Saturday, September 02, 2006 3:02 PM

Law of Total Tricks II

PITBULLS:

The “law” is based on the combine trump holding of the partnership(s) . Knowing that partner has 4 or more trump, assists you in making competitive, game , penalty double and slam decisions. My partnership has based our entire major suit structure on this “law” by freeing the jump raise to show a simple raise with 4 trump. This treatment means that all simple raises show 3 trump. This has a great tactical advantage.

I also play the same understanding with overcalls. A simple raise shows 3 trump and a jump raise shows 4 trump. This is handy because when forced into a corner our partnerships have been known to overcall 4 card majors. This is done routinely when you hold the club suit because of its lowly rank in Bridge. You have ♠xx ♥AKJx ♦xx ♣KJ9xx and they open 1♦. Overcalling 2♣ accomplished nothing but setting yourself up for a penalty double or pre-empt partner from finding your heart suit. There are many hands that partner will pass 2♣ where you have a heart partial or even game. On these hands isn’t it nice to know that partner will make a different heart raise with 4 or more trump ?

I have bought into the Meckwell notion of equal level conversion. One of the by-products of this understanding is that I will double with the appropriate two suits rather than overcall. I consider overcalls at the two level to announce a single suited hand. This forces me to overcall 4 card majors at the one level when I do not have a suitable double. I was given a hand recently by an aspiring player. ♠AQxx ♥xx ♦x ♣AK109xx and RHO opened 1♣. This is easy I said , I overcall a spade. What if you played 2♣ natural she asked would you bid 2♣ ? No I said , I would overcall 1♠ as 2♣ gives partner the impression that I have a one suited hand only. Partner held ♠Jxxxx ♥x ♦AJxxx ♣xx and I made +680 in spades at my table. Sometimes “getting in their “ and bidding at the two level pre-empts the partnership from finding their 4-4 or 5-4 major suit fit. It did in this case.

Making the most constructive bid towards game sometimes involves risk taking. You are taking a risk by bidding their suit as they may have 7♣ for their opening bid. Taking a risk at the one level by announcing one less spade than you are supposed to have , seems to pale in comparison . Rules are made to broken in Bridge when the situation calls for it.