Wednesday, March 19, 2003 9:37 PM

Hitting Home Runs

PITBULLS:

In Bridge as in baseball if you try hitting home runs all the time you will strike out more often then not . Hitting a home run in bridge parlance is trying for a big IMP pickup . This is done by doubling the opponents for penalty rather then taking your sure game , giving the opponents an opportunity to hang themselves by trapping and doubling , goading the opponents into pseudo sacrifices , pre-empting them into bad contracts , bidding close games and slams , bidding a grand slam , making frequent lead directing bids and doubles , and tactical psyches to keep the opponents out of their vulnerable games.

A good home run hitter looks for opportunities to go for the bleachers . In Bridge , you must take partner into consideration before you try some tactical action . Partnership discipline is of utmost importance so you must pick your spots. I feel it is insulting to partner to make some off color bid unless partner is a passed hand. I also go one step further and say that the vulnerability must be non vul against vul . Timing is everything .

Playing with Lorna in Red Deer against a fairly week team my LHO was making bad bid after bad bid and landing on his feet . The last straw for me was him bidding and making a grand slam after using Blackwood to find out he was off two key Kings ! The next hand I held xxxx J xxxx AKQx and Lorna not vulnerable passed in first seat. RHO was vul and opened 1 heart. Normally this is not a take out double but time for a home run try . I will double and muddy the waters and maybe we will find a cheap sacrifice or keep them out of their 4♥ game . This simple action worked as LHO bid 2♣ over the double and his partner with a void in clubs back pedaled and they stayed out of their vul 4♥ game with about 26 HCP.

In another match that day , I had another opportunity to hit a home run and went for it . Lorna , not vulnerable , passed and RHO bid 1 spade vulnerable . I held xx x Q10987 A10876 and had an opportunity for a tactical bid . A 2NT bid by me is lame . You are not going to give the opponents a problem with that bid . If anything, all you are going to do is help them play the hand . Since my partner was a non vul passed hand I chose to overcall 1NT ! . This brought a double and redouble and RHO rescues me by bidding 2♣ . LHO now leaps to 3NT which is a bad contract and should go down one or two tricks . Again an opportunity arose to make a nuisance of yourself and make life difficult for the opponents . Partner having redoubled can make a forcing pass of their 3NT bid around to you to take some action and you gratefully pass .

You can not play the game of Bridge just trying not to lose IMPS . You must be on the look out for opportunities to win IMPS . Players who make life easy for you by passing all the time and giving you "free rides" to your contracts will lose in the long run. Hitting home runs is a skill . You have to know when to do it and not try too often.

You are in 3rd seat with xxx xx xxx AKJ10x . You must do something ! Passing is not an option as the auction might go 1NT pass 3NT or 1♠ pass 4♠ and partner will not find a club lead . Depending on the circumstances I would open 1♣ , 3♣ or 1NT but never never a pass . You hold xx AKJ10 xxxx xxx and hear the opponent bid 1♦ pass 1♥ then 1NT . RHO invites to 2NT and LHO bids 3NT . This is not a strong auction and partner is poised to lead a spade which will not be good for your side . You have a clear cut double for a heart lead . If they make this close game with the best opening lead by your side so be it . Passing is the wrong action with your hand . Sure you do not have enough to beat 3NT in your own hand , but the partnership based on the bidding certainly does. !!

Your partner bids 1♦ and RHO vul bids 1♠ and you have AK1087 xx xxx Q10x . If you bid 1NT you have blown a home run opportunity . I♠ doubled could be +800 against your partial or non vul game . Do not squander opportunities for home runs ! Whenever the opponents are in a NT contract the first inclination for the partnership is to extract a penalty by doubling . Partner always has the negative inference if you did not double and you do bid you must be weak and distributional . You hold x xxx xxx QJ10987 and hear partner open 1♦ and RHO vul overcalls 1NT . Again passing is not an option . You have an opportunity to keep the opponents out of a vul game . Bid 3♣ or 2♣ or if really adventuresome psych a penalty double ! Do not let opportunities slip by . If you "smell game" their way it behooves you to keep them out of it some how . This is trying for a home run .

Again a note of caution . In baseball , players who try for home runs too often are called “strike out kings” . In Bridge , you have to be patient and wait for your pitch . Striking out in Bridge hurts the team also .