Friday, January 24, 2003 3:02 AM

Single Handed Bidding

PITBULLS:

Bridge is a partnership game . This means avoid making single handed decisions for the partnership in competitive auctions. Try to make a bid that puts partner in the picture so that a joint decision can be made when the opponents reach a game . This is one of the prime incentives for inventing D.S.I.P. theory. Before D.S.I.P. theory , partners hand was bid for her instead of by her.

The opponents are vul and you are not . in 4^th suit they open 1♥ and partner overcalls 1♠ and RHO bids 2♥ . You have J10x xxxx Axx KQx and you could bid 2♠ since partner is a passed hand . No , this is wrong because that bid does not describe your defensive strength or playing strength . You could leap to 4♠ since partner is marked with a stiff heart and the opponents are vul . No , again this is too single handed . 4♥ may not make and you are bidding partners hand for her . So you bid 3♥ which shows a spade raise with limit raise values .

The opponents now bid 4♥ and around to you . In IMPS , you can afford to double . If they make it , it is not a disaster but the double is two fold . Partner can pull to 4♠ with the appropriate distributional hand and 4♠ doubled will be an excellent sacrifice with her marked stiff heart. You are sacrificing from the correct side as you gave partner an option to leave it in . Tom had overcalled on a 4 card spade suit to the AK and 4♥ doubled goes for at least 500 . In fact a trump lead may get it for 800 !! 4♠ doubled goes down 2 for a phenomenal swing . Tom will happily leave the double in with his 4 spades . With distribution he will take out cheap insurance as it is IMPS . AKxxx x xx Jxxxx he will pull and 4♠ doubled makes with the queen of spades onside !!

Do not bid partners hand for her . She is fully capable of bidding her own hand if you allow her the opportunity to do so . Again doubling games in IMPS should be a more common practice than in other forms of Bridge but put partner in the picture first and give her an option !! Doubling in competitive auctions are cooperative and descriptive . These are not “trump stack” doubles that must always be left in . In fact with their trump , I would not even double and just take my plus as we are not making anything anyway . Cooperative doubles are far more useful in competitive auctions . D.S.I.P. by leaving it in or pulling .