Tuesday, September 02, 2003 2:36 AM

Hand Evaluation – Suits ( Jump Bids )

 

PITBULLS:

 

The original inventers of Bridge thought that it was a good idea that jumping in a suit should be “quantitative” , in other words , show more then average HCP’s & definitely better than making a simple rebid . This concept applies with rebids , overcalls , responses to take out doubles , balances , jump rebids after 2/1 & jump rebid responses . Modern bidding is an “approach forcing” system. What does this mean ? This means that whenever responder bids a new suit ,  it is forcing.  Before “approach forcing” became in vogue , you had to jump to force. Strong jump shifts by responder , strong jump preferences & jumps after 2/1 bidding were needed to force & show a good hand.

 

            The modern style means jumps or fast arrival to game should mean something altogether different from strength. In a 2/1 auction , since it is forcing to game , a jump in a suit does not show strength but suit quality. I like to generalize & play all jumps in a suit to show good suit quality rather than strength. Jumps to a new suit in a 2/1 auction are splinters. Jumps to 3NT show specifically hands that evaluate to a strong NT. Fast arrival to game in a Q bidding auction or otherwise says I have nothing extra but more importantly, I lack a control to Q bid.

 

            We disagree with the strict adherence  that jumping should be quantitative & show a good hand with HCP’s in all Bridge auctions.  As Garozzo say “Bridge is a game of suits “ . Suit quality & length are far more important attributes to show than HCP’s for partner to make an informed decision . Taking each situation in turn . A jump rebid according to standard methods is invitational 16-18 HCP . I think a better way of handling those one suited major suit hands at the top level of HCP’s  is a 3♣ rebid which always forces partner to bid 3♦ . You now bid 3♠/♥ which says I have lots of points but my suit is not so good . This leaves 3NT or other game contracts possible. The suit could be good but not necessarily as you might have leapt to 4 of a major after the 3♦ relay.  I think the direct 3♠ jump should just show a good or long suit with a good opener .  ♠AKQxxx ♥Axx ♦xx ♣xx  is a 3♠ rebid not a 2♠ rebid as is ♠AJ109xxx ♥AQ10 ♦Qx ♣x . Suit quality & length are more important hand evaluation concepts than HCP’s for a jump rebid. If you do have a good suit with 16-18 HCP,  I feel it is too strong for an invitational bid anyway. There are other rebids other than a jump to show invitational hands with HCP’s. Bid a 3 card minor for instance with invitational values in HCP’s but lacking good suit quality.

 

            With opening bids & the opponents in the auction , jumps especially should not be strong in the HCP sense. You have the double to show HCP’s with defense & the Q bid to show a fit. Allow jump bids to show distribution & good suits. Goren & standard bidders do not have it quite right in my opinion. They over emphasize HCP’s at the expense of suit quality & distribution. Standard bidding is for HCP “bean counters”.

 

1♠-P-1NT

4♠                      is a silly way to show a 20 HCP spade hand.                        

 

1♦-P-1♠

4♠                      is also a silly way to show 20 HCP’s with a fit.  Jumps are “fast arrival” so it should show distribution or a long suit. Since you are pre-empting partner , you are not interested in slam.

 

            With overcalls you have many other choices ( belated doubles or Q bids ) to show good hands. Jumps should always be suit & length orientated. 

 

1♦-1♠-DBl-pass  

2♦-3♠.   The 3♠ jump bid hand should not show HCP strength but playing strength  ♠AKJ1098 ♥xx ♦Axxx ♣x  . If you have more HCP , you should overcall & double  to show the strength.

 

             

            Jumps in the balancing seat show intermediate hands with good suits not a HCP showing bid . 1♦-P-P-2♥        ♠xxx ♥AKQxxx ♦Q109 ♣x    is a 2♥ balance . If you are stronger in HCP’s with that suit , double &  bid hearts . A 3♥ balance is length & distribution so describes a hand that you would like to bid 4♥ but you need some help from partner.

 

            If partner has bid 2/1 or 4th suit forcing a jump rebid to show HCP’s is a waste of time and bidding space . Your jump should show a good suit but not necessarily extra HCP’s . ♠AKQJxx ♥Kxx ♦xx ♣xx  is a 3♠ rebid after a 2/1 . Ditto for 4th suit forcing auctions.

 

            With the minors , we like the fact that a jump rebid is quantitative 16-18 but you have an extra inference with which to work . A rebid of 3NT shows the solid suit with a good opener so a jump rebid in the minors can not show a good solid suit !!  2NT openers & 2NT rebids quite often can have a hand with a long minor too good to rebid 3 of a minor or 3NT.

 

            Jump rebids by responder should be suit orientated . In fact , recovering the strong jump shift in this manner makes the jump  a very useful bid .   1♣-P-1♦-P  ,  1♠-P-3♦    shows a solid suit with a game force. Ditto for jumps by responder in her suit after a 1NT rebid. Erase the notion that jumps in a suit shows HCP but rather they show a good long suit  with values. This will clarify many many auctions.  HCP’s are very over rated when compared to suit quality & length.

 

            My partner used this understanding recently with a good defensive hand. He held ♠AQx ♥x ♦Kxxx ♣AKxxx against the Cabays. He opened 1♣ , Stan bid 1♥ which I doubled. Lisa bid 2♠ which shows hearts & a stiff club in their system. Partner doubles showing a strong defensive hand rather that an offensive suit oriented hand. They bid 3♥ , pass around to partner who now bids 4♦ which I pass as I have some idea of the nature of his hand. We gain 12 IMPS as everybody is in 5♦X for 800 or 500. We play jump shift reverses as 6-5 so if he had a distributional hand at the top range he would have jumped to 4♦. Reserve jumps for suits & distribution & leave doubles for HCP’s.

 

            The hand evaluation concept that doubles show HCP’s with defensive strength & jumps show suits & distribution should define your bidding. Doubles are flexible & jumps to show suits or distribution paint a better picture of your hand. Ambiguity is horrible in the game of Bridge & jumps to show either a good hand with HCP’s or a good suit with distribution cannot co-exist. Jumps showing HCP’s are virtually eliminated from my system. The double has replaced jumps to show a defensive hand with HCP’s.

 

            Here is a hand that lost a K/O match in a 4 board overtime recently. 2♥-P-P-3♠   . The jump in the balancing chair shows a good distributional hand. Partners choice is to play a suit contract as she did not double first & then bid spades leaving the door open for NT or an alternative contract. So what do you bid with responders hand ♠xx ♥Q987 ♥10xxx ♣KQJ ? You should not be fixated on your own hand as partners intentions are to play a suit contract in spades. Why should you over rule her ? You bid 4♠ & win the match ( +620 ) rather than 3NT  ( -200 ) & lose the match