Friday,
November 25, 2005 3:56 PM
Hand Evaluation - Defense vrs Pre-empts
PITBULLS:
D.S.I.P. theory has a
unique relationship with the opponents pre-empts . The penalty double is
never & I mean never a trump stack double at any level. Doubling pre-emptive overcalls for penalty by responder is an almost certain recipe for disaster. To distinguish between
a trump stack double & I have “cards” double is impossible. The ambiguity
is just too great. One double has
got to go , so the trump
stack double disappears. This is one of the founding reasons for
D.S.I.P. double theory. Ambiguity must
be discouraged in any language. Trump stack doubles became extinct in all competitive & pre-emptive auctions.
Here
is a hand from last night ♠Jx ♥Q1098 ♦AK ♣98765 , the opponents are vul & you are not. Partner
opens 1♣ , LHO “pre-empts” 4♠
. Virtually
the entire field from
Thurs nite IMPS doubled 4♠ for penalty. The
opener held a lot of quick defensive tricks ♠void ♥Axxx ♦9xxx ♣AK10xx
. So with them being vulnerable & you having a void in spades , this is certainly going to be a juicy set , right
? Wrong ! The
average score for the board was -790 or –990 as the “pre-empter”
held ♠AKQ1098765 ♥x ♦xxx ♣void .
Now for those players
who play D.S.I.P. theory over pre-empts. This is a D.S.I.P. double from either side of the table. The direct double would say I have cards so do something intelligent
, the balancing double says I have 3 defensive tricks for my opener so
do something intelligent . If you have their trump, please convert. This
results in +650 as 5♣X makes with an overtrick. One pair got to that spot
for an astronomically huge IMP pickup.
One
enterprising pair got to two spades
( moi & BJ ) when RHO
passed a forcing pass as she only had 11 HCP’s for
her opener.
P-1♣-1NT-X
P- P-2♥-X
P-P-2♠-P
P-P!!
This should have been a huge
pickup for us as 4♠X is –200 , but the field does not understand suit preference signals. They cash the AK
of diamonds & partner with QJ10x of diamonds on the board plays the 9 on
the 2nd diamond. This high spot must be suit preference
so you switch to a heart & get your diamond ruff. The entire field switched
to a club which got ruffed for –990. We
lost 12 instead of winning +200 +170 +9 IMPS because the entire field is defensively challenged. My partner & I
had a very accurate auction
to buy the hand in 2♠
against
their cold 6♣ J & lost 12 IMPS L