Thursday, March 17, 2005 2:58 AM

Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( Hand Types )

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Bridge is a bidders game in modern times. This means in general ,  use the green card only when you have defensive hands in competition. What do we mean by defensive hands ?  Patterns again provides your answer. 4-4-3-2 , 4-3-3-3 , 4-4-4-1 , 5-3-2-2 or 5-4-2-2 are defensive hands by virtue of their distribution . If you have these flatish type hands , the odds are increased that the other hands will be defensive in nature also. These hands should normally be passed or unless you have a great deal of HCP’s to justify bidding a NT.  Offensive hands are the 5-5-2-1 distributions ( two suiters ) followed by hands with a 6 card suit or more . Get into the auction with offensive hands ! Lots of HCP’s are really not necessary when you have the distribution to fall back on. Passing with offensive hand types usually means you are a slave to the HCP system. HCP’s are the only way you know how to play the game of Bridge. “How many points did you have , Gerald “. Bid your hand patterns not just your HCP’s !

 

 My partner held a 5-4-2-2 defensive hand type with soft values nv vrs vul . I opened 1♥ & his RHO made a T/O double. With a defensive hand type partner bid 1NT with ♠Qx ♥109 ♦Axxxx ♣QJ10x & LHO bids 4♠ all pass making +650 for them. What is the least descriptive bid you can make with this defensive hand pattern ? A 2♦ bid which shows a weak single suited offensive hand giving partner the impression you may wish to take offensive action. A  2♦ bid with this hand is virtually a psyche as how can partner read you for a flat 9 HCP with a porous 5 card ♦ suit ? Now when they bid their vul 4♠ , partner bids 4NT to setup the ♦ sacrifice . This results in a disaster as the opponents play the hands in 5♠X for -850 as you now try to describe your original defensive hand with a double. Too late , as I assume that an offensive hand type doubling means a trump stack at the 5 level.  Bidding a suit originally rather than a NT with a defensive hand & soft values  , throws partner off & bad decision making results.

 

            Playing with a Tormentee tonight , we got some bad results by passing with offensive hands . You pass with ♠xx ♥AJxxx ♦Q9xxx ♣Q , the auction goes 1♠ by LHO with 1NT by the opponent to your right. This is an offensive hand ( 5-5-2-1 )  so let’s crawl into the auction. With two suits ranking below the spade suit you would like to keep the auction below 2♠,  so you double. If partner bids 2♣ you have an easy pull to 2♦ so partner knows that you have a red two suiter ( equal level conversion ) . 5-5’s are meant for bidding & you have the added advantage of partner knowing that you are a passed hand. Anyway , you pass ,make +120 but you get a zero as most tables got pushed by competitive bidding to a spade contract which only makes 110 or down one at the 3 level.

 

            You pass in 1^st seat . The auction goes 2♠, RHO opponent bid 2NT catching you with ♠void ♥Qxxx ♦AJx ♣K1098xx . This definitely falls in the class of offensive hands. A void in the opponents suit is gold. I would double 2NT as I have the liberty of being a passed hand but I have some defense with my playing hand. You pass , they exchange information unimpeded so they get +420  for almost a zero for you. Open up the slip , there is a 5♣X making our way. Offensive hand types are made for bidding .

 

            Same Tormentee , you hear the auction go 1♦ to your right & you have vul  ♠Jxx ♥QJ10874 ♦x ♣Axx . This falls into the class of offensive hands . You have a 6 card suit with a stiff in the opponents suit. This is a 2♥ bid in any game at any vulnerability. You paid your card fees so you have a right to bid . A pass tells partner you have a defensive hand or no reason to enter the auction. A pass is a descriptive bid that communicates information to partner that you do not have an offensive hand type.

 

            Let the vulnerability & the Bridge scoring method allow you some risk taking & your hand type determine how you are going to bid. Do not forget when the opponents make +650 you have 3 down not vul to play with . Vul , I opened 4♥ against a tormentee who was in the balancing seat with ♠AQx ♥xxx ♦AKxxxx ♣x . She passed so I made +650 . The problem was that game in spades or diamonds makes her way ! This again is an easy double  with your quick tricks & distribution. If partner bids 4♠ or converts for penalty you live with it . If partner bids 5♣ , you convert to 5♦. Since you are in the balancing seat , this bid just means that you do not have clubs. It is not mean a huge hand as equal level conversion works at the 5 level also. Partner will give you leeway to bid with offensive hands in these situations. Doubling & bidding a suit to show a strong hand has gone the way of the dodo bird.

 

            Penalty doubles with offensive hands do not work unless you have many quick tricks. This double gives partner a wrong picture of your hand so when they run to another spot , he starts to wield the axe. In a competitive auction , partner doubled 3♣ with ♠xx ♥x ♦AKQJxx ♣Q10xx so when they ran to 3♠ , I doubled . This contract unfortunately was cold because partners’ points were all in one suit with a 6-4 pattern is not a defensive hand.

 

            Partners judge opening leads , balancing , penalty doubles or overcalling but what partner did or did not do . Passing with offensive hands , throws a partnership off. When defending , partner is going to infer that you cannot hold a 5-5 or a 6 card suit or else you would have bid. This is going to cause partner to make wrong defensive decisions or opening lead decisions or balancing decisions. Passing too often puts strain on the partnership to find right opening leads . Passing also gives a “free ride” for the opponents to find the right spot. Pass with defensive hands but bid with offensive hands. Conversely bidding a suit with a defensive hand type also throws partner off.  Let patterns & the quality of your HCP’s be your guide.