Saturday, September 18, 2004
6:16 AM
Hand Evaluation - Penalty Conversion
PITBULLS:
With
so many doubles now being
“responsive” in nature or D.S.I.P.
, you need judgment when
deciding whether partner’s double should be converted
for penalty. The main judgment factors are “duplication of value” in
their suit or your own
suit , length in partners suit
(s) , controls & balanced
distribution . Also the location of your
HCP’s . Are they in the suit that partner
expects them to be ? Are these HCP’s located behind or in
front of the opponents suit ?
With the penalty doubles of old ( circa 1920’s to1980 ) you do not need judgment . You just close your eyes and pass as the double was
for “business” so there is a trump stack over there. Doubles in competition today , even if you do not play
D.S.I.P. doubles as a system , still require
judgment whether they be pulled or
not.
Maurice & I
had an auction recently where this
judgment comes into play . Klimo opened 2♣ which was alerted as showing
clubs with a minumum opener . Maurice held ♠Axx
♥Qxxxx ♦AKx ♣xx
& overcalled 2♥ . Tom G
competed to 3♣ so I doubled with ♠QJ10xx ♥J ♦QJ10x ♣Kxx . I did not want to be shut out of the auction with my 10 HCP with 5-4 in the unbid suits so I
doubled thinking that partner can not interpret this as a “trump stack” double .
We were playing against expert competition who have announced they own clubs. The double must be
responsive/D.S.I.P. Bidding 3♠
is too singlehanded so deprives partner of the option of converting for penalty
or finding the diamond suit.
O.K.
what do you bid with Maurice’s hand & why ? At first glance this might be a hand just to leave the
double in. You have controls & a balanced hand but wait a minute ! Where
are your HCP’s ? All but 2 of your points are in the
suits that partner is advertising
with his responsive double. If
your points were in hearts which is probably opposite partners singleton , there is no fit with duplication of
value . This would the main factor for leaving the double in. Also apply patterns taking the bidding into consideration to help
in your decision. The opponents show up to 9 cards in clubs so partner may only
have a doubleton club . Partner is short in
hearts or else he would not have doubled. This gives him 9 or 10
cards in spades or diamonds. If you pass , the opponents cards (
HCP’s) are all in clubs and hearts
which is a recipe for a lucky make for them. You bid 3♠ ( taking the club ruffs in your hand ) so +140
results as I am all in with my double. A pass nets you –470 as with two hooks onside for them & all 10 of our HCPS in
diamonds wiped out by a singleton they make their contract.
Here is another hand that shows the principles involved in converting partners double for penalties.
If your points are concentrated in the suit that you bid ( which partner assumes they are with his double ) then
that is the factor for leaving the double in.
O.K. I held a hand with Tom against the Bartons that I think
the D.S.I.P. principles apply. I
held ♠Ax ♥xx ♦AK ♣KJ1098xx with
everybody vul . I opened 1♣ , Tom bid a spade & RHO bid 2♣ . This was alerted
to be a two suiter in hearts & diamonds with shortness in clubs . I felt
like leaping to 4♣ but I did not want to go past 3NT so I bid 3♣ . LHO bid 3♦ so around
to me again . O.K. one last desperate attempt at 3NT so I bid 3♥ which LHO
doubled & Tom bid 4♣ . RHO bid 4♦ . I wanted to bid 5♣
very badly but why take such a single handed action ? I have 4♦ booked in my own hand &
I am short in his spade suit so
why not put partner in the picture
with a D.S.I.P. double ? This has to be a competitive double so a try for a 5♣
game. If you wanted to “punish” the opponents you pass as you already have
shown a big hand so partner can act accordingly.
If partner holds ♠Jxxxx ♥x ♦xxx ♣Axxx
4♦ makes and
5♣ makes
If partner holds ♠KQxx ♥Jxx ♦xx ♣xxxx
4♦ goes for 500
and 5♣ goes for 500
If partner holds ♠Jxxx ♥Jxx ♦xx ♣Axxx
4♦ makes and 5♣ goes 1 down
Here the judgment factor is where are
your HCP’s concentrated & what is
the length in your partners suit ? . If your points are in spades where partner expects
them there is duplication of value as partner has no spade fit in this auction. A penalty pass is automatic with
all your points concentrated in that suit. If your points are not in spades ,
they have a “two suited fit” so to speak so the hand will play well for them.
You pull the double & get rewarded as it makes ! Their doubled contract also makes so your judgment was essential.
I
made two D.S.I.P. doubles playing with a Tormentee who wants to try them out
but the required judgment resulted in a disaster both times. ♠KQ ♥Kxxx ♦xxxxx ♣Qx I opened 1♣ , they overcalled a spade which the Tormentee doubled . The
bid 2♠ so I bid 3♦
. They bid 4♠ which came around to me so I doubled saying I wanted to bid 5♦ but I had defense. I had 3 quick
tricks , partner held the KQ of spades wasted
10 HCP’s & shortage in my first bid suit.
This is an easy conversion which nets us +300. The Tormentee bid 5♦ which went for –100 . Tonight I opened a weak 2♦
with ♠xx ♥Ax ♦KQxxxx ♣xxx nv vrs vul opponents . They overcalled 2♥ , the Tormentee bid 3♦ so they bid 4♥ which I doubled ( action ) saying I wanted to sacrifice in 5♦ but I had defense in case partner was not
interested. The Tormenee held ♠xxx ♥Qx ♦J1098 ♣KQJx so again an easy
decision. I can hold at most 2 defensive tricks for my double , she has
excessive length in my suit with only one defensive trick , so the pull to 5♦ is automatic. 5♦X goes for –300 against their +650 which is a top . Our result was –990
which was also a top but their way.
Anyway
, D.S.I.P. doubles are not a tool for beginners as there are no rote rules
for their application. You need experience
and judgment to know when to pull
partners doubles or convert them for penalty. Doubled
contracts making are still defined as a Bridge natural disaster.