Wednesday, February 01, 2006 5:49 AM

Trapping & Balancing

PITBULLS:

Trapping & balancing go together like love & marriage and a horse & carriage as the song goes. You can not have one without the other. Lets discuss a hypothetical situation . Whenever you open a “bad” opening bid vul vrs not you are taking a risk . If the cards are not sitting right for you and you are unfortunate enough to meet expert opponents , you may be in serious trouble. Both Susan and BJ held the same hand vul vrs not QJxx xxx AQxx Kx and one chose to open the hand 1♦ and the other passed. Lets build the doomsday scenerio that partner does not have a response ( there are others like getting to 1NT and a balancing double for penalties ).

OK LHO holds AK109 xx KJ109 Axx and if the vulnerabilies were reversed you would rescue the opener by overcalling 1NT . However , in this case , nv vrs a vul opener you trap with a pass. Partner holds xx AK109x xx QJ109 so re-opening with a heart is silly and just rescues the vul opponents. So you double as you have defense and if partner bids a spade , equal level conversion takes place. As it turns our 1♦ gets passed out with the dummy holding xxx QJx xxx xxx . This “opener” is so bad that 1♦X takes one trick for +1700 against our +460. If we slop a trick on defense only +1400.

OK some other doomsday scenerios with these types of openers. 1♦-P-1♥-P 1♠-P-1NT-P P-X all pass. Partner has xxx QJxx xxx Axx and 1NTX goes for -1100 . OK these are ill fitting hands but the sets do not have to be –1400 or –1100 . –500 is a disaster on this vulnerability. The quick tricks for an opening bid are required for a reason. They provide tricks in doubled contracts against opponents and when you are doubled also. So called modern opening bids are risk taking. Ensure the reward for opening these hands are in line with the risk you are taking. In club games , these openers go unpunished time after time so there is no risk . The higher the level of the competition , the risk increases though. Trapping & balancing were invented to combat bad opening bids.

Change this hand to KQJx xxx AQxx xx and BJ would open the hand. Same 12 HCP but 2 ½ quick tricks this time as we move the club king to the spade King to get a quick trick. This hand will never be a disaster either offensively or defensively on any vulnerability as you have a source of offensive and defensive tricks. Quick tricks are taught in the club series for opening bids for a reason. There is a sound theoretically reason for this opening bid requirement. Ignoring quick tricks for opening bids is Bridge folly in my opinion. Bad opponents are just letting you get away with it.

With the actual hand Maurice & Susan got to 7NT . Without the quick trick requirement for an opening bid this was just random luck . They would open QJxx QJx Axxx Kx but with 1 ½ quick tricks it would be passed at my table. Maurice & Susan get to 7NT with the actual hand Ax AK10 K AQJ109xx and 7NT goes one down with this hypothetical hand. Quick tricks for an opener , factor into competitive , game , slam , & grand slam decisions. Playing with my partners after they opened , I would reason that they need 2 to 2 ½ quick tricks to open. They must hold the diamond Ace , the club king and another KQ combination to get their quick trick requirement in. Therefore , I must have 13 tricks instead of guessing with a non opener across the table. If they do lie and only have two quick tricks , its probably because they have compensating suit values . Therefore I expect AQJx of diamonds over there for the opener. My decision making is complete because my partners play disciplined opening bids.