Wednesday, March 09, 2005 11:30 PM

Hand Evaluation – Dbls ( Rescuing & Correcting )

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Established partnerships need many many understandings re penalty doubles or penalty XX’s by the opponents. Try to glean as much information from their penalty double in order to rescue yourself or correct the contract. Remember their double means the auction is not over , you have a 2nd chance. One of the understandings is the pass when partner gets doubled. If it’s their auction with partner pre-empting , the other partner may back in with a suit that’s either a lead director or trying to find a cheaper sacrifice. The auction goes

 

 1♥-3♦-4♦-4♠

  P-P-P-X ?      & you have ♠x ♥xx ♦KQJxxxx ♣xxx  . This is a pull to 5♦ as its their auction so partner probably has a diamond fit . He was groping for a 4 level sacrifice but it did not work. ♠QJxxx ♥x ♦Axxx ♣QJ10 .

 

            A tormentee held this hand tonight ♠xxx ♥x ♦KQJ10xx ♣Qxx , the auction went 1NT ( 10-12 ) , they bid 2♣ so you bid 2♦ for a lead. Partner bids 2♥ which gets doubled so now what ? . Partner had a chance to overcall 2♥ but did not . Partner might be making a duplicate correction trying to find a major fit with tolerance for diamonds. Do you pass 2♥ x ? No , as it conveys the message that our side can play in that contract. Say you had ♠x ♥KJx ♦KQJxxx ♣Qxx  you should not have to redouble to tell partner that he has hit gold as the pass does the job nicely.

 

            Here is a more subtle auction for rescuing partner. The non vul RHO passes in 1st seat , you hold ♠KQ ♥Kxx ♦KQxx ♣KQJx & open 1♦ . You get a 3♠ non vul pre-empt so everyone passes around to you in the re-opening chair. You probably have a vul game but you do not know where yet. A 3NT balance would describe your hand as you are not very heart rich. Say you choose a double, partner bids 4♥ & RHO doubles . Partner is not bidding 4♥ vul with nothing. If he has just a scattering of HCP’s , he will pass 3♠ X & take his plus rather than go to the 4 level for a minus vulnerable. He is bidding 4♥ to make a vul game. Now what does the penalty double mean as a passed hand with partner just pre-empting ? It can only mean two things on this auction. Either a heart  trump stack or a stiff spade expecting a ruff. In either case , 4♥ doubled is not going to make. What about 4NT ? Partner bid 4♥ to make so he probably has HCP’s . You bid 4NT so that makes for +630 . 4♥X goes two down for –500 on two ruffs. Use the opponents to your advantage as their penalty doubles are telling you something !!

 

            Here is an another form of rescuing yourself with a hand held by a tormentee . You are playing against a forcing club system with ♠AKJx ♥A10x ♦xxx ♣xxx , decide to pass 1st round when they open their forcing 1♣. 1♦ to your right which is alerted as negative , opener bids 1♥. You back in 1♠ which gets promptly doubled. Around to you again so what’s going on ? The 1♦ bid shows no points but you got doubled at the one level ! If LHO does not hold 5 or 6 spades I would be very surprised . Partner does not know you only have 4 spades so time to bail out. Playing a 4-2 fit with a bad break is no fun when you have a decent hand. You bid 1NT , the auction goes pass , pass and double. You pass but partner bids 2♣ with his 6 card club suit . Happiness , you have landed on your feet ! Passing 1♠ doubled gets you –500 nv for a zero.

 

            Remember when you get doubled , that does not mean the auction is over. Evaluate the situation & only pass when the signs are there for you to do so . Do not just accept your fate & pass . I get really annoyed when players pass this specific auction below . You open a suit , LHO makes a takeout double but they convert for penalty at the one level. It is not partners obligation to pre-rescue you ! A pass just means a pass & not a fit for your suit. Partner may have a 6 card suit or something to contribute to the rescuing if given a chance. Do not assume that the opponents made a mistake by passing at the one level. The rescuing bids are bidding your 2nd suit if you have one , bidding 1NT with a flat hand & redouble if you have support for the unbid major or any of the unbid suits. I have never seen a good result yet when partner passes these auctions.

 

            Another silly move I see time & time again is when a 1NT opener or overcall gets doubled for penalty. A pass by responder should mean that 1NTX has a chance to make. You pull otherwise with your nothing. Do not get fixated on your own hand & accept your fate. Partner may have a 5 card suit or a 4 card suit with a 100 honours , so get out of Dodge. Have pre discussed rescue sequences but if you do not, at least bid the scrambling 2♣.

 

            Some people think you should always believe the opponents when the opponents convert a 1 level contract for penalty. I would not go that far but here is a hand held by Jim Metcalfe  ♠xx ♥Kxxx ♦J10xx ♣xxx . His partner opened 1♦ , I passed & Jim passed & partner as a passed hand re-opened with a double. I converted for penalty so Jim happily passed. 1♦x went 4 down for –800  & 1♥X escapes for –300 !

 

            People should have understandings around the penalty XX by the opponents. The over/under rule is always applicable in these auctions. 1♠-P-P-X

                           XX-P-P-P                 whenever partner is behind the suit & heard the XX , the pass is for penalty.

 

Whenever partner is in front of the suit in XX contracts , the pass is not for penalty but just means partner rescue yourself I have tolerance for your suits at the one level. Susan Culham held this hand vul vrs not ♠Jxx ♥Jxx ♦xx ♣Jxxxx , the auction went 1♦-X-XX-? . This is a clear cut pass so I rescue myself at the one level in 1♥. This brings about a 3NT bid so they make +400. If Susan bids 2♣ , a two level contract ,  the opponents can not resist the vulnerability & doubles. This contract goes for –800 & a disaster. 2 level vrs the one level has quite a bearing on the opponents’ decisions.

 

What about if they reboubled a minor , should that make a difference ? No , once the XX comes it is just far too useful to have the pass mean I can tolerate any bid at the one level. When they own the auction , showing that you have their suit makes no sense. You are just giving them information to play the contract or count out your hand. It is your side that is in trouble when the XX hits  , not them. If you do have extreme length in their suit , pass the XX & when partner rescues you can bid their suit. I This auction is not for you trying to punish them as your cards in their suit are onside for them anyway. Even if you do have 5 of their suit KJxxx , they still can make two XX’d overtricks at 400 a pop on sheer strength. ♠xxxx ♥xxxx ♦xx ♣xxx   1♦-X-XX , if you play something silly like a pass shows their suit , you must bid 1♥. You end up in 1♥x in your 4-3 fit rather than 1♠ in your 4-4. When you are in trouble, announce your hand to be rescued  , not to punish the opponents.