Friday,
January 21, 2005 5:12 AM
Hand Evaluation - Equal Level Conversion ( Clubs )
PITBULLS:
In the game of Bridge , clubs are the lowest ranking suit in
the deck. The club suit is also “lower ranking” In other ways.
The club suit has a very inferior status
with respect to takeout doubles.
The Meckwell partnership came up with something they
call “equal level conversion”.
This concept allows them to make off
shape takeout doubles and balances. If partner bids a suit they do not
have they convert to another suit.
As long as it is kept at the same level , the
sequence does not show any extra values. This has been a standard way of
showing two suits after a T/O double
or even a Q bid in the game of Bridge.
Bridge
World Standard 2001 does not play “equal
level conversion” .
They say they make an exception though
with the lowly club suit.
This is because it is easy to make an equal level conversion over the lowest ranking suit. It goes 1♥ to
your right and you have ♠AKxx ♥xx ♦AJxxxx ♣x do you overcall 2♦ or double ? The Bridge World recommends you double
because if the auction takes off after you overcall 2♦
you may lose the spade suit. Even with ♠AKxx ♥xx ♦AJxxx ♣xx they recommend a direct or balancing double
after a heart opening bid. In other words a takeout double does not
necessarily promise clubs
!
It
goes 1♦ to your right and you have ♠AJxxx ♥AKxx ♦xxx ♣x
do you overcall a spade or make a takeout double? Let’s
say you overcall spades as you can’t make
a takeout double as you do not have clubs. Partner has ♠x ♥Qxxxx ♦xx ♣Axxxx or countless other hands that he can not respond to a spade overcall.
You notice that 4♥ has a shot for 5 and +650 . To add to the ignominy 1♠ can not
make ! You do not play forcing 1NT to an overcall. 1NT to an overcall is a
descriptive bid showing a balanced
8-10 HCP with a stopper in their
suit. The Bridge World & Meckwell suggest that competing
in clubs is not worth the risk of missing a major suit game in IMPS. They
suggest a direct double so if partner bids clubs pull to your lower
ranking suit at the same level.
If
after you make this conversion with partner bidding clubs again
,he may have KJ109xxx of
clubs so let him play it your 7-1 fit. After takeout doubles it is buyer beware as far as the club
suit is concerned. You have to be careful with sacrifices and competing
with the club suit as partner may be lacking that suit after a double. Take
this auction of 1♦-P-3♦-X with ♠AJxx ♥AKxxx ♦Axx ♣x .
You should double rather than bid 3♥
directly as with a stiff heart and partner with enough spades to make a spade
game will pass 3♥ say ♠Kxxxx ♥x ♦Kxx
♣xxxx note 6♠ has a shot for +1430 and you may be
playing 3♥
going down ! Say you double and partner does bid 4♣ .
You make an equal level conversion to 4♥ and
partner with ♠Kxxx ♥x ♦xx ♣QJ1098x will convert to 4 spades. Partner
could have ♠Axx ♥Axxx ♦x ♣AKxxx
for his double so its silly
not to bid your nice club suit rather than spades initially. Equal level
conversion means just that. It does not matter at what level the auction is as long as it is
equal , converting to another suit shows no additional values.
The
Bridge World suggests leaving equal level conversion to the experts like Rodwell & Meckstroth except when the lowly club
suit is involved. So be very careful when you have clubs opposite a takeout
double. You may be on your own. You hold ♠Ax
♥xxx ♦Ax ♣Jxxxxx and everybody vul it
goes 1♦-X-1♠-? .
Partner may have clubs for his double so you bid 3♣ invitational. If he converts
to hearts you are not unhappy so you have described your hand. Say you just bid
2♣ and they compete to diamonds. You can now double saying you would like to
compete to 3♣ but you have defense and are maximum for your previous call.
Experts who play equal level conversion have no respect for the diamond suit also.
It goes 1♣ and you hold ♠AKxx ♥AKxx ♦x ♣xxxx or ♠AKxx ♥AKxx ♦xx ♣xxx both hands are handled with a double. If partner responds a
diamond just convert to a heart at the same level. Same in the balancing spot.
When your goal is to get to major suit games in IMPS ,
competing in a minor is sacrificed.
Re-opening
doubles and balancing doubles are not
takeout doubles per se. These doubles are just showing defensive tricks so that partner can convert for penalty if she has
their suit. Equal level conversion is a scramble
in these auctions to find a fit. Again conversion does not show extra values.
That is absurd and would prevent off shape re-opening
doubles or balances.
A
Tormentee had this hand ♠xxx ♥AKxx ♦AK109x ♣x nv and RHO opened 1♠ vul . What is your bid ? Well if you have bought into the above you make a T/O
double and convert to diamonds if partner bids clubs. Partner overcalled 2♦ , they bid 2♠ and around to
her again. Now D.S.I.P. doubles come into play. You now double because you have
4 defensive tricks for your mere overcall. If partner bids hearts fine
but if partner bids clubs,
you convert to diamonds so no harm done. Partner passed
and here is our matchpoints for this board .
15> 0 6- 1- 6- 8 3- 5 3- 1-
100 170 110 170 300 130 ---- 140 ---- 130 110
A double going in will get us to hearts 6- and a belated D.S.I.P. double 3- for +130 in diamonds. Tom Gandolfo held ♠J10xxxx ♥x ♦x ♣AJxxx , they opened 1♠ and I doubled . Tom has a nice playing hand if I have a classic T/O double so he bid 2♣.
I made an equal level conversion to 2♦ so now what ? I may have 10 or 11 red cards but no clubs so a pass is in order as this is a blatant misfit. 2♦ is not
doubled yet so it’s best to bail. If 2♦ gets doubled. you can actually try 2♠ to play. Partner held ♠A ♥A10xx ♦A10xxxx ♣xx which would have been a 2♦ overcall
for non believers of equal level conversion.