Monday, June 12, 2006 1:22 AM

Hand Evaluation – Terrorism & Vulnerability

PITBULLS:

Discipline in Bridge is defined as sound opening bids , quick tricks for opening bids , sound pre-empts with no cards on the outside , 2 level overcalls showing a good suit with an opening bid range , lead directing overcalls at the one level. T/O doubles are shape with values in the opening bid or higher range. This discipline imparts partnership trust & confidence which results in accurate bidding & penalty doubles of the opponents. D.S.I.P. double theory is based on discipline.

Terrorists who do not subscribe to any of the above ignore partner as their objective is to “get the opponents” . They play “single handed” Bridge with the result justifing the means. Their partner is the 3^rd opponent who gets in the way of their grand plan to con the opponents all the time. We all are aware of this type of Bridge & realize that these tactics only work sometimes. The reason of course is the laws of probability. The opponents may get you & if they do not, partner will trip you up in the long run.

However , nobody can argue that these tactics do work sometimes. Getting the first shot in with a non opening bid quite often throws a monkey wrench in the works. A bad pre-empt sometimes works as does a bad 2 level overcall or overcall at the one level. You take bidding room away from the opponents or “luck out” if you find partner with a huge fit for your meager suit. You need luck on your side, so Bridge is relegated to slot machine status.

I feel the mathematics of Bridge justifies terrorism in one vulnerability scenario only. If you are nv vrs vul, keeping the opponents out of their vul game or slam at the expense of nv undertricks undoubled or not is a winning tactic. Jerry Marshall & Hendrick Sharples do not have it quite right with their two convention card system. They have one convention card for being vulnerable & one when they are not. I feel you should have one style & convention card for all vulnerabilities except the one mentioned above.

You hold ♠x ♥Kxx ♦KJxxxxx ♣xx in 1^st seat nv vrs vul . This is a 3♦ bid. Yes ,your suit is very bad & you have an outside king but the vulnerability makes it the correct bid. On all other vulnerabilities , this is a clear cut pass. You have ♠xxx ♥x ♦xxx ♣AKJ10xx , they open vul & you are nv. This all of a sudden becomes a 2♣ overcall. You are short of a 2♣ overcall at any other vulnerability but partner must give you leeway at this one vulnerability. You hold ♠AKQ10xx ♥xx ♦Jx ♣Jxx in 1^st with this vulnerability, this is a 1♠ opening despite your lack of defense. ♠KQx ♥A10xxx ♦Jx ♣Qxx is a 1♥ opener with this vulnerability & a pass at any other vulnerability.

I feel that Bridge discipline should take a beating at this terrorist vulnerability. It already does when the opponents own the hand or when partner is a passed hand but this is the 3^rd case. Fielding partners bids should be the order of the day. Since partner may not have the quick tricks normally required for an opening bid or be very light , D.S.I.P. theory for penalty doubles is required. However , you should need the opponents booked in your own hand for a D.S.I.P. double on the terrorist vulnerability. Rodwell & Meckstroth play this terrorist style on all vulnerabilities due to their forcing club system. They feel that they do not need a real opening bid as their 1♣ bid somehow protects them. I feel their style might have some merit in this one vulnerability. Fielding bids & sniffing the air adds to your worries on this one vulnerability , but it may be worth the aggravation. I would like to give it a try.

BJ Trelford is well known for his disciplined openers & pre-empts. However , on the terrorist vulnerability he bids just like anybody else. Just last Thurday nite he held ♠AJxx ♥K1098 ♦xxx ♣Ax nv vrs vul. On some vulnerabilities , he would just pass this hand becomes opening 1♦ on 3 small is not his style. However, on the terrorist vulnerability, he opens 1♥ as he has 2 ½ quick tricks with both majors. Nv vrs vul , BJ held ♠xx ♥Axxxxxx ♦xx ♣xx so any vulnerability other than the terrorist vulnerability, this is not a 3♥ pre-empt. However, on this vulnerability he opens 3♥ , we get to a fairly decent 6♥ slam. They need to find the correct opening lead & if they do , 6♥ needs a 2-2 break. Not a bad slam. On another board, he held the dreaded 7-2-2-2 again with ♠xx ♥xx ♦QJ109xxx ♣xx . This is not a pre-empt in accordance with BJ’s standards , however he is nv vrs vul so he opens 3♦. Against one of the Tormentees at another table , this pre-empt worked to keep them out of their cold vul grand slam as they raised to 4♦ before the auction started. The end justifies the means on the terrorist vulnerability.