that quite often you avoid forcing 1NT auctions in favour of the excellent XYZ structure. Opening 1♣ with these hands keeps the auction at the one level for 3 bids due to the boss spade suit. You know what that means , partner can show all game force hands via 2♦ or jumping & all invitational hands via 2♣.Say you have this “bow-wow” which you decide to open 1♣. ♠Axxxx ♥xx ♦x ♣KQJ10x . Partner responds a red suit so you bid a spade. This unleashes XYZ , you have a chance to describe your distribution & weak HCP’s by the two level !!

 

            ♠AKxxx ♦xx ♥x ♣AKxxx  so you open 1♠. Partner bids 1NT , you rebid 2♣. Partner bids 2NT so you bid 3♣ forcing to game. Why is it forcing to game ? Because you show 5-5 in the blacks & you did not open 1♣ initially !

 

            Opening 1♣ with weak 5-5’s allow you to compete better. Since you have the bully suit as your 2nd suit , you out bid the reds by coming into the auction. Clubs to spades is not a reverse. Spades to clubs is a reverse.

 

1♣-P-1♦/♥-P

 2♠                  is a strong jump shift.

 

            There is a school of thought that says that weak & strong 5-5’s should be opened 1♣. Intermediate 5-5’s in the blacks should be opened 1♠. What this does is allow the auction to remain at the two level with strong hands. ♠AKxxx ♥Ax ♦x ♣AKxxx you open 1♣ , partner bids a red suit so you jump shift to 2♠ so you are at the two level. This understanding also helps with your 2/1 structure.  1♠-P-2♦-P

                                                                                                   3♣      shows a good hand as you went to the 3 level.

 

            Playing the multi 3♣ jump shift you are at the 4 level after opening 1♠ before you have described this hand.

 

1♠-P-1NT-P

3♣-P-3♦-P

4♣                   

 

3NT after the relay shows a real strong jump shift in clubs but normally with flatter hands. Opening 1♣ , you have finished showing your distribution & HCP strength by the 3 level at most after an initially strong jump shift into 2♠. .

 

            Strong & weak spade / diamond hands could be handled the same way but it has not caught on. ♠Axxxx ♥x ♦AKxxx ♣xx . Opening 1♦ first gets you past the forcing 1NT & allows XYZ if partner responds 1♥. Causes complications when partner responds 1NT or your spade suit could get pre-empted out of the auction. Bidding theorists have made an exception with spades & clubs but not diamonds.