Thursday, December 19, 2002 12:49 AM

Keeping Options Open

PITBULLS:

When making a bid , choose the bid that keeps all your options open . The option of extracting a penalty should never be overlooked . In fact , I strongly believe it should the first consideration in all competitive auctions ! Susan had two hands tonight that brings out that point quite well . Susan held Kx xxx KQ109x AKx and it went a 15-17 NT to her right . She chose to pass and LHO bids 2♥ and RHO bids 2♠ . She rightly felt that if she passed and the opponents passed , there is no way partner could have enough to balance so what do you bid ? . You could bid 3♦ or 2NT for some minor takeout . I feel the best bid to keep your options open is double . Don’t forget that the transfer forced RHO to bid 2♠ and that could be done on a doubleton spade . If you double , you give the option of partner converting for penalty with say Q1098 of spades and some scattered points . With your 15 HCP you will be quite happy with a conversion . Bidding 3♦ is second best to a double because you have eliminated an option for partner with your strong defensive values . I actually doubled 1NT with that hand based on my diamond suit and Lorna defended superbly to beat 2 spades . Unfortunately we got an average as everybody was in 3 spades down 1 .

Susan had another hand with almost the same principle of giving partner an option to convert for penalty . She held Kxx AQ10xx xx Qxx and Maurice opened 1♣ and RHO bid a vulnerable diamond . Susan bid 1♥ and LHO bid 2♦ and passed around to Susan again . Susan made a re-opening double for two reasons . One was that they play support doubles and Maurice is marked with short hearts ( he did not make a support double ) and two she had 11 HCP opposite an opener so no way can they buy it for 2♦ . The double gives partner a chance to convert even though that might be remote . The auction did go all pass so now its an opening lead problem ! I should re-phrase that , it is not a problem at all . Partner is short in hearts with 13 or 14 pts so your side has around 25 HCP . The opponents tricks can only come from ruffs and partner is marked with some trump for the conversion . You lead a trump faster than a speeding bullet and without any thought. Its nice to have auctions where leads are automatic as it conserves mental energy . Declarer comes close to –800 but can wiggle out for –500 but that gets them zero match points anyway . Lorna made 2NT our way which was an average as the opponents remained silent ( I had Susan’s hand ) . If the opponents want to give you a gift , take it !

The last hand is giving the opponents a losing option . It goes 1NT to your right and you get dealt a 9 card suit . There is no way in Bridge to describe a 9 card suit but its best to raise the level high enough to do some damage to the opponents while giving partner some idea that you have a freak hand . The hand was xx A J109876543 x and you were vul against not . Vulnerability with a 9 card suit does not matter . Think about it . A 9 card suit is the same as a 7 card suit AKQJ109x because with two leads and colliding honours you have 7 tricks just like the solid 7 bagger . I would overcall 4♦ with this hand because it jams them past 3NT and forces them to take some action . With the NT bidder marked with at least 2 diamonds you have 11 diamonds accounted for ! The possibility that you will get doubled is remote and you may be a horrible nuisance to them . My opponent bid the hand in the worst possible way breaking all the rules of pre-emption . He bid 2♣ showing a single suited hand and Lorna passed and RHO bid 2♦ . I passed and he bid 3♦ which now gave his partner the impression that he had something ! Lorna backed in 4♣ and that got doubled and left in . Lorna only made one doubled overtrick for a well deserved zero for the opponents ( Steve Bates and Scott Brinsmead ) .