Wednesday, March 14, 2007 8:10 PM
Hand Evaluation – Unlimited Hands ( Choice of
Contracts )
PITBULLS:
Once
you have found a fit , it is very difficult to
find an alternative contract. Why ? because
all bids are now Q bids as you have already found your fit. I have given up trying to play a magical 4-4 fit
after we have established our 5-4 major fit , for
example. Just too difficult. What is not as difficult , is to play 3NT
after finding your major fit . One simple rule though as you must jump to 3NT
before it is a choice of contracts. If you bid 3NT directly at the same level , it is a Q
bid showing serious slam interests.
My
partners & I have put limit raises
in our Jacoby 2NT
structure. This frees our jump
raises in the major to conform to
the law of total tricks i.e. you show your 4th
trump in the bidding. Knowing that partner has the 4th trump can not be overstated in
importance. All simple
raises
must show 3 trump so the auction is off to the best start possible. Tom Gandolfo held
this hand ♠K10xx ♥xx ♦Jx ♣KJxxx & I opened 1♠. This hand is not
quite good enough to bid 2NT to show our limit raise therefore Tom bid 3♠ to show his 4th
trump with simple raise
values. I now bid 3NT , so is this a choice of
contracts after we have found our 5-4 fit ? No this is a Q bid expressing
serious slam interest as we are at the same level. Tom bids 4♣
, this hits my void so I sigh off in 4♠.
If partner makes a pre-emptive bid , 3NT is a choice of contracts & not a Q bid. It
is silly making a serious slam try to a pre-empt so you have the luxury of
trying for a 9 trick game. The best place , believe it
or not to offer a choice of contracts is at the slam level. You have found your fit early and mentioned your
secondary suit. All of a sudden you bid your secondary suit at the 6 level.
This is a choice of contracts and partner is probably worried about the
strength of the trump suit. This choice of contracts bid normally shows a good suit.
The
same reasoning us used to define the meaning of 2NT in depending on context auctions. If
you would otherwise have a systemic meaning to 2NT ( Lebensohl or whatever) , it is off if the opponents have pre-empted. The “good bad
2NT” is used to announce weakness so you can compete rather than show
invitational values. Why announce that you are weak to a pre-empt. If they make a weak jump shift
, weak jump overcall or weak two bid mo matter what the auction, your
2NT bid is natural. If they have
values, your
2NT can have systemic meanings. There is a built in safety factor here. Your natural 2NT is less likely to be doubled if one of them pre-empted.
1♣-2♦-x-P 1♣-1♥-2♠-2NT 1♦-P-1♥-2♠ 1♥-P-2♠-2NT ( natural - not
minors )
2NT
2NT
Change these auctions so the opponents can have strength , the 2NT bid becomes systemic.
1♠-2♦-x-P 1♦-1♠-x-2♠ 1♠-P-2♠-2NT ( minors ) 1♠-x-2♠-2NT*
2NT* 2NT*