Wednesday, June 07, 2006 2:42 AM

Hand Evaluation - Passed Hand ( Leeway )

PITBULLS:

The reason for discipline in Bridge is very obvious. Bridge is a partnership game so opening with no defensive tricks , or lack of values will cause partner to go wrong in her decision making. Suicide pre-empts will bring partner down with you as well as psyches in 1^st or 2^nd chair. Pre-empting with outside stuff will cause partner to go wrong. Poor overcalls at the one or two level when partner is not a passed hand will get partner far more often than the opponents. Of course , you already know that this style of Bridge is only for terrorists so what am I getting at ?

Jerry Marshall & Hendrick Sharples have two convention cards . One for when they are vulnerable & one for when they are not. I do not subscribe to that but I do turn from disciplined player to non disciplined player when partner is a passed hand. Partner being a passed hand gives you something to work with. She will average around 7 HCP with a low of zero to a high of 12 . This means that you can turn into an undisciplined player & work on the opponents’ minds. Partner will not punish you when you open light for a lead . Partner will not punish you when you pre-empt with outside stuff . Your side will not get hurt too badly if you make a tactical bid or an outright psyche as long as partner is a passed hand.

OK back to the two convention card concept. ♠AKQxx ♥xxx ♦xxx ♣xx in 1^st & 2^nd seat this is a pass. In 3^rd seat the above hand is an opening bid. ♠x ♥AKxxxxx ♦AKx ♣xx when partner is still an unknown is a 1♥ opener. In 3^rd seat , I open 4♥ as slam is remote so if the opponents enter the fray at the 4 level , I will make an action double to allow partner to make a decision. I hold ♠QJ10xx ♥KJx ♦xxx ♣xx, they open 1♥. I overcall if partner is a passed hand otherwise I pass. My two level overcalls change when partner is a passed hand. ♠xxx ♥xxx ♦x ♣AKJ10xx is a 3♣ pre-empt when partner has yet to be heard from. If partner is a passed hand , I overcall 2♣. This gets in the lead & may confuse the declarer on the location of cards when & not if they buy the auction.

Partner being a passed hand with the appropriate vulnerability, gives me the opportunity to try tactical bids. My style is now prevent defense to hinder the opponents as partner has told me what kind of HCP strength they have with her pass. Partner will never jump to game to make & will always Q bid first to allow leeway. Partner will not make “enforcer “ penalty doubles when I am bidding opposite a passed hand. This is the “prevent defense” way of thinking when it is obvious to the table that they own or could own the auction.

What if I have real overcalls or bids when partner is a passed hand ? These hands get clarified with D.S.I.P. competitive doubles or Q bids later. If the opponents sound strong , it is because they are !! Partner must “sniff the air” & use D.S.I.P. competitive doubles herself if she wants to compete again. Otherwise , just let them play their contract. Partner being a passed hand has limited bidding rights. Subash went as far as telling partners they were not allowed to bid if he was operating in 3^rd seat with his pre-empts or light openers. A little drastic but you get the message.