Friday, September 06, 2002 1:08 AM

Tactics - 2/1 In competition

 

PITBULLS:

 

          One aspect of bidding I have always disagreed with in standard bidding is that 2/1 in competition reverts to Standard American and shows 10+ pts. . Wrong , wrong and wrong. In the first instance HCP’s in competition should not be the criteria for a 2/1 , the suit quality should be . Bidding a 2/1 in competition should be a game force with one escape hatch . This exception should be a good suit and it does need a 10+ HCP criteria to bid . It should be more like a  negative free bid except that it is forcing to game  unless rebid . As long as your suit is good , you do not need 10+ HCP’s to bid 2/1 . This is similar to negative free bid theory but not quite.  Throwing out splinters in competition clarifies the 2/1 . A jump shift in competition is weak and a long suit.

 

Ex    AQJ10xx xx xxx xx                                           xxx x xxx AK109xx

 

               2♣                                                                                 1♠ 

   1♥                   2♠                                                       1♥                       2♣

 

 

Kxxxx xx AQx Jx                     Do not bid 2♠ with this hand even though you have 10 HCP after the opponents make a two level overcall . This is a negative double or even a pass after partners 1♥ opener.

 

Qxx x AKx Jxxxxx                     This is not a 2♣ 2/1 bid even though you have 10 HCP .  Over a heart overcall bid 1NT or double

 

          Some people like Peter Jones or the Bartons go too far and will not bid a 2./1 in competition without a forcing to game hand . This goes to far the other way . You have to get in their with your suits. I was trying to convince Peter Jones to be less rigid so I came up with a Dave Lettermans top 10 reasons why a systemic understanding that a suit bid and rebid should not be forcing to game :

 

Subject: Dave Lettermans Top 10

 

The 10 most obvious reasons why a good suit that is rebid should not be forcing to game …

 

1.       Allows the partnership to compete and push the opponents higher

                          

                       2♥  P

  Ex       2♣                3♣

             P         

                        1♦   P                  AKxx x KJ10xx xxx          Probably beat 3

 

2.       Allows the partnership a lead

 

 

ex             2♦

     2♣                    3NT

                 1♥

 

 

        AQx  KQxxxx  Jxx x

 

 

3.          Finds the fit fast

 

                 2♥

      2♦                   3♦                         

                 1♠ 4♦                                  Axxxx Kxxx x AKx 

 

4.      Prevents dangerous "back ins " later 

 

                      P 3♥

       2♣ P                      3♣  DBL

 

                      1♠ P                    AQxxx x KQxx Qxx

 

5.       Prevents the opponents from jamming you out of your game

 

                       P                               x AK10xxx xxxx xx

2♦                                     4♦

                       1♠                              Axxxx xxxx x  AKx               Have a chance for 6♥ and 2/1 forcing to game types would not even be in the auction unless he backs in 4♥ ( risky vul )

 

6.       You can jam the opponents out of their game and find sacrifices

 

                        2♠

2♥                                         4♥

                        1♦ 4♠

                                                             KJxx x AKxxxx xx        4♥ makes and 4♠ goes 1 down or also makes

 

7.       Makes slam bidding easier as fit found at a lower level    

 

            2♦

2♣                        P

           1♠  4♣                            AKxxx AQx  Axxx x

 

 

8.       Clarifies negative doubles ( do not make a negative dbl with 1 suit or 1 suit with a fit for partner )

 

Can bid 2♠  instead with QJ10xxx and a fit for partner with negative double range HCP’s . A negative double might be converted for penalty and a disaster with a 2 suited fit could occur

 

 

9.       Gets you to those nice 3NT's that make with a running 6 card minor

 

                    2♦                            xx   Kxx  AQ1098x xx

2♣                                3♣

                  

                   1♠ 3NT                       AQxxx Axx KJx Kx

 

10.  Daves #1 reason you should not play them forcing to game in competition - Lee Barton does J  The rest of the World does not !

           

 

 

       With a strong hand with a rebidable suit  that you want to force to game you just have to bid a phony suit or Q bid the opponents suit . A small price to pay indeed . If partner does anything but rebid the suit its forcing to game anyway to give away a little to gain a lot . The only obligation is for partner to rebid the suit and resist the temptation to raise partner which misrepresents his hand .

 

AKJxxx xxx xx xx         Partner opens 1♥ and  RHO overcalls 2♦ and you bid 2♠ . If partner bids 3♣ do not give her preference as that misrepresents your hand.

 

You must bid 3♠ to show a weak hand .

 

 

xx xx xx AKQJ10xx                Partner  bids 1♦ and RHO bids 1♠ and you bid 2♣ . Partner bids 2♦ . Do not bid 3♣ as it is not forcing . Bid 2♠  

                                                     as a Western Q bid to steer the hand to 3NT .

 

 

          There are a lot of good inferences and understandings that you have when a 2/1 is forcing to game . Why throw all those out and start bidding with 10 pts just because the opponents have overcalled ? You are in effect letting them destroy your system . As long as you can get your good suits in quickly ,  then make negative doubles with your 10,11,& 12 HCP hands . Even passing will work out better then making a 10 pt 2/1  with bad suits !!