Saturday, February 04, 2006 4:21 PM
Taking Out Insurance V
PITBULLS:
We
have discussed the subject of “taking out insurance” in IMPS before. Bidding
one more when we do not have a clue who owns the hand in a wild auction. This
“takes out insurance” against double game/slam swings. Also pulling close penalty doubles is taking out
insurance against a disaster. Lead directing doubles are an excellent insurance
policy against bad games/slams making. Lead directing overcalls or lead
directing 3rd seat bids are an insurance policy against tight games
being bid or made with the wrong opening lead. Right siding NT protecting your tenaces from the opening
lead is taking out a good insurance policy. Pre-empts & defensive bidding
to make a nuisance of yourself when the opponents own the auction is “taking
out insurance” against the opponents finding their optimum spot. Trapping with
their suit rather than bidding in misfit auctions is taking out insurance
against going for a bad set . Discipline
with your opening bids ( having
your Quick Tricks
when you open ) , is taking out
insurance against bad penalty doubles ( both ways) or inaccurate bidding in competitive , game or slam
decisions.
I
would like to discuss two more instances of “taking out insurance” . If partner
opens 1NT and you have a lot of HCP’s where game is a certainty but not slam ,
bid 3NT rather than Stayman. This is taking out insurance against a bad trump break in your major. In NT with extra HCP’s , you can afford a bad break as
you have other suits to fall back on . With a trump suit you do not have such a
luxury. Here is a neat example where squeezes save you from the bad trump break.
3♥-P-P-X
P-4♠-P-5♥ ♠ Kxx ♥ AK ♦ AK98 ♣
AQxx
P-5♠-P-6NT
|
A |
x |
10 |
K |
|
Q |
x |
x |
x |
|
x |
|
x |
x |
|
x |
|
|
|
|
x |
|
|
|
You had grand slam aspirations but partner was not overly co-operative.
You have so many extra HCP’s for this auction that you can afford to take out insurance
against a bad spade break . in a pre-emptive auction, the odds for bad breaks
go up so you bid 6NT.
You
win the heart lead and cash your spade king and LHO shows out ! You play the
Ace of clubs and over to the King and both follows. You lead a heart and RHO
thinks and throws a spade.
You now duck a spade so your 5th spade is good. The 5th
spade squeezes RHO in diamonds and clubs and you make 6NT. RHO got squeezed
twice because she had 3 suits to worry about !
|
K |
A |
A |
A |
|
x |
K |
K |
Q |
|
x |
|
9 |
x |
|
|
|
x |
x |
I was playing with Dora when another example of
taking out insurance came up . When you are just close to the slam range in HCP’s , suit slams play better than
NT ( just the opposite of above ) . You can get an extra trick by ruffing where
in NT you need sheer power. Dora had 10x AKJx
Axx KQxx and I opened 1NT . Dora bid Stayman and I bid 2♦. Dora bid 4NT and I accepted by bidding 6NT. I went
one down . Dora asked me if I bid my suits up the line if I accept the invite
as in close slams a minor should be better. I did have 4 clubs and if I bid 5♣
on the way , we would have been in 6♣ . This contract is cold against any lead
and would have been a tie for top J. This understanding is an excellent insurance policy.