Tuesday, September 19, 2006 10:56 PM


Bidding Judgment

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Your personal bidding judgment is the basis for the composition of your system. Standard bidding is a summary of other people’s judgment and is designed for the masses. As your bidding judgment grows , your own system reflects this maturity.  Twelve main thoughts always guide my bidding so they are included in my bidding system. The first principle is that I will always bid some number of NT with balanced or semi-balanced hands. I think announcing the fact that you are balanced is an extremely important piece of information. You are identifying a class of hands with this bidding habit.  Finding major suit fits , bidding stoppers & showing your HCP’s can come later in the auction.

 

            The 2nd guiding principle in my bidding is showing where you live. This habit allows partner to evaluate her hand re stoppers , duplication , competitive judgment , fits and misfits . Once we have  announced balanced hands where a NT game is our goal , we can grope for the final 3NT game by showing where you live. Opening 4 card majors in 3rd & 4 th seat is practicing this bidding judgment. This shows where you live for opening leads and hand evaluation purposes.

 

            Here is an example from a Spingold. ♠AKx ♥10x ♦AKxxxx ♣xx  opposite ♠xxx ♥AQJxx ♦QJx ♣Qx with the auction 1♦-P-1♥-P  

     2♦-P-2NT-P      Showing where you live ( 3♠ ) avoids the 3NT trap.

     3♠-P-4♦-P

     4♥-P-P-P

 

            The 3rd guiding principle is the requirement for quick tricks for an opening bid. The rule of 20 is fine as long as the meager HCP’s are quick tricks. Penalty doubles make no sense when opening bids have no quick defensive tricks. Controls in general are invaluable for bidding judgment re competing , games & slams. HCP’s are highly over rated in the scheme of things. Undisciplined opening bids destroy the partnership aspect of the game of Bridge

 

            The 4th bidding judgment I adhere to is “playing the vulnerability”. I respect vulnerability . Openers , two level overcalls , pre-empts vary with the vulnerability. I do not make undisciplined pre-empt , make undisciplined systemic bids , openers that are un-disciplined if the vulnerability is unfavourable or equal. Vulnerability guides my bidding. There is only one terrorist vulnerability & that is nv vrs vul.

 

            The 5th bidding judgment principle I follow is “equal level conversion” . I do not follow the modern style that off shape T/O doubles should be avoided and replaced by an overcall. My criteria is if there is a chance of a game being missed , I will double with off shape hand rather than overcall. My criteria for T/O doubles is the same for openers as I look at defensive tricks. Since partner can convert doubles for penalty,  I prefer doubling as opposed to overcalling when I have defensive hands. As an escape for off shape T/O doubles , we scramble by having an equal level conversion understanding. Huge hands can handle themselves by jumping or Q bids. With equal level conversion understandings , overcalls especially at the two level can be assumed to be one suited hands.

 

            The 6th bidding judgment principle I have adopted is that fast arrival to game in a major is always distributional. Strong hands are handled by a multi 3♣ strong jump shift . Fast arrival pre-empts partner , so keep those bids as weaker & distributional. Slow arrival leaves room for investigation so they should show the stronger hands. 1♦-P-1♠-P  4♠ is based on distribution.

1♠-P-1NT-P 4♠ is a 4♠ opener with an outside control in the absence of a 3♣ jump shift.

 

            The 7th guiding principle is that jump rebids always show good suits as opposed to HCP’s like standard bidding. We recover the useful form of the strong jump shift by responder . A jump rebid by responder shows a good suit and a slam try. Where other bids like 2♣ , show all invitational hands , jump preferences or jumps show good suits and a slam try. In forcing auctions , all jumps show solid or semi-solid suits.

 

            The 8th guiding principle is always show your 4th trump with a major fit or your 5th trump with a minor fit. Jacoby 2NT should include limit raises so that a jump raise can show the 4th trump. Inverted minors should include all limit raise and game forces with the 5th trump. The direct jump raise in a minor should show the 5th trump. With overcalls & openers , a simple raise should deny the 4th trump.

 

            The 9th guiding principle is that Q bids show either 1st or 2nd round control . 3NT with a major fit is a Q bid showing a serious slam try. Q bids are done as a courtesy opposite unlimited hands and show extra opposite limited hands. Q bids generally show a fit with partner as limit raise or better hands.

 

            The 10th guiding principle is that trump stack doubles do not exist in competitive auctions. Instead they show defense and are asking partner’s permission to compete again. Partner denies permission by converting for penalty with a trump stack in their suit or an unsuitable offensive hand. These competitive doubles are the default understanding in all auctions where forcing pass theory does not apply.

 

            The 11th guiding principle is to use relays to differentiate good hands from bad hands where 2NT invitational is involved. 3♣ is a relay to 3♦ and Lebensohl principles apply. Natural bidding shows the stronger hands . Check back for major fits is also done via this relay. The relay can also show some otherwise difficult to bid sequences.

 

            The 12th guiding principle is do not open monster one suiters or two suiters at the one level. This ugly practice re-enforces partner to lie about her response to keep the bidding open or a pass might miss a game. Do not rely on the opponents balancing to get to your slams or games. Play relays after your 2♣ openers so you can sort out your huge two suiters. Playing a 2♦ opener as strong helps in avoiding huge hands being opened at the one level.