Saturday, June 21, 2003 4:34 AM

Hand Evaluation - Decisions

PITBULLS:

Some interesting hands came up in the Penticton CNTC that falls under the category of hand evaluation . I will mention 3 hand evaluation decisions that cost 13 , 14 , & 17 IMPS respectively.

You hold a 13 HCP hand with 6 clubs so in accordance with your system you open 2♣ vul . NV LHO overcalls 2♠ , partner bids 3♠ which shows a limit raise or better in clubs . You have Qxx in spades so you try 3NT . Partner is still slamish so he Q bids 4♥ & RHO decides to enter the fray with 4♠ . Now what ? This is a vul Q bidding auction so you obviously own the hand so should forcing pass principles still apply ? Of course they should. The opponents early interference has given you an opportunity to pass some information to partner . A double should say no slam interest as we may be off two quick spade tricks or I have a totally unsuitable minimum . A pass says I have a spade control , still interested & of course a Q bid would be a maximum with a spade control . You pass , partner leaps to 6♣ & the opponents cash two spades -13 IMPS . Not applying forcing pass theory is a dereliction of duty.

The next hand you hold

A	Q	A	Q
Q		K	J
x		x	x
		x
		x
		x

You open 1♦ , partner bids 1♥ . You bid 2NT which in your methods shows 15-18 HCP and may hold a stiff heart . Partner bids 3♦ which is an asking bid in hearts . Here is where hand evaluation comes in . Is a stiff Queen a stiff heart ? If partner has AKJ10x of hearts that gives him a solid suit . AKJxxx or AKJxxxx the queen solidifies the suit . The question now arises is the Queen equivalent to two or 3 small hearts . In my opinion, a stiff Queen is equivalent to 3 small . You show a singleton heart so partner “knows” that he has a certain trump loser , gets cold feat in bidding a heart slam . Lose 14 IMPS .

The last hand involves Tom Gandolfo and myself where Tom shines in hand evaluation. He holds

x	x	K	Q
	x	Q	J
		J	x
		9	x
		x
		x

& hears me open 2♣ vul . Tom bids 3♦ so I bid 3NT . Here is where the auction took a drastic turn at the other table . The 3♦ bidder felt he was “all in” so passed 3NT. Tom evaluated his hand quite differently & a classic KCB auction ensued . Tom bid 4♣ so I bid 4♦ setting the suit . Tom now started on the KCB trail with 4NT , I bid 5♣ showing 1 or 4 Aces. Tom now made a specific king ask of 5NT which I responded 6♣ which is my lowest ranking king . Tom can now count 12 tricks in NT & if I have a major suit king he can claim before the opening lead . He now bids 6♥ which says bid 7 if you have the heart king . I had the spade king so I bid 6 spades. Tom now bids 7NT & could have tabled his hand before the opening lead !! We won 17 IMPS as Tom bid the grand & they just bid game at the other table.