Wednesday,
December 03, 2003 10:57 AM
Hand
Evaluation - Misfit Auctions
PITBULLS:
Identifying
a misfit auction is a hand evaluation concept in Bridge. Recognizing a
misfit auction , changes the meanings of your bids. 1♦-P-1♠-? Is not a misfit auction as either one of them
can have a diamond or spade fit. Therefore , experts
define 2♦ & 2♠ by your side as natural bids.
What if the auction went 1♠/1♦-P-1NT
? 2♦ & 2♠ are Michaels bids & not natural. Why enter a misfit auction
in their suit ? A 1NT response denies a fit
in the opening bid suit generally. Let
the opponents play the misfits.
Misfit auctions determine the meaning of your penalty doubles . If they indicate a misfit (
bidding NT ) or otherwise , doubles of their NT bid tend to be penalty ( balancing ) . In non
misfit auctions , doubles tend to be T/O or
competitive. The over/under rule is handy when misfit auctions are involved. A
misfit for them quite often means a misfit for your side.
Do not double or enter a misfit auction
directly without extra. “Shapely
doubles” do not apply in misfit auctions.
Partner will convert your double more often
than not so your side is in trouble. The most common example is doubling a
forcing NT in the sandwich position. Partner converts for penalty & they
run. The fact that they are running turn on forcing
passes so you are now pretty well forced to double their escape
even though you have a minimum for your initial bid .
They wrap the contract doubled. I call this the “Cohen symptom” . Your urge to compete over rides Bridge basics like
entering misfit auctions without the
required strength. Cohen feels that competing is Bridge is above all else in Bridge like lead
directing suits , partnership discipline & entering misfit auctions. Simply not true.
Bridge
bidding is “give & take” . When your style is to compete to the maximum something else has to give. Lead
directing suits for your overcalls vul vrs not , having your values vulnerable for
your double , playing the vulnerability property & proper risk
taking. Over competing is a synonym for bad bidding ( single handed )
& is tailored for matchpoints & weak fields. Too much of a “good
thing” ( competing ) quite often turns out to be a bad
thing. Losing partnership trust is a very bad thing & erodes partnership
effectiveness. Misfits are for the opponents to
play not for us competing.
There are some standard misfit auctions that should be
understood thoroughly by established partnerships because meanings of bids change. The most common one is where opener has bid two suits with partner holding the other two. In these auctions
, invitational bids by responder
do not exist . Responder is
forced to give some sort of preference
to openers bid suits with hands in the invitational
or weak range.
1♦-P-1♠-P
2♣-P-? ♠Kxxxx ♥AJxxx ♦xx ♣x partner should just
give preference to diamonds. Holding 9 or more cards in the minors , opener is not interested in your major invites. 2♥ is a game force in most
cases artificial. The godfather 2NT ( invitation you can’t refuse) helps out in
these misfit auctions . If opener just rebids her minor , you can get away with
a 2♥ bid as a one round force.
This is because there is still hope for a fit. The first auction is misfit spelled out big time. Same
distribution & add HCP’s to responders hand , I
would bid the godfather 2NT before ever bidding 2♥. ♠KQxxx ♥AQxxx ♦xx ♣x is a 2NT bid & not 2♥ in a misfit auction. Opener will “pattern out” if she has a decent hand
after the godfather 2NT so you will find you major fit that way
. Recognize your misfit early.
A 2♥ bid is a game force ( 4th suit )
so 3♥ is a splinter for one of the minors in a misfit auction.
Another
misfit auction 1♥-P-1♠-P
2♣-P-?
What is 2♦ , 3♦ , 4♦ and 5♦ ?
2♦ is easy as that is 4th
suit forcing to game . Can not have an invitational bid in responders suits opposite a misfit , so 3♦ is a splinter implying club support. 4♦ is exclusion Blackwood implying clubs . So what is 5♦ ? Partner has bypassed
4♠ so she is not interested in spade preference.
Probably a freakish hand with very long diamonds , not enough to force to game originally. 2NT
is the godfather 2NT an invitation you cannot refuse when you play that
understanding.
Things
are different with the semi-misfit auctions.
These are defined as openers one suiters opposite responders two suits. Opener rebids a suit , you have the two
other suits. There is still hope
for a fit on these auctions so invitational
bids by responder apply.
A jump by responder in her second suit is invitational probably
5-5. On an auction where partner rebids
her minor , the other
minor is forcing to game & may show a big hand with a
preference. The auction
1♦/♣-P-1♠-P
2♦/♣-P-2♥
should be discussed . Since
3♥ is invitational , 2♥ should be natural & forcing one round. A strong hand in the majors or a weak two suiter hoping for a preference. If partner does not
give preference , the auction dies at 3 of her minor.
If
you have agreed to play “ recovering the SJS” by responder , A jump rebid by responder ( own
suit ) is a strong hand with a good suit in any auction.
We do not need these
jumps as invitational as a simple rebid is invitational since we play direct
jumps by responder after a minor opener as a WJS. With the majors opened , we have the 2/1 non forcing to game to handle the
invitational hands.
Quite often on these hands , responder must bid the godfather 2NT ( one round
force ) instead of 2♥ with invitational
hands with the majors. Opener must help with these auctions out by choosing to
rebid 1NT initially instead of 2
of a minor with the appropriate
hands. Partner should go as far as rebidding
1NT with a stiff spade as there are far more sophisticated systemic
ways to stop in a partial after that rebid. My
guideline for 1NT rebids on a stiff spade is predicated on where my points are located . If the points are well dispersed
, I rebid 1NT. If they are concentrated
in my two minors , that’s what I bid .
My partners & I have a
special understanding in one specific auction. After a club opener
& rebid with
a spade response , 2 hearts is allowed
to be passed. We can get away with this ,
due to a 2♦ bid available as a “forcing
noise”. The 2♦ bid can cover the
game forcing heart hands. We have no such
agreement after a diamond opener
& rebid . With a spade response
, 2♥ is a one round force & 3♣ a game force. The
3♣ bid is considered as “4th suit forcing” so may show strong
diamond support.
The style of rebidding NT with all balanced hands help identify misfits.
This means after partner opens a minor & rebids a major naturally
, you have 9 or more of those cards identified. With misfits , you need more HCP’s to make game or slam so
putting on the breaks is in order. You have ♠Kxx ♥AKxxx ♦Kxxx ♣K , partner opens 1♣. You respond
1♥
& partner bids a spade. What has this auction told you ?
You have 9 red cards & partner has shown 9 black cards. You are 3-1 in her suits & partner has 4
or less cards in your suits. Time to bid 3NT as the
chances of slam are remote with no fit so if slam is in the cards, partner will
bid over 3NT as that bid shows 15-17.
Identifying misfits
is one of the most important hand
evaluations in Bridge. You use patterns
when the opponents are in the bidding to get a “lie of the land”. The most
basic axiom in Bridge is if there is a misfit , let
the opponents play the hand
preferably doubled. “Fools rush in where
experts fear to tread” ,
where misfit auctions are concerned. The most
obvious example of misfits is when the opponents overcall & you hold their
suit. They overcall 2♣ , most of your hand
consists of ♣AJxx
of their suit. This holding brings out the pass card especially if they are vul & you are not. XYZ identifies
misfits at the one level very well with responders 2♣ bid keeping
invitational hands at the 2 level.
They are vul , you are not & partner opens 1♣. They overcall 1♥ , you make a negative double with ♠Axxx ♥xx ♦KQx ♣Qxxx
. LHO passes & partner bids 1NT . They bid
2♦
so what do you bid ? Use the opponents & patterns to
determine your bid. Partner bidding 1NT is the first indication of a misfit hand. RHO has advertised 10 red
cards so where are the black cards ? Before the
opponents bid , supporting clubs might have
been a good idea. However,
this is a misfit with probably
9 or 10 black cards to your left. Let the opponents play this one & double.
You were right as LHO had 5 clubs & 4 spades , so
LHO goes for 800 against nothing. Again , another
valuable use of thinking in patterns.
Identifying misfits !.