Thursday, January 20, 2005 4:53 AM

Hand Evaluation - Application of Patterns

PITBULLS:

There are enumerable situations in Bridge for the application of patterns. Translating bidding into patterns , opening leads into patterns , showing out of a suit & “giving count” into patterns is the science behind this skill. “Thinking in patterns” is how experts play the game of Bridge. Applying patterns defines thinking in Bridge. Patterns are how you think the game of Bridge. Lets review some common situations where we apply patterns in Bridge.

1) Covering an honour with an honour

This is a common play in Bridge & it involves pattern application. If the opponents are known to have a 4-4 fit & you have K10x over Qxxx . Declarer leads the queen so of course you cover as declarer will have to guess the 10 sometime. What if declarer opened at the 3 level , you have Kx opposite Qxxx do you cover ? Of course not . The pattern is 7-4-2-0 so let declarer guess if there is a stiff king.

2) Tapping the opponents trump suit

Another common application of patterns is having declarer lose control of the trump suit. You have Qxxx of their trump & a stiff. You also have a QJ109x side suit do you lead your stiff ? Of course not . By ruffing you are just assisting declarer to regain control of the trump suit. Lead your long suit so if partner can help out , declarer will be ruffing. If declarer had a 5 card major , she is now your length. 5-4-3-1 . You get in with your trump queen & lead your long suit , declarer has lost control of the hand so your small trumps are promoted.

3) Analyzing opening leads

They are in 3NT , partner leads the deuce of a suit. There is a doubleton on the board , you have Axx. Do you continue ? Probably not as you are attacking declarers 4 card suit. 4-4-3-2. If partner led the 5 & a lower spot is missing , you do continue as the suit is 5-3-3-2 around the table.

4) Discarding Properly

1♠-P-1NT-P

2♦-P-4♠-P You have ♠xx ♥xxx ♦10xxx ♣AKQJ , declarer draws trump in 3 rounds. You discard a heart. Declarer plays three top hearts and follows to all of them. What do you discard & why ? Declarer from the bidding is 5-3-4-1 . He leads another trump but you are not fooled. Your two discards have been the Ace & King of clubs. Declarer loses diamond tricks to your side now as you discarded those “useless “ clubs.

1) Card Reading

Card reading is a declarer technique stemming from the application of patterns. You have to find the queen of diamonds but you have a two way finesse. You use patterns to get a “count on the hand” . The opponents made a weak jump shift in hearts so you go about the business of “counting” that hand. What we mean by “counting” their hand is discovering their pattern. You lead other suits , note when she shows out of a suit. She has shown up with one of your trumps , two cards in another suit & is “known” to have 6 hearts. Pattern is 1-6-4-2 with 4 diamonds. It now a Bridge certainty that the diamond queen is in the pre-empters hand !! If you did not go about discovering her pattern , you would have just blindly played the non pre-empter for the diamond queen

2) Pseudo Squeezes

Defending against “pseudo squeezes” is a strict application of patterns. The opponents are in 6NT , you have no idea of their distribution from the bidding. Here is where you must rely on partner to “give count” so you can apply patterns & hold onto the right suit. You have ♠10xxx ♥xxx ♦xx ♣J10xx you lead a heart , partner wins his heart Ace & returns a heart. Declarer wins & runs his diamond suit. Partner discards the spade 9 on the diamonds. There are two spades on the board. Playing original count for discards , discarding a high card shows an original odd number & a low card an original even number. Declarer has 4 spades ! Partner had J9x and the spade pattern is 4-4-3-2. You hold onto your spade for dear life so 6NT goes 1 down.

3) Opening Leads

There are no “blind” opening leads just “deaf” opening leaders. Translating the bidding into patterns determines your opening lead. If you have 4 of their 2^nd suit you may want to lead a trump. If they show a 5-5 , its best to get your tricks in her 2-1 fast. The above expression was before bidding boxes so bad leads were because opening leaders did not listen to the bidding & apply patterns.

4) Declarer Technique

Finding cards ( finesses ) , suit establishment , end plays , squeezes are all declarer techniques that use patterns. Patterns are used to plan your declarer play thereby taking the correct line of play. You do not play a contract in a vacuum . You have a blueprint from their bidding , their opening leads , signals to apply patterns so get “a lie of the land” . Card combinations & the percentages on how suits break , allow you to count your tricks as declarer. You play the hand based on that evidence.

5) CARD Combinations

Visualizing card combinations & executing safety plays require application of patterns . You have Jxx opposite A10xxx and need two tricks to make 3NT. You visualize 5-3-3-2 and a doubleton honour to your right. Lead a small club to your 10 and lose to Qxx . The King is now singleton to your right and drops under your Ace. Declarer safety plays need a good understanding of patterns. An “intra finesse” requires the application of patterns . Opening bid to your right so how do play this suit for only one loser ?

		Q	8	5	3
J	7					K	10	4
		A	9	6	2

The “intra” finesse. Lead the deuce towards the board and insert the 8. This loses to the 10. Later lead the queen covered by the king and the jack drops. Voila one loser !

6) Bidding

Apply patterns during the bidding to assist you in your bidding. 1♣-1♥-P-3♥ 3♠-P-?

♠xxxxx ♥xxx ♦xx ♣Kxx . The hearts are 5-4-3-1 around the table so partner has a singleton. Partner has a good hand with at least 9 black cards with a singleton heart. Bidding 4♠ is clear cut. Applying patterns during the bidding can assist you in anticipating their next bid. You can make “prepared bids” that are more effective.

7) Misfit Auctions

You hold ♠AQxxx ♥9x ♦QJ ♣Axxx and the auction goes 1♥ to your right . You overcall a spade. LHO passes , partner bids 1NT and RHO backs in 2♦ which gets passed around to partner who doubles. Now what ? This is a misfit auction as partner shows hearts & diamonds for his bidding. Do you pull to 3♣ ? Patterns to assist you in identifying misfit auctions. RHO can be 6-5 in the reds , partner shows red cards with the 1NT bid. Who has the black cards ? You know what will happen if you bid a black suit. Anyway you pass so what is your lead ? A trump lead is demanded as they gave preference by passing but which diamond ? I would be deceptive & lead the jack. Declarer will play partner for the queen so you should score it without any difficulty.

8) Counting Tricks – Defense

Sometimes in defending contracts there is a panic time. You must cash out in order to “win the race”. There are triggers in Bridge which prompt you to apply a pattern. Pre-emptive bidding , bidding by your side or their side , count signals or they or partner showing out of a suit.. Once you apply a pattern , you can count declarers tricks. If partner shows out of a suit & you apply a pattern 6-3-3-1 , you know declarer has 6 tricks in that suit. The rest is easy arithmetic.

9) Determining Line of Play

Thinking in patterns also allows you count probable tricks as declarer. ♠109 ♥Ax ♦KQ10x ♣AKQ10x opposite ♠AJ87x ♥xxx ♦A987 ♣x . You are in 6♦ with a heart lead . The most probable club pattern is 5-4-3-1 with the jack in the long side. Therefore , you need two ruffs to make you contract or establish the spades. You draw only 2 rounds of trump & start your clubs. LHO has a doubleton ♣J but only two trump. You play 3 rounds of clubs discarding hearts & duck a spade . They return a heart making the board ruff. You now return to your hand drawing the last trump & finesse the spade. This wins, so you make the slam.

Convinced yet that memorizing at least 10 patterns is worth the effort to improve your Bridge game ???