Sunday, January 26, 2003 12:32 AM

Hand Evaluation - Taking Control ( Q Bids )

PITBULLS:

There are more Bridge guidelines for when one partner should take control of the bidding ( see previous article on this subject ) . Sometimes that decision has to be made immediately . Partner opens a major , you have a choice between bidding a splinter or Jacoby 2NT . I you have a monster hand why tell partner that you have a singleton ? Take control by bidding 2NT & ask partner about her hand . Also just because partner bids 2NT with you having a singleton you are not obliged to show it . You may want to bid a “serious 3NT” instead thereby taking control of the hand . Do not fall into the trap of rote rules .

Over Q bidding is another pitfall partnerships fall into. At some point in an auction, one side has to decide to take control by “serious 3NT “ or by bidding Blackwood . Do not jump in forcing auctions . If you have way more points than partner can possibly imagine , keep the bidding nice & low. Italian Q bidding comes to the fore in these type of auctions .. By not taking control , you are discounting a grand slam which is very possible on many slams auctions. Do your fact finding first & then take control.

Playing “serious 3NT” it is very important for one partner to assume control . The negative inference of one partner not doing so is a building block of the system . Do not shirk your duty , take control when you should & do not take control when you should not . Experience & bidding judgment is your guide. Q bids are a courtesy until one partner takes control via the serious 3NT bid.

Another auction where not taking control led to disaster.

1♣ 2♠ P P

X P P 2NT

X 3♦ 4♥ P

?

You hold ♠x ♥Kxxx ♦Kxx ♣AKQJx so what do you bid ? Playing the Italian style of Q bidding it is very important to play Q bids above game as 1^st round control & Q bids below game as either / or . You have received enough information to take control of this auction. Partner has shown at least 10 probably 11 cards in the majors , so enough to jump to a heart game. Showing her a stiff spade is redundant. She knows that you have a stiff spade from the bidding but more importantly so do you. So take control by bidding Blackwood as you are captain of this ship as you know more about what is going on than partner. Do not fall into the “over Q bidding” trap. Partner may infer that since you did not use Blackwood , Aces are not a concern so may bid 6 with any good 6-5. This is what happened and two Aces were cashed. Not using Blackwood or “serious 3NT” are two very important negative inferences for slam bidding.

Q bids are not necessarily game forcing. They can be invitational & asking partner to bid a major. The auction went 2♦ everybody vul & pass around to me . I held ♠Jxx ♥Q109xx ♦A ♣AQ109 so I doubled. Partner bids 3♦ so now what ? Do not just follow orders & pick a major as that may end the auction. You could have 10 HCP for a balancing double but you do not. Partner is asking you to bid a major so you do , but at the game level in 4♥ !!

Another hand is illustrated where captaincy is determined during the auction by one partner knowing more what is going on than the other partner. A Tormentee held ♠void ♥Qxx ♦Axxxxxx ♣xxx & partner opened 1♥ in 4^th seat. With your offensive type hand with a heart fit , you can afford to bid 2♦ as a passed hand. This makes the auction simple. Say you make a non forcing 1NT bid as a passed & they overcall 2♣ which partner doubles. You alert correctly as saying the double shows “cards” & a good hand. Knowing that partner has a good hand & he has no idea what your hand is, puts you in charge of the auction. You leap to 4♥ which makes 6. The Tormenttee bid 2♥ which ended the auction as partner was “ all in “ with his double. .