Sunday, March 02, 2003 10:33 PM
Constructive Bidding
PITBULLS:
When
you have a choice of bids , pick the one that is most constructive to reach game . Take this hand for example :
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You are vul and LHO opens 2♠ and passed around to you in the balancing chair.
What is the most constructive bid you can make that might lead to game ? A dbl is not good so its down to an off
shape 2NT balance or a 3♣ bid . You are only balancing , so can partner read you for 16 points for a 3♣
balance ? Will partner move with
the 8 or 9 HCP required to make
game if all you do is protect her hand with a 3♣ balance ? In most cases it would be called
punishing the balancer .
Show your spade stopper and HCP range by bidding 2NT …
Over
a forcing NT , a number of hands that are difficult to bid are hands that just fall
under a strong jump shift . Again you have a choice of invitational tries you
can make. The most common game try in these sequences is called “patterning out” . Lorna and I had an
auction in the Swiss that shows the constructive nature of that bidding .
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Lorna opened a spade
and I bid 1NT . Lorna bid 2♣ and I bid 2♠ . Lorna did not want to give up even when I made a
weak response so now what ? The most
constructive bid is to now bid 3♦ . This maps out you stiff heart and lets partner
know that you have a stiff heart and extra HCP’s . Partner may have 5 or 6
diamonds and pass . Partner may 8
or 9 HCP with wastage in hearts and 3NT is the place to play . Modify
your hand and have Axx of hearts instead of diamonds and you may reach an
excellent 4H game from the 3-5 side ! Anyway bidding your pattern is the most
constructive sequence in these auctions if you are groping for a game .
Do not forget that partner is a
passed hand when the opponents pre-empt . You hold
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and partner is a passed hand. RHO opens 3♦ and you are vul . If partner is not a passed hand
you might try a double . What are the odds that you have game with your 13 when
partner does not open ? The most
constructive bid you can make is pass . Partner may re-open but if she fails to
do so , you are not missing a game . A double led to 3NT down 3 for –300 and 3♦ goes down two the other way .
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You open a
club and LHO bids a diamond .
Partner bids a spade and RHO bids 2♠ show a limit raise in diamonds . You minimum is good
now that you are probably playing
with a 30 point deck with no wastage in diamonds . You should make a support double showing a 3 card raise .
This will put partner in a better position to compete when they bid the
expected 3♦ . Partner competes to 3♠ and all pass and you are +140 . You should not pass
because partner might compete to the 4 level in clubs and you give the
opponents a free double of 4♠
.
Partners hand is
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10 |
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She will not sell out for 3♦ when she is void in their suit . Since you do not
have diamonds and do not have
spades ( no support double ) then you have clubs and competing in clubs is
clear cut from partners point of view. Support doubles were invented to help
out in trench warfare in fighting for partials . Even not playing support
doubles you should double their spade Q bid with your honour 3rd .
Anyway
, the theme is to make constructive bids when given the chance and it will make
life easier for partner.