Tuesday,
January 17, 2006 1:49 PM
Hand
Evaluation – HCP’s ( Dynamic Evaluation )
PITBULLS:
Hand evaluation via
HCP’s is “dynamic” . What do I mean by that ? the opponents bidding & location of a
“big” hand changes the value of your hand during the auction. A tormentee
opened 1NT with a super maximum ♠AK ♥xxx ♦AKxxx ♣K10x . I personally would
not have opened that hand one NT as I have a good 5 card suit with all controls . This hand gets promoted
to a minimum of 18 HCP & therefore a 2NT rebid. You cannot just be a slave to the HCP system via your original total of HCP’s. You , like a personnel
manager in a company , should be constantly demoting & promoting hands depending on 5 card suits or whether your HCPs
are controls or queens & jacks. The location & the opponents bidding
also changes the original value
of your hand. My partner would evaluate this
hand to a 2NT opener J .
Anyway the Tormentee opened 1NT , Steve
Willard doubled which in their system shows a single suited hand. I passed , LHO bid 2♣ & Mr. Willard bid 2♥. I crawled in 3♣
& LHO bid 3♥ . So now what do you do ? Hand evaluation is dynamic .
What is the heart suit pattern
around the table ? Steve shows 6 hearts & LHO shows 3 so the pattern is 6-3-3-1 with
partner having a stiff heart !! All we need from
partner is Axxxxx
of clubs & 6♣ has a shot. Turned out I held ♠xxx ♥x ♦Qxx ♣QJxxxx so 5♣ is cold.
The tormentee did not re-evaluate her hand in light of the opponents bidding & passed 3♥ which we beat one
trick.
This
hand evaluation goes back to our old friend patterns . Applying patterns during the auction is
standard dynamic hand evaluation.
Like splinter theory
, by applying patterns you
have found a stiff heart in my hand. Your xxx
of hearts as in splinter theory is no duplication of value. Tom Gandolfo would
have made a slam try with this
hand. The Willards of the world by always being in
the auction can be helpful to re-evaluate
your hand. Using the opponents as a “stepping stone” to further your own
bidding is a basic Bridge strategy. Bidding is still another application of hand patterns.
You
hold ♠Qxxx ♥AQ ♦Kxx ♣J10xx
& you
find yourself in 4th seat. You have a marginal 12 HCP hand but you do have 4 spades so you open 1♣.
They overcall 1♦ , partner bids 1♠ & LHO bids 3♦ . Dynamic hand
evaluation is called for so has your hand improved or got worse during the auction ? The location of the diamond king has
turned your hand into a non
opening bid. You probably have a flat 9 working HCP’s for your passed hand partner. So do you freely bid
3♠ to show a hand worthy of going to the 3 level ? Of
course not , so you pass . Partner now bids 4♣
so you give preference to 4♠ & with favourable location of cards you make +450. OK we will
force a 3♠ bid on you so
partner bids 4♦ . So do you do
anything but bid the “death response” with a hand that had only 12 to begin
with but went down on the auction ? The tormentee now Q bid 4♥, followed by partner
bidding 6♠ for a zero.
You
hold ♠xxx ♥J10xx ♦AQx ♣J9x , everybody vul partner opens
1♥ to which you respond 2♥. This gets passed & they
balance with a double . You can XX to show your maximum but you choose to pass. They bid 2♠ & partner bids 3♣ . Now what ? partner did not compete to 3♥ but bid 3♣ so
why ? Something has dynamically changed partner’s hand .
Sounds like the spades are 5-4-3-1
and partner likes his hand due to the stiff spade. This is all you need to hear so
you leap to 4♥ so you get +650.
An inexperienced pair tonight held this hand ♠AKJ ♥xxx ♦A109x ♣AKJ , the auction went 2♥-X-3♥-4♣ & she
bid 5♣. The field was in 6♣ for +920 so she asked me how she should
have bid the hand. I said that the opponents mapped out a heart stiff or void in
partners hand so you playing with a 30 HCP deck of which you have 20 of them . Give partner almost all the rest for her 4 level free
bid so you just leap to 6♣. I said your hand get
re-evaluated dynamically taking the opponents bidding into consideration.
Dynamic hand
evaluation is using the opponents
to your advantage.
You hold this hand ♠AJ ♥KJ10x ♦QJxxxxx ♣void with the opponents vul & you are not . 3rd seat the vul opponents open 3♣ so how do you use your
hand evaluation skills ? First of all you have a huge
playing hand 7-4 ( offensive hand pattern ) , 2nd you have 12 HCPs with a void
which is 16 HCP ( Goren count ) . You have good heart spots
which is a plus but the main hand evaluation is that you are void in their vulnerable suit.
Almost instantly your hand has grown into
a monster. Say you pass , they bid 4♣ &
partner as a past hand doubles. You have trapped yourself as there is no way
you can show a hand that you should have initially
bid. You can never play “catch up” as partner could never visualize
such a hand that took no initial action. You leap to try & play catch up
but you land in the wrong contract of 6♦ when 6♥ is cold.
Another
example of a hand that you use the opponents to dynamically evaluate your hand my
partner held in Calgary. ♠Qx ♥void ♦K1098xx ♣Jxxxx with everybody vul his LHO opened 1♣ & I doubled
, his RHO bid one heart. What has dynamic hand evaluation told you ? The opponents opened 1♣ in your 5 card suit
& partner shows shortness with
her double. Your RHO bid 1♥ vul
in your void so the odds
favour a lack of duplication of value
in partners hand in hearts. You have 6 HCP so your side should have ½ the deck with
partners double. Your hand has dynamically grown into a monster.with
a 6-5 offensive hand pattern. For the sake of argument ,
let’s give partner some ideal hands. ♠AJ10x
♥J10987
♦Axxx ♣void & a grand slam
in diamonds in on a finesse. Why ?
because the opponents have broadcast that the HCP’s
are in their hands for two suits that you & your partner are extremely short. This
is theoretical of course , so adding some duplication
of value for the T/O double you may make 7, 6 , 5 or just a diamond partial. A
player said she would pass with this hand instead of competing with a mere
2♦ which of course is absurd.
Dynamic
hand evaluation is not
being a “slave to the HCP
system” so you bid game because you “like your hand” in some way.
Why do you all of a sudden like your hand ? The opponents bidding has
improved it during the auction. A
Tormenttee held ♠KQxxxx ♥Axx ♦10xxx ♣void & they opened 1♣
in your void. You overcall 1♠ & partner Q bids 2♣ showing limit
raise or better. The opponents now bid 3♣. How has your hand changed dynamically during the auction ? The opponents have confirmed that you have little or no
duplication of value in your club void. Pulling full weight to your club void , 6th spade & controls some players
might Q bid 4♣ as a slam try. Some would leap to 4♠ as the bidding has
improved the overcall so much. A Tormentee competed to 3♠ , oblivious to how her
hand has grown dynamically during the auction.
Do
not forget to demote hands also
during the auction. ♠Qx ♥xxx ♦KJ10 ♣Axxxxx in 3rd
seat vul ,
partner opened 1♠ & they overcall
2♥ so you try 3♣.
LHO bids 3♦ , partner passes &
RHO bids 3♥. Now what ? Your ♦KJ10 are now useless
so you have just 6 working
HCP’s for partner. The player bid 3♠ & went down 3
vulnerable as partner opened 1♠ for a lead in 3rd
seat with a bad 10 HCP & ♠AKJ10 of spades.
Dynamic hand
evaluation, do not leave home without it ..