Saturday, July 12, 2003 10:18 AM

Hand Evaluation – Partnership ( The Gandolfo Method )

PITBULLS:

In my mind , IMPS lost to bidding misunderstandings are virtually inexcusable. Before you make a bid , you must put yourself in partners chair & rehearse how she is going to interpret the bid. If there is danger of a misinterpretation with her going wrong , do not make the bid ! You may win the battle in the post game analysis that you were systemically correct , but it is of no consequence as your partnership just blew 13 IMPS. It could have been prevented by using the Gandolfo method .

It is no accident that games & slams in rubber bridge are bid “by the seat of the pants” quite often .You can not trust partner 90 % of the time so you use your own judgment to place the final contract . You infer from the opponents bidding what partners distribution could be & a general idea of the HCP’s partner could hold . In effect , you have “master minded” the auction . You leap to what you think you can make without any input from partner. You bid partners hand for her. Tom Gandolfo handles weak partners better than any person walking. Hence the term , the “Gandolfo method”.

In general , it is very insulting to an expert partner to be “master minded” . Bridge is a partnership game so single handed bidding is very low percentage at best. Solo artists are the worst possible scenario for a partner or a team mate. There is an exception though , if master minding prevents a bidding misunderstanding , the “end justifies the means” . Expert partners can generally field bids based on “being at the table” but do not go overboard . It may appear obvious to you what the bid meant because you are staring at your own hand . Partner does not have that liberty though . Hence , the Gandolfo method is in order .

Some thoughts that trigger the Gandolfo method :

`a) How could partner know that my suit is solid ?

b) How could partner know that I have extra trump length ?

c) Have I really shown all the HCP’s I hold in the auction ?

d) Does she know that I am void in the opponents suit ?

e) Does she know that I am 6-5 or hold an 8 card suit ?

f) Does she know that I am very light for my previous bid ?

g) Can partner misinterpret my penalty double , if so just take your plus ..

h) Can partner misinterpret my 4NT bid , if so do not bid it !

i) Is there a chance for a double game/slam swing , take out insurance !

Anyway the Gandolfo method means that you trust your own judgment & are captain of the ship . Place the final contract rather than risk a partnership bidding misunderstanding . This is the lesser of the two evils . This strategy is similar to the statement “I would rather be a live coward than a dead hero”. Take your plus by being a practical Bridge player.

Another recipe for a bidding misunderstanding is making a hand “fit a systemic bid” when it does not . A recent example was Osama in action playing with Nowlan They have an understanding that 2♣ followed by a jump shows a 4-4-4-1 . Osama tried to make his 5-4-4-0 fit that system when he should have simply rebid his 5 card suit . Partner went wrong , placed the contract in a Moysian 4♠ with the long hand taking the pump . Result 4♠ down 2 vul when 7 clubs makes. A totally needless bidding understanding , KISS is even allowed with an expert partner !!

Defense is another area where “master minding” is acceptable if the alternative is that partner could misread the situation and go wrong also . The Gandolfo method is applicable here also . Take control of the defense , if it is too hard or impossible for partner to get the picture . You know that a dummy lock is the correct defense.

As the Nike commercial says , just do it rather than put pressure on partner to read the situation . Jones calls it “baby sitting” partner . It is a necessary procedure even playing with an expert. Cash a King to show her where your points or return card is located . Do not setup pseudo endplays or pseudo squeezes on partner when you have the key card in question. Cash it or otherwise show partner you have it . Don’t say I assume you could have read the situation when you could have made it simple for partner !