Saturday, May 17, 2003 3:24 AM

Hand Evaluation – Equal Level Conversion

PITBULLS:

Overcall styles have changed over the years . Decades ago it would be unheard of to overcall two of a minor with 16 + HCP . One would double first , then bid our suit . Modern style is do not make ambiguous take out doubles with one suited hands if you can avoid it , so just overcall with your good one suited hand. I subscribe to that philosophy, as it has worked much better for me from my own experiences. This style makes T/O doubles with a one suited hand almost obsolete. This style means that T/O doubles are defined to mean a two or 3 suited hand. This treatment also affects our overcalls. If overcalls have defense , they tend to be one suited hands.

Given this style of overcalling , Rodwell/Meckstroth have come up with something they call “Minimum Equal Level Conversion” for T/O doubles. This understanding allows some flexibility with off shape take out doubles . In fact , T/O doubles with only the majors or two suits is the better & more frequent bid with this conversion understanding. You need equal level conversion to inform partner that you only have two suits rather than three suits after your double. One suited hands are not possible after you double for T/O.

Matchpoint players do not like this style of T/O doubles , as they prefer a double to show all 3 unbid suits for accuracy in partials. Accuracy with partials is so very important in Matchpoints. IMP players realize getting to major suit games is their goal , so T/O doubles are defined as showing either two suits or 3 suits. If the T/O double is two suits , they must be both majors after a minor opener or the other major & a minor after a major opener. We add an additional requirement in that you must have quick tricks for a double as with soft values you would have chosen an overcall or toy instead.

Doubling first & converting to your own suit showed a good hand in standard bidding. As Kiz Fung says , good hands can take care of themselves. You can always jump to another level or Q bid with a good hand , so use equal level conversion as a scrambling bid. Far more useful.

The rank of suits enters the picture with equal level conversion. With equal length suits you bid up the line. Say you had 5-4 in the majors with a decent hand. Partner doubles , so you Q bid showing the majors but partner bids the other minor instead. You now bid 3♠ so since you bypassed the lower ranking major , you must have 5 of them. This is a standard inference , if you do not bid up the line.

It goes 1♥ to your right and you hold

A	x	A	x
K	x	J
x	x	10
x		x
		x

Do you overcall 2♦ & lose the spade suit when they jam in hearts ? Do you overcall on your 4 card spade suit & lose your possible diamond contract ? Rodwell/Meckstroth recommend doubling & when partner bids 2♣ or 3♣ if pushed there competitively make an equal level conversion to diamonds. This does not show extra as you stayed at the same level . To show a diamond rock you would have to go to another level .

This allows Rodwell/Meckstroth to solve the age old 6-4 problem of whether to overcall or make a takeout double. With diamonds you can always double with 6-4’s holding the other major because pulling partners club bid to diamonds is an equal level conversion and does not show extra. With the club suit you are still forced to overcall clubs rather than double with your 6-4.

With 5-4 in the majors & a good 5 suit it is always been better to overcall your 5 card suit rather then double . Not any more. Sometimes though this jams you out of your heart/spade fit & might even miss game . Equal level conversion to the rescue .

A	A	x	x
K	J	x
x	10	x
x	x
	x

One diamond to your right , so you are normally forced to overcall a heart. Now you can double & pull 2♣ to 2♥ . Equal level conversion does not show extra so partner knows you have 5/4♥ & 4♠ with a minimum. If you are that strong so you can not overcall a heart , up the level after doubling.

You overcall a spade with a minimum 5-4 of a minor & major so you hit partner with ♠x ♥Qxxxx ♦xx ♣Axxxx who passes or passes a lot of similar hands in competitive auctions . You are jammed out of your 4♥ games. Some hands you make +140 in hearts & –200 in spade contracts. This is just a matter of frequency of hands . It is far more frequent to hold these type of hands, than a hand too strong to make an overcall. You get fixed with these type of hands more frequently.

The auction goes 1♣ , you have ♠A10xxx ♥QJxx ♦Kx ♣Ax so do you overcall or double ? This is easy as the spade suit “buries” the heart suit more often than not. In addition, your spade suit is nothing to write home about. Anyway if you do overcall , partner leaps to 3NT with ♠Q ♥K109x ♦Qx ♣KQJ10xx so you lose 10 IMPS as +450 in hearts as opposed to –100 in 3NT with a diamond lead. A T/O double instead, you are in 4♥ in one bid.

Equal level conversion is handy in combating pre-empts. I had a hand in my Masters Solvers Club where you held ♠Qxx ♥Axx ♦xxx ♣Jxxx . The auction goes 3♦-X-P-? . Most of the panel bid 3♥ & I gave the main reason for a 3 heart bid is that we play minimum level conversion. Partner has ♠AJxxx ♥KQx ♦x ♣AKxx so as he converts at the same level , he is not showing any extra. Over the 3♠ bid partner bids 4♠ so a very nice +620 results. Equal level conversion really shines when the opponents jam you at the 3 level. 1♦-P-3♦-X ♠xx ♥KQx ♦xxx ♣Qxxxx Partner has ♠AKxx ♥Axxxx ♦xx ♣Ax for his double with you bidding 3♥ . This brings 4♥ and +620. Change partners hand to ♠AKxx ♥Axx ♦x ♣K10xxx ,he bids an equal ( 3 level ) conversion to 3♠. This shows spades & clubs with just a tolerance for hearts. You now leap to 5♣ so +600 results . Say you held ♠xx ♥KQxxx ♦xxx ♣Qxx on the same auction. You return to 4♥ so that makes. You only lose on auctions where 3♥ precisely makes but the doubler is allowed way more freedom , if he is allowed to convert at the 3 level as a grope for the best spot.

Equal level conversion is a must in the balancing chair especially against suicide weak twos. You bend over backwards to double in the balancing spot in order to catch them speeding. However , what if they escape , so you have to scramble to the best spot. Equal level conversion is scrambling. If you switch suits at the same level it is saying simply , I do not have that suit nor do I have extra. Equal level conversion is necessary playing negative double theory when your re-opening doubles are also off shape to catch speeders.

Kiz Fung brought up a good point playing equal level conversion in the balancing spot. For the purpose of equal level conversion any bid over NT at the higher level is considered “equal level” conversion. The auction goes

1♥-P-P-X

P-1NT-P-? any bid at the two level is to play , not showing extra. You jump or Q bid to show a good hand. You are just improving the 1NT partial after a balancing bid ( scrambling ) . Kiz actually held ♠AJxxx ♥Kx ♦KQx ♣Axx so a 2NT raise is warranted. Partner bids 3NT with ♠Qx ♥J987 ♦Jx ♣KQJxx . There is no reason to try for a major suit game , as there may be danger of heart ruffs or a 10 trick game may be just too high . If partner has soft values in hearts as advertised ♥Q10xx or ♥QJxx you want to be in 3NT anyway.

Given our style of strong overcalls and frequent doubles to get in there or balance , Minimum Equal Level Conversions make sense to the coach … Does it make sense to Stan , Tom , BJ , Pitbulls ?