Wednesday, December 14, 2005 2:55 PM

Hand Evaluation - Combating Pre-empts

PITBULLS:

In the modern game , players pre-empt way more than they should. Discipline with many of these players are a thing of the past. Solo artists either bury their side or your side . Established partnerships need to adjust their system to compensate. Here are some of the adjustments that my partnerships have made to combat this nuisance. D.S.I.P. doubles apply directly after all pre-empts beyond the negative double level. Trump stack doubles of pre-empts are only made , by passing re-opening doubles. This style is based on the laws of probabilities as when you have their suit , partner does not so the odds of a re-opening double increases. You do not have to do everything yourself. This understanding allows direct doubles of their pre-empts beyond the negative level to “show cards” so the opener has the option to convert for penalty. D.S.I.P. doubles remove the ambiguity of penalty doubles in these high level pre-emptive situations.

Pre-empts of 4♥/4♠ overcalls by the opponents have redefined your 4NT in competition. 4NT is no longer KCB when they bid 4♠/♥ , but instead show two suiters. These 4NT bids are more distributional than a direct D.S.I.P. double. Lebensohl applies after they pre-empt at the 4♥/4♠ level after we have doubled , so KCB is no longer available in these auctions. A direct bid shows values after a double & 4NT is a relay to 5♣ to show the weak distributional hands. Pulling of direct or re-opening doubles of their 4♥/♠ bids to 4NT is Lebensohl.

Over 3 level pre-emptive overcalls , we have modified our negative doubles. The first instinct of the opener should be to bid 3NT with a stopper in their suit. These negative doubles are called “Thrump doubles”. These Thrump doubles combat the pre-empter trying to prevent reaching our 3NT games when we have a long suit or a majority of HCP’s. We still can make normal negative doubles at the 3 level , but partner just has to be wary that these hand types may be included with the double.

If they are vul & we are not , direct or balancing doubles of weak two’s or 3 level pre-empts do not have shape requirements. These doubles just show defense to allow partner to convert bad pre-empts for penalty. We trap on these vulnerabilities to catch the modern pre-empters “speeding”. We trap on equal vulnerability also & manufacture a 3NT bid only if we are vulnerable & they are not ( terrorist vul ) .

Modern pre-empters have caused us to redefine 4NT when we bid minors at the 4 level. 4NT is always to play when we bid 4 of a minor after a pre-empt. This means that a Q bid of their pre-emptive suit is KCB for the minor. ♠AQxxxx ♥x ♦AQx ♣Kxx

1♠-3♥-4♦-P

? 4♥ is KCB , 4NT is to play.

To combat weak two’s , Lebensohl is used , direct Q bids ask for a stopper to bid 3NT , jump overcalls show two suiters in that minor with the unbid major. 2♠-4♣ shows a two suiter in clubs & hearts. 2♠-p-p-3♠ asks for a spade stopper to bid 3NT. 2NT in the balancing is natural but the stopper may be only a partial. 2NT as a passed hand in the balancing is for the minors.

The best weapon against their “modern pre-empts” is the forcing pass. We do not pre-empt over a pre-empt so if we bid game directly on any vulnerability , forcing passes are turned on. We are deemed to own the auction , if partner doubles with us vulnerable & they pre-empted nv at the 3 level or higher. At this one vulnerability only , 3♦-x-5♦-? forcing passes apply. 3♠-x-4♠-? & 3♥-X-4♥-? forcing passes also apply at one vulnerability only ( vul rs not) . If the result is –590 so be it . 4NT is Lebensohl with these auctions but the double is in accordance with forcing pass theory. The reverse is also true when our side pre-empts vul against nv & we bid a vul game. Forcing passes apply if their side bids again even though one of us has pre-empted !! At the other vulnerabilities, we assume they are bidding game to make , so normal methods apply.

If the auctions deems it so with pre-empts & a passed hand , forcing passes are turned on with any vulnerability. A 3^rd seat pre-empt of 3♥ , a double ,& 6♥ as a passed hand. The auction has turned on forcing pass theory. All 3^rd seat pre-empts , a double , a raise to game by a passed hand , turn on forcing passes. If they bid it to make & they do make it , they get a doubled bonus. Forcing passes simplify the auction for our side & reduce the effectiveness of their bad pre-empts.