Monday,
November 25, 2002 10:15 PM
Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( No response )
PITBULLS:
When partner fails to respond ,
openers rebids take on a new meaning . Jump bids are still invitational but
instead of the 16 HCP range they are even stronger .
In rubber bridge ,
Lorna held ♠AKQJx ♥Kxxx ♦xx ♣AK and opened 1♠ . Peter Jones doubled , partner passed & RHO bid 2♥ . Now what ? There is no
right bid so Lorna chose
3♠ . This is not
your normal 3♠ bid as partner has
passed so could hold absolutely nothing . If you had a
normal 3 spade bid , you would just make a free bid of
2♠ . There is no reason to bid 3♠ just with your
invitational range hand opposite a passing partner. A double of 2♥ should be a strong
hand with shortness in hearts. A Q
bid is ambiguous so will get clarified later by partner. In lieu of not making
a double, the Q bid should be very distributional .
A
jump shift will be very heavy
opposite a passed hand also . Bottom range jump shifts
will probably just be described by bidding your second suit .
On favourable vulnerability ,
you can operate & not have your values with 2 suited hands but your intention
is a tactical bid.
Bids
of 2NT and 3NT should never be made on just HCP values opposite a passing partner . They will always be based on “playability” i.e.
some sort of semi-solid or solid minor . If you have your flat 19 HCP
just double . Bidding 2NT could be suicide vul opposite nothing as your dummy .
Same
theory when the opponents overcall & partner passes .
You have a flat 18 HCP with values in the opponents suit .
You open a minor , LHO bids 1♠ and around to you .
1NT describes your hand & 2NT is again bid on “playability” . Partner will raise to 3NT with a trick
.
With
negative doubles you bend
over backwards to double with good hands when the overcall gets
around to you . So what do jump bids mean ? These are distributional one suiters or two suiters not
suitable to play a one level contract doubled
if partner is so inclined. Say the auction went
1♥
1♣ pass
? pass
♠KQ1098 ♥void ♦xx ♣AKJ1098 Although I have only 13 HCP I would reopen with a
jump to 2♠ . Why
?
We have a 2♥ bid available for
even a stronger 2 suiter & a 1♠ bid for a weak 2 suiter so these type of hands should be shown by jumping. Partner is highly likely to be
on a good hand with a heart trap
so if there is any chance for slam , you have to make
some encouraging noise.
As I have mentioned previously , we hate
Michaels bids in the balancing
spot . Opposite passing partners or a “trapped” partner , we prefer the Q bid to show a good distributional hand that is unsuitable for
partners conversion to a penalty pass. You double with your
distributional monster , partner passes so its too late
to get your bid back . Sure you beat 1♦ doubled for 300 but
you also make 1430 in your major . Do not give your partner a chance to screw up with
those hands . With Michaels hands ,
you can choose one suit & bid it . If it is a strong Michaels
, the Q bid works well anyway .