Wednesday, February 12, 2003 4:34 PM

Bidding up the Line

PITBULLS:

A habit that we have had for decades is bidding up the line to find our fits . We do this regardless of whether we have a flat weak NT type of hand or even a 2NT rebid type of hand . This allows accuracy for the partnership as they never miss their 4-4 major suit fit this way .

There is a down side though . The power of the weak NT is blind opening leads and groping in the dark defense. Its goes 1NT 3NT and you lead your 4^th best heart right into their 4 card heart suit . They run their suit and you throw your 4^th spade in favour of a diamond. Wrong ! They had a 4 card spade suit also and –600 . You compare with partners and you lose 12 . The auction at the other table went

1♣	1♦
1♥	1♠
1NT	3NT

The opponents held onto the 4^th spade from the bidding and your partners went 1 down . Fixed by the $%^&$ weak NT . Well we will get in back with our strong NT auctions . We bid 1NT 3NT and they will have to map out the defense for us with their bidding on the way to 3NT .

No , it does not have to be that way . Stan Cabay has given us the tools with 2-way NMF that all flat hands in the 12-14 range can be described by a 1NT rebid . All 18-19 point hands can be described by a 2NT rebid . If you get into the habit of bidding your four card major first in lieu of a diamond with weak or invitational hands when partner opens 1 club you will not miss your 4-4 major fit .

For those playing Wolff relays over 2NT you will not miss your 4-4 spade fit with just one tweak of your system .

1♦	1♥
2NT	3♣
3♦	3♠	*

After a Wolff relay , 3♠ shows exactly 4-4 in the majors and if you have a spade fit you have now found it . After a 1NT rebid and the 2♣ relay , 2♠ also shows 4-4 in the majors and an invitational hand .This is the Puppet Stayman way of finding the major fits. Responder shows her major suits to the big hand instead of vice versa.

There is an offensive advantage in having these understandings . This means when the auction does go up the line you have a new inference .

1♣	1♦
1♥	?

On this auction , partner must have 5 or more clubs . Why ? Well all the balanced hands are impossible now because she did not bid 1NT or 2NT . The 4-4-4-1 hands would have been opened 1 ♦. Gone are the days where you are guessing whether partner has 3 clubs or even 4 clubs. Slam tries in clubs can be made immediately . Even with the 2NT rebids HCP range, you have found your club slam possibly by the one level !!

Anyway , the weak NT is tough to play against because of blind opening leads and trying to guess at declarers distribution . By buying into the Cabay treatment , you too can be labeled tough to play against by hiding your majors from the opponents . This is why I like the Kokish 1♦/2♣ treatment so much , you conceal your majors from the opponents on the “right to know “ principle when you realize you do not have a 4-4 major fit from the 2♣ side . Inducing bad leads by the opponents is a lucrative source of IMPS . I would throw this bidding up the line treatment with flat hands in the garbage can where it belongs.