Tuesday, February 15, 2005 12:49 PM

Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( The Bully Suit )

PITBULLS:

Spades are the “bully suit” in Bridge as it’s the highest ranking suit. Opponents use this advantage to push you around in competitive auctions . It may be dangerous to bid to the next level that the spade suit requires you to do. Established partnerships have understandings to combat this tactic. They have designed methods to combat one suit in Bridge ! One method is to use the fact that NT is even higher ranking than spades so “fight fire with fire” . 4NT is never Blackwood or natural over the opponents 4♠ bid. Let me repeat that. No matter how the auction went if the opponents bid 4♠, 4NT by your side is never Blackwood. The bid shows a two suiter or is Lebensohl or is takeout depending on context.

What about the 2NT bid after the opponents have bid spades ? If they have bid spades in the “sandwich position” , 2NT is never natural no matter how the auction went. It is the “good-bad 2NT” . These means that if you bid directly over their spades you show invitational values otherwise you bid 2NT as a relay to 3♣ to bail out somewhere. If you have made a takeout double in the sandwich position , 2NT by partner is not natural & is “scrambling” to find the best contract. Some play this bid as “good bad’ unless the double is a balance.

Doubles assist us in combating the bully suit. If the opponents have an established spade fit , the double is a competitive D.S.I.P. double showing cards rather than a spade trump stack. If they have pre-empted to a direct 3♠, over your auction , a double is a “thrump double” asking partner to bid 3NT with a spade stopper. These are the tools of choice to combat the bully suit , so let’s try some examples.

Partner opens 1♦ , your RHO bids 4♠. You hold ♠x ♥AQJxx ♦x ♣AJxxxx so do you flip a coin & bid a suit ? No , use 4NT over spades to show all two suiters . If you had less distribution, use a D.S.I.P. double to give partner the option of converting. If partner has made a takeout double , they interfere at the 4 level in spades , 4NT changes its meaning to Lebensohl . 1♠-Dbl-4♠-4NT . In these auctions , two suiters are easier to bid because partner with his double promises support . Therefore 4NT can be put to better use to show a slam try by negative inference. 4NT requests a bid of 5♣ , so you retreat saying you do not have slam interest. A direct bid over 4♠ is a slam try. Pulling doubles of 4♠ uses the 4NT concept also. If partner doubles 4♠ , you want to pull because you have visions of bigger & better things or you have a distributional nothing, use the 4NT tool. A direct pull shows values so is forward going. Bid 4NT if you are pulling because they will probably make their contract. This of course demands 5♣ & you now bid your suit.

In some auctions , a direct 4NT is a takeout bid over the bully suit. 2♠-2NT-4♠-? ♠Void ♥KQxx ♦KQxxx ♣J10xx . A double should be penalty is light of spade duplication by partners 2NT bid , so what is 4NT ? It is not to play nor is it Blackwood. Partner has some support for your suits be virtue of his 2NT bid , so 4NT is used in this context as “pick a suit partner” . 4NT should not be to play as more often than not , just double them for penalty.

Bidding 4NT directly over 4♠ openers is takeout by some partnerships. I prefer playing the double as takeout & playing 4NT as any two suiter. Thrump doubles helps combat the bully suit at the 3 level. 1♣-3♠-? ♠xx ♥Axx ♦KQJ10xx ♣Kx you double asking partner to bid 3NT with a spade stopper. A direct 4♦ gets you past 3NT to an 11 trick game which probably will go down.

O.K. let’s go back to the 2 level & have the opponents interfere with their spade suit in the “sandwich position”. You open 1♦, LHO overcalls 1♠ & after partner makes a negative double they bid 2♠ . The bully suit again appears , so use 2NT ( good bad ) to be competitive & a relay to 3♣ . Use the fact that spades force you to the 3 level to show values and invitational hands.

Same with re-opening doubles.

1♦-2♠-P-P

X-P-2NT-P ? The 2NT cannot be natural as partner would bid 2NT directly. This is Lebensohl ( good bad ) saying he does not have anything. If partner bids directly after your re-opening double , he has some values so is invitational.

What if you balance over the bully suit with a double or double in the sandwich position over spades ? The meaning of 2NT changes again in this context. This time it is a ”scrambling 2NT” bid. Partner will not bid 2NT as natural in these auctions . If she is that strong she will probably just pass 2♠ doubled. The scrambling 2NT shows two suits probably just 4-4 & demands that partner bid 4 card suits up the line.

How does the bully suit effect your overcalls ? Quite a bit , if you have overcalled with both minors. The opponents open 1 spade , you have ♠x ♥Kx ♦AKxx ♣KQJxxx so you overcall 2♣.They bid 2♠ , around to you again. 2NT cannot be natural as you did not overcall 1NT in the first place. It shows a 6-4 in the minors in this auction. Still another use for 2NT after a spade bid forces you to the 3 level ! See why we need the NT bid over spades ?

The spade suit does significant damage in competitive auctions. Foregoing the “traditional” use of NT in these auctions is the best way of leveling the playing field. Blackwood & 2NT natural are the two bids that must be sacrificed. NT bids are the antidotes to the spade suit poison. 4NT & 2NT are not a great loss anyway as they are other ways of getting to your slams or 3NT games. Take that , you bully spade suit !!