Monday, May 21, 2007 12:43 AM

Hand Evaluation – Partnership ( Undo’s )

PITBULLS:

In a partnership game like Bridge , it is considered your duty to describe your hand correctly the first time . By doing this , you do not have to make up for lost time by trying to correct your previous error. Undo’s are not allowed in Bridge ! Partner was informed correctly the first time so is now privy to the decision making process. A Tormentee held this hand ♠Axx ♥Kxxx ♦Axxx ♣xx & I opened one spade. Her RHO overcalled 2♣ so holding 11 HCP , rich in controls & shortage in the opponents suit , she bid 2♠ which shows 6-8 points in support of spades. Partner will pass 2♠ with ♠KJxxxx ♥Ax ♦Kx ♣xxx where +650 is cold or bid 4♠ with ♠KJxxxx ♥Ax ♦Kx ♣Axx where +1460 has a good chance. When the opponents competed later in the auction , she competed again to 3♠ thinking that somehow that would right the wrong of the first bid. This is called “St Albert” bidding . Of course , she had a 3♣ Q bid the first time around. Do your duty of describing your hand correctly when you have the first opportunity to do so. 3♠ was passed out making 5 for +200.

♠AKQx ♥K ♦KJ109xx ♣Kx so you open 1♦ . Partner responds 1♥ & you have 19 HCP with a nice 6-4 playing hand. Do your duty the 1^st time around so you do not have to make up for it later. You bid 2♠ and partner is put in the picture immediately about your 19 HCP. In Calgary , I bid 2♠ so partner with ♠J10 ♥A109xxx ♦void ♣AQ98x now was in a position to control the auction. He bid 3♣ so I bid 3NT spelling a misfit with a reluctance to support hearts. Partner now could see the misfit from his side of the table , so he passed & we played a 30 HCP 3NT making +630. At the other table , they rebid 1♠ so when partner forced to game with 2♣ , she never had described her 19 HCP. Consequently , she took control & drove the hand to 6NT for –200 . She left partner out of the picture because she did not show her strength initially to her partner. Bridge is a partnership game. Taking control to make up for lost time hardly every works.

In St Albert , you make hopelessly wrong bids initially & spend the rest of the auction trying to “right the wrong”. Since Bridge is a partnership game , partner becomes totally lost. It simply does not work as partner remembers your first bid. In real Bridge , there is no “undo’ button.