Thursday,
September 02, 2004 12:13 AM
Hand
Evaluation -
Partnership ( Lack of Discipline )
PITBULLS:
Bridge is a partnership game .
In order to get the best results , you build up a rapport of trust with your partner by showing self
discipline. . After a while partner will gain confidence in your bidding style & act accordingly.
In competitive auctions , partner will be believed rather than the opponents . Self
discipline shows up in 5 main areas of partnership Bridge . Opening bids , pre-empts
, overcalls , penalty doubles &
respecting vulnerability. Lack of discipline in these areas are
single handed actions which remove partner
from the decision making process. The whole complexion of the game of Bridge changes when
decisions are just single handed gambling . Partner
just becomes the 3rd opponent. Masterminding
by not bidding your hand
or not inviting
because you are solely making the decision for the partnership lacks Bridge
discipline.
Opening non openers without
the required quick tricks is the worst form of lack of discipline. The
“semi-psyche” is the worst bid possible because the bid gets partner many more times than hurting
the opponents. It usually results in a doubled
contract making , a slam going down or a very bad game going down many tricks. It erodes partnership confidence so partner
has an extra decision
to make. Does partner really have an opening bid this time ? The adjustments that must
be made in case partner does not have a bid , causes bad decisions.
It’s the little boy “crying wolf” concept. You end up saying false alarm so tend not
to believe partner’s openers. A blatant psyche is better than a semi-psyche because the opponents as well as partner can be fooled
so maybe you might gain something.
However ,
psyches are destructive to
the partnership also. Modern bidders are arrogant thinking
that they style of making them guess ( including
partner) is some new tactical strategy. It is not. For most of the years
that Bridge has been played , they were called psyches. Psyches make them
guess also but what a silly undisciplined way of playing the game. Taking partner out of the bidding equation right from the onset is
good tactical strategy ??????.
I have seen people open ♠KQ109x
♥Qx ♦KJxx ♣xx
, ♠Qx ♥AQJxx ♦x ♣Jxxxx & even ♠Q ♥QJx ♦KQxxxx ♣Kxx all for bad
results . In the 1st hand partner held a huge hand &
bid a ridiculous 6NT which goes two down doubled.
The 2nd hand was “opened” also , the
opponents got doubled in 3♠ making when partner held
12 HCP. The last hand was a mini-disaster at one table & a disaster at the
other. Both tables opened the hand , at one table they got too high & went one down in
5♦ for a –230 blow .
The other table 4♠ was doubled by
partner with 14 HCP’s & 2 1/2 defensive tricks but received –790 for her
efforts. Opening these hands means that you do not understand the game of Bridge or if you do , you just have no self discipline. You do not care how partner interprets your “opener”. What is common in all 3 of these
:”non openers” ? They all have only 1 ½ defensive tricks which fooled partner. Partner cannot use his
judgment in competitive auctions , penalty doubles ,
game or slam bidding because there might be a non opener over there. The dreaded semi-psyche.
In IMP matches , analyze your bad results.
I would hazard a guess that most of them can be traced back to a bad decision
at opening bid time.
A
recent example that is almost comical . A local good
player opened his terrible collection of queens & jacks that added up to 12
HCP, 1♥ vul The hand was so bad ( 5-3-3-2 ) that it only had
one defensive trick. Anyway , a competitive auction ensued so partner made a reasonable
competitive decision to bid 3♥ with an Ace , 7 HCP
& 3 trump. The opponents doubled , converted for
penalty so they went for –800 . They lamented they were “fixed” by the opponents double
instead of the non opener !! Talk about taking rationalization
to a new level !
Tom Gandolfo held ♠Q ♥Qxxx ♦Kxxxx ♣AQx so in first seat he passed. If he opened & I responded 1♠ he would have had to
rebid 1NT which Tom did not like very much. Tom’s hand lacked controls & a good rebid so he
decided to pass. The novice players who we were playing against were incredulous that he
passed the hand ( 13 HCP) . They just use an abacus , add up their queens & jacks . When the total
reaches 11+ , they open. Tom replied to them that even
passed hands get to game
as we got to +450 in hearts after a light 3rd seat opener. The hand
actually is easier to describe as
a passed hand . I open 1♠ , Tom can bid 2♦ . I make a rebid , Tom can bid hearts or
right side the 3NT with the AQx of clubs.
Overcalls
are another area where a lack of discipline rears its ugly head. I actually
heard a decent player saying that he would
overcall a weak 2♠ with 3♣ with this hand ♠xx ♥AKQ ♦Axx ♣Jxxxx . He said he had
“compensating HCP’s” which justifies this bid.
3♣ is atrocious for many reasons. One is you
hand the opponents an opportunity to hit a home run by doubling you. You have
enough outside cards so that cannot make anything so that seals the deal for them . The next reason is that Bridge is a game of suits. When you overcall at the
two level you are announcing to partner that you have a decent suit. Surprise
partner , I do not have a suit so your decision is
wrong ! I mislead you because I
have “compensating values” .
Pre-empts are the next worst offender to erode the partnership
aspect of the game of Bridge. In fact with undisciplined pre-empts you are
sending a message to partner that he does not exist. You are vul
with ♠xx ♥xxxxxx ♦Axx ♣Axx so first seat you open a weak 2♥ . It might mislead
partner but it might screw up the opponents. The urge to get the opponents is stronger than the discipline needed to assist partner in these auctions. If they
get to 3NT , partner leads the Kx
of spades , unlucky. You go for a
tremendous set vul you are also unlucky. I watched a player make a horrendously bad
pre-empt tonight. Partner was not a passed hand , the
auction went 1♦-3♥ with ♠KJ ♥J109xxxx ♦A ♣xxx . Again you have “compensating values” to make up
for your lack of heart cards right ? No , you have just insulted partner. How can he make any
decision at all if you make such a filthy bid. He can
never read you for 1 ½ defensive tricks
outside the heart suit. You
may go for a number with enough defense so that the
opponents cannot make anything.
You may miss a vul game because partner cannot read
you for such outside strength.
Partner might make a pseudo sacrifice
not expecting the outside cards. This is
just single handed undisciplined
destructive bidding. How can I misdescribe
my hand the most , so that partner has no idea what’s
going on ? Opening pre-empts when you do not have a pre-empt is single handed and insults a good partner &
shows no discipline. ♠x ♥AKQxxx ♦AQxx ♣xx in 1st seat vul vrs not you open 4♥. This is an insulting bid. You could be cold for 7♦ , 1♥ , 3NT or whatever.
Partner does not even exist.
Penalty doubles are the most single handed
bid in Bridge. You double them when you
feel that they are too high. Did partner have her say
on the matter ? Probably not ,
so another mindless gamble whether
you are getting a top or bottom. Reckless balances & entering auctions you
have no right to be in is obviously undisciplined. Going for 1400 against –170 is
so much fun.
Lack
of discipline is “not taking your fix” & ignoring
the vulnerability. You hold ♠Kx ♥AKQx ♦xxx ♣KJ109 , they open 2♠
to your left nv vrs vul . They bid 4♠ to your right so what do you do ? You spade king just got downgraded & you are vul vrs nv. Discounting the spade king you have a flat 13 HCP’s. You double so partner tries 5♥ which goes for 500
against their 420. Unlucky or undisciplined ?
A
wise player once said “anybody can bray like a Jackass” .
Lack of discipline is just that . It is not being aggressive , or tough to play against or
“modern bidding “ or any other silly rationalization.
It’s just a single
handed undisciplined style of playing Bridge which insults a good partner. A pro
playing with a client makes all these bids. Why ? , because he has no respect for
partner so the result
justifies the means. Like tossing a coin , you
may win or you may lose. Bridge is above
that as it is a partnership game .
Unless of course , you destroy partner by a lack
of discipline. Bridge is not just Casino like gambling . The partnership element
along with the language of bidding is supposed to reduce the gambling aspect
common in other endeavours. Bridge is above all this single handed nonsense.
Like
handling a drunk who wants to drive, undisciplined players
on your teams must have their keys taken away. Undisciplined players undermine the partnership & the team. They become a time
bomb where it is just a matter of time before they will explode & destroy
the team. At least Ray Grace says it with a touch of humour , I hate discipline he says J.