Wednesday, November 12, 2003 5:14 AM

Advanced Decisions

PITBULLS:

Two hands came up tonight that merit some discussion . One involves an “advanced Q bid” and the other an advanced sacrifice. First hand involves a rare concept which is an implied Q bid when circumstances change in an auction. I held

Axx Kxx Kx QJxxx

Partner opens 1♣ vul and RHO bids 2♥ . Normally Q biding their suit shows a limit raise or better in our suit but I chose not to do it in this hand. If I bid 3♥ partner can be very poorly placed with flat minimums and no heart stopper. This could propel us past 3NT which may be are only makeable game. So I jumped to 3NT which brought about 4♥ to my left and around to me again. We contracted for a vul game so forcing passes are on . Partners pass means that he prefers offense to defense and shows one or less hearts . You bid 5♣ now right ? Wrong ! Your hand is too good. You should make an implied Q bid of 4♠ first to let partner in the picture. You get rewarded as partner bids 6♣ which makes for 1370.

Partners hand is QJxx void Axxx AKxxx . He does not know how severe the duplication of value is in hearts so his pass is the right action . If I double 4♥ , he takes his +800 and on to the next hand. If I bid 5♣ , I put him in a guessing situation for slam when I did not have to do so .

Same match our partners held this hand xxx Q10xxx xxxx x and heard partner open 2♥ not vul against vul. Vul RHO overcalls 2♠ . Your call ? Two schools of thought on these sort of hands. One is that you conceal your big fit in hopes that you do not push them to their slam . This would be good thinking if you have a trick . With this hand you should be preventing them from getting to 7 ! An advance sacrifice of 5♥ is in order which takes away their Blackwood for exploring seven . The opponents hand was Qxx A AKQJ KJxxx and when the jam bid was not forthcoming they bid Blackwood and the 7 which was reached at both tables for a push. Wasted opportunity for picking up 12 IMPS !!