Saturday, May 13, 2006 8:07 PM

 Hand Evaluation – Constructive Bidding ( D.S.I.P. )

PITBULLS:

            Discipline or lack of discipline determines your style of playing Bridge. If your style is just bidding to complicate things for the opponents , partner can not read anything into your bidding. Destructive type bidding is for “solo artists” unless on the terrorist vulnerability. Constructive bidding can be greatly enhanced by communicating with partner via the double. A double allows partner the final say in a competitive auction.

♠K987 ♥x ♦xxxx ♣xxxx   The auction goes        1♥-P-P-X 

2♦-3♣-?  

A disciplined player knowing that partner did not XX or bid 3♦ would not bid. This is a fight that we can not possibly win when partner just bids 2♦.  A 3♦ bid should mean that given my initial pass , I have a hand that may warrant a sacrifice later on. Holding only 4♦ with a stiff in partners first suit that is the last message you want to convey to partner. Assume you do encourage partner by bidding 3♦ with them reaching 4♠. You now have an obligation to undo your previous sacrifice encouragement & make a penalty double . Do not forget that you have a partner.  4♠X goes for 300 but partner thought he had the green light to bid 5♦ when you passed. This went for a telephone number & it was a pseudo also as the opponents were in the wrong game.

            D.S.I.P. doubles have a fail safe built into the sacrificing structure. If they own the auction but you intruded, a double says I am “asking permission” to sacrifice with defensive tricks. 4♠X now gets converted so all is well rather than make a single handed sacrifice. When bidding is meaningless , all you can do is believe the opponents & pass. Bridge is no longer a partnership game so you may as well go to a Casino . Gambling is a very single handed endeavour. .

            D.S.I.P. doubles allow you to play an undisciplined style in competition if you want. The fact that partner did not double after showing a distributional hand , means he does not have a good defensive hand. This means you can bid more without partner punishing you. Do not overdo it though. Partner had a shapely hand recently, opened 1♦ & the vul opponents overcalled 2♣ . Partner passes , they bid 2♥ so opener bids 2♠. They bid 3♣ , you now bid 3♦ so they bid 3♥. Pass around to you again. You have the inference that partner does not want to compete with a good hand as he did not double. You pass so they miss a vul game. In actuality, opener’s partner bid again , to push them into their cold vulnerable game.

            Do not forget that forcing passes can be turned on even for a pre-empting partner. If partner opens 3♦ vul , you contract for a vul game with the opponents coming into your auction, forcing passes are turned on . Same with a double after a weak two . This double says we own the auction. 2♠-3♠-X  it is silly telling the weak two that you have spade support to invite competing. The double says “let me at them” but more than that it turns on forcing passes & invites the pre-empter to double also. Forcing passes are a huge part of constructive bidding & partnership Bridge.

            Garazzo says do not enter a fight that you can not win. If they have the ammunition , do not bid just to hear yourself talk. All it does is help the opponents. They having the bully suit or the majors , you are beat before you start so why bid again ?  Good opponents will not let you buy it so you may give wrong information to partner. Pushing opponents into their best spot is a serious Bridge error. Green pass cards have a lot to do with bidding in Bridge. Discipline & the pass card are a good marriage. “Anybody can bray like a Jackass” a wise Bridge player once said. There is an art to passing when it is right.  A pass is a non destructive bid.

            Splintering at the 4 level with any vulnerability should turn on forcing passes & say we own the hand. Why give information to the enemy otherwise ? If it is their hand , they will buy the contract so you have helped them play the hand. Playing a disciplined style , you need to identify the difference between competing vrs ownership of auction. Otherwise , you are just bidding to impede the opponents all the time so that defines your style.  A partner is not required playing this destructive style.

            Whether you have bought into D.S.I.P. theory or not , you must put partner in the picture when competing. The double is the most versatile bid in competition to say that you want to bid again bit with a good defensive hand or we own the auction for forcing pass purposes. Bidding again removes one of your options & partner does not know if you bidding to compete or bidding again because you have a good hand. Constructive bidding means when you bid again you are doing it for a purpose. D.S.I.P. theory allows you to truly compete better.