Sunday, September 17, 2006 7:58 PM

Hand Evaluation – Extended Snapdragon

PITBULLS:

Those players fully committed to D.S.I.P. doubles now have a further competitive advantage. Bridge theorists have expounded on the value of fit showing jumps. Descriptive fit showing jumps makes bidding easier & more accurate by identifying the fit & showing where you live . We have discussed a version of Snapdragon doubles where there is only one unbid suit , therefore a double shows the unbid suit with support for partners suit. In effect , the double replaces a fit showing jump when partner overcalls.

What if there are two unbid suits ? I think you can use an unusual NT bid to describe the two unbid suits without a fit for partner. 2NT is never natural anyway so replaces the responsive double after an overcall. A D.S.I.P. double , rather than being defined as responsive to an overcall , should key off the higher ranking unbid suit while showing support for partners suit. What this does is free the natural bid to deny support for partner . This treatment also frees the jumps to all overcalls as splinters. The double is also handy when the rank of their suit has taken away your Q bid .

Here are some examples : ♠Axxxxx ♥x ♦K10x ♣Q10x 1♥-2♦-3♥-X shows the higher ranking suit (spades) & a fit for partner. You now have the inference that 3♠ directly does not promise diamonds.

♠KJxxxx ♥Kxx ♦Kxx ♣x 1♣-1♥-3♣-X

♠Ax ♥AQJ9x ♦109x ♣xxx 1♠-2♣-2♠-X

♠Kxx ♥Q10xxxx ♦Kx ♣Qx 1♠-2♣-2♠-X

♠xxx ♥KQxxx ♦Kxxx ♣x 1♣-1♠-2♣-X

My partner & I had a hand against the Cabays vul vrs nv . 1♠ by Lisa, a vul 2♥ overcall by partner followed by 2♠ by Stan nv . I held ♠xx ♥J9x ♦KQxxx ♣Axx so I was too strong to bid 3♥ but not strong enough to Q bid 3♠ forcing to game. I chose a double , Lisa passed which allowed us to find our secondary diamond fit which we played doubled in 5♦ for +750. What if Lisa jammed the auction to 4♠ ? The initial double saying I have the higher ranking suit diamonds with a heart fit describes my hand at the two level. Partner can make an informed competitive decision when Lisa bids 4♠ & bid 5♦ which again gets doubled. I like it !!