Saturday, January 06, 2007 12:35 AM

Hand Evaluation - Playing the Vulnerability ( Pre-empts )

PITBULLS:

Playing the vulnerability is a Standard Bridge tactic. I would go as far as saying it is a hand evaluation skill. Your bids do change depending on the vulnerability. Partner has been trained to give you leeway on the terrorist vulnerability & take you for your values on all the others. When the opponents pre-empt how does this strategy work ? Again partner allows you to get in earlier on the terrorist vulnerability because sacrifices are way more common. In fact , if you do not come in early you may have to take a single handed sacrifice later & leave partner out of the picture.

You have ♠AKQJxx ♥xx ♦xxx ♣Qx , they open 3♥ . This hand is not strong enough to come into the fray at the 3 level if you are vulnerable or if both sides are nv. On the terrorist vulnerability this is a clear cut 3♠ overcall. Why ? because partner will not punish you on this vulnerability so a 4♠ sacrifice might be excellent against their vul 4♥ game. Leeway is standard thinking on the terrorist vulnerability.

Say you do pass , they bid 4♥ vul so back around to you. Now you must make a single handed decision for the partnership. If you guess wrong & go for –300 or worse against a +100 it is a double digit IMP disaster. Is it not better to overcall light initially & bring partner into the picture ? . It turns out partner has two defensive tricks so after a 3♠ overcall will just let them play it there for +100.

Your choice of pre-empting is totally vulnerability & seat dependent. Partner will always look at the table position & vulnerability for hand evaluation purposes. Do not pre-empt with a good hand 1^st or 2^nd seat & nv vrs vul. You will get partner every time. You hold ♠Jx ♥KJ109 ♦KQ109xx ♣J so you are in 1^st seat nv vrs vul. Pre-empting with this hand is declaring open season on partner. In another chair or another vulnerability ( vul vrs not ) partner has a chance but in this scenario partner has no chance . He chose to bid 3NT rather than look for the magical slam based on the vulnerability & seat position. In other words , he gave partner leeway knowing that she would not hold this type of hand nv vrs vul in 1^st seat. On this vulnerability open 1♦ & let partner have some say.

Bridge is a partnership game. The more times you just guess & leave partner out of the decision , the more times you will be in trouble. Bid the vulnerability , when the partnership is prepared for it ! Stay disciplined with opening bids , pre-empts & overcalls on the other vulnerabilities when partner is prepared to believe you rather than the opposition !!