Sunday, November 23, 2003 6:55 PM

 

Hand Evaluation – Partnership Understandings

PITBULLS:

 

            Bidding judgment comes from years of experience playing the game. Sometimes it can just be a result of partnership understandings . Game tries are a good example of partnership understandings . I tend to cheat on my jump raises as opener ,  if I have a close decision .

 

1♦-P-1♠-P

3♠

                can be a little lighter then the Goren 16-18. I do this as opener so that partner does not feel obligated to be pushy with game tries with 10 HCP which quite often can lead to bad games & blown partials. The Cabays have a different partnership understanding. They can have a healthy simple major raise so responder is quite often obligated to make pushy game tries.

 

            In the recent Edmonton IMP pairs competition , Lisa held this hand ♠xxxx ♥x ♦Kxx ♣AQ10xx  & Stan open 1♥ . Lisa bid 1♠ & Stan raised to two spades. Lisa now made a game try despite a stiff in partners suit , weak trump & 9 HCP’s . She hit Stan with ♠Kxxx ♥Axxxx ♦AJ10 ♣K   15 HCP in controls & zero wasted in hearts so he bid game which made for 620 . We lost 8 IMPS as many pairs did not get to game. I would have stretched & bid 3♠ with Stan’s hand  initially, but they were on the same wavelength in accordance with their methods.

 

            Understandings on what constitutes a penalty double of 1NT is a partnership understanding . I held ♠KQJ9xx ♥xx ♦AKJx ♣x with everyone vul , RHO opened a strong NT . I doubled which shows a strong NT equivalent or a hand too strong to overcall. LHO passes , partner passes & the 1NT bidder redoubles which is alerted as systemic. I pass the redouble as does LHO . What do you do with ♠xxx ♥Kxxxx ♦xx ♣Qxx ? Giving your opponent some credit for holding some HCP’s,  they have clarified partners double for you. It can not be a flat 18 HCP type of hand , because the points around the table do not add up . It must be a good single suited double . You were willing to gamble 1NTx out as it is not game . The redouble changes the situation so you take out insurance in IMPS by bidding 2♣ . Partner bids 2♠ & they bid 3♣ which ends the auction. Looking at the results later , two pairs played it in 1NTXX making for 14 IMP losses for the doublers !!

 

            Opening light is a matter of Bridge judgment & partnership style. It is a well known “pigeon shooting “ tactic to open light all the time because there is a certain advantage in firing the first shot . Weaker players have more problems in bidding competitively because they have not yet built up all the requisite understandings. I only open light with a purpose . The suit must be good or I have quick tricks or a 5-5 or 6-4 distribution. I do not open flat hands just for the sake of opening light & “fool the opponents”. I pass bad 13’s & most flat 12 HCP hands. For example , I would not open ♠Qxxx ♥KJxx ♦Qxx ♣Ax .  Opening one diamond can not stand the opening lead or bidding competitively. A belated double can introduce my majors & I need an opening bid by partner to produce game . Yet I would open ♠xxx ♥x ♦Kxx ♣AK109xx as I have a suit with some defense with my controls. I would choose to pass ♠KQxxx ♥xx ♦KJ ♣K10xx as it is Ace less , the KJ is frozen & I have no spade spot cards. This hand is borderline ,  so I have no qualms if partner decides to open that one.

 

            Your attitude toward pre-empting should be a partnership understanding. My partnership understanding is that I do not have any outside controls with my 3 & 4 level pre-empts in 1st or 2nd seat. In 3rd & 4th seat my pre-empting is defined as an “adventure”. I have a partnership understanding that our pre-empts respect the vulnerability. On the terrorist vulnerability of us nv vrs them vul , we take liberties. Suit quality on 3 of the 4 vulnerabilities is disciplined. We do not play the “hope” system of hoping the opponents do not catch us speeding or that I find a good dummy.

 

            Your attitude towards overcalling should be a partnership agreement. Do you “play the vulnerability” when you overcall or will you overcall on anything or any suit just to get in the auction & impede them. Are your overcalls always lead directing or will you bid just because you have an “opening bid “ . Trapping & balancing are a partnership understanding. Is your style to get in there immediately or will you trap with their suit ? What are all your balancing understandings ? Partnership understandings are an important part of your system. Conventions are just the “tip of the iceberg”.