Study this one !

 

Sunday, April 23, 2006 3:20 AM

Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( Fit )

 

PITBULLS:

 

How hands fit is one of the most fundamental hand evaluation concepts in Bridge. You evaluate how your hand meshes or fits with partner’s hand. There are many ways of determining how hands fit. Splinters , fit showing jumps , disciplined suit bids but the primary way is the application of hand patterns. You now “see” partner’s hand & make a very accurate determination of how her hand fits with yours. Here is a recent example of using patterns during the bidding to determine how your hand fits with partners in order to make the right high level decision . Your hand is ♠Axx ♥Jxxx ♦x ♣AQxxx , you hear the auction go 1♦, pass by you , 1♠ , pass & 3♦ by opener. This brings 3NT by responder but partner now enters the auction vul by bidding 4♦. Opener now bids 5♦ so over to you. First thing you do in these situations is apply a hand pattern. Partner must be 6-5 or 6-6 to come into their strong auction vul & forcing the contract to the 4 level. How does your hand fit with partner’s ? You probably have a 6-4 fit in hearts & a minimum of a 5-3 fit in spades ! Also partner may have a diamond void & you have the ♣AQ !! You may be cold for 6♥ but giving partner some leeway with all the bidding going on you bid 5♥ which gets doubled & goes one down with the correct defense. ♠KQ10xx ♥Q10987x ♦x ♣x  which is the worst possible hand partner could hold on this auction. This hand has an excellent chance for +1430  ♠KJxxx ♥KQ1098x ♦void ♣xx & partner would have bid the hand the same way !!

 

            Assume you make the wrong bid of doubling 5♦ & lead the spade Ace. The ♣KJxxx comes down on the board so applying patterns is also important in defense as well as bidding , declarer play & opening leads. You know from the bidding that partner is 6-5 or the equivalent in the majors so as you see that your ♣Q is onside you lay down the ♣A & give partner a ruff. If you do not do this you are minus –750 . Determining how hands fit is very important for defense also !! Thinking in patterns is how Bridge should be played , no exceptions. Otherwise , you are just pushing cards out & a guessing game ensues.

 

            Hand evaluation is dynamic . You promote or demote a hand depending on what has happened during the auction. Having a partial fit with partner makes your hand better & a non fit worse. A light reverse sometimes is made when partner has improved your hand as you have 3 cards in her suit. ♠Jxx ♥AKxx ♦AK109x ♣x is a reverse when partner responds a spade to your diamond opener. ♠x ♥AKxx ♦AK109x ♣Jxx is a 2♦ rebid or even a 1NT rebid when partner responds in your singleton !!  Why ? Duplication of value rears its ugly head. The likelihood that your hands do not fit well has increased dramatically.

 

            On the same theme , ♠Qxx ♥xx ♦AKJxxx ♣Ax  is a 3♦ rebid after partner responds a spade as you promote this hand. Change the hand to  ♠xx ♥Qxx ♦AKJxxx ♣Ax & I would rebid  only 2♦ without the partial spade fit for partner. Maurice gave me a hand from rubber Bridge where a player rebid 3♦ with a nice 14 HCP & a good suit but he had a stiff  in Maurice’s spade suit. Maurice held ♠AKxxx ♥x ♦109x ♣AQxx & tried to get to a grand slam in diamonds but stopped in 6♦. This went down as partner had no right to bid 3♦ with a hand that did not fit well & only 14 HCP. Poor hand evaluation was the culprit as a jump rebid shows 16-18 HCP unless promoted for some reason.

 

            Responder’s hand improves quite often if you have a fit in partners suit. This is why experts loath partner’s opening 1♣ with ♠Axxx ♥AQJx ♦AK ♣xxx . Partner may be evaluating her hand based on the club fit. There is no club fit !! Opening 1♣ with this hand is undisciplined so just throws partner off for proper hand evaluation. It may be a cute psych for players who play the game single handedly but experts would open this hand 1♥. Having an understanding that a minor may be this pathetic is not sound Bridge. How can partner ever know what is going on ?  Proper caring & feeding of partner starts with the opening bid. This is called hand evaluation for disciplined partnership Bridge.

 

            Game tries are made & accepted routinely on the basis of how the hands fit with partner. This is why you should show where you live when you have an opening bid. ♠AKQx ♥Jxxxx  ♦Kx ♣xx is the dreaded Flannery hand. With Flannery hands , I routinely open 1♠ in my 4 card suit to show where I live with a horrible heart suit. If I open 1♥ , partner bids 1NT you are trapped to bidding a two card minor. 9 of your HCP’s are in spades so promote it to a 5 card suit before you open. Lesser of the bidding evils as in the Goren days this was done routinely. You help partner out for leads & hand evaluation which is good. Opening a heart with this hand does neither for partner.

 

            You hold ♠Qxx ♥void ♦AQ1098xxx ♣AQ , you open 1♦ with partner responding a spade. Your partners spade response with your 8 card suit has dynamically turned this hand into a monster. This hand gets dynamically promoted to a game forcing hand. I would make a jump shift to 3♣ to hear what partner has to say. If partner responded 1♥  where my void is located ,  my hand is not as good. Now this hand gets demoted to a 3♦ rebid which may be passed . Let partner’s bidding assist you in your hand evaluation. The playing holding this hand ( drum roll please ) rebid 2♦ !!!