Wednesday, December 11, 2002 4:08 PM

Hand Evaluation – Partnership ( Seat Position )

PITBULLS:

Playing the vulnerability means that the state of the vulnerability governs what you bid . You also should let what seat you are in influence your actions . 1st and 2^nd seat demands discipline in your opening bids as your partner is the “great unknown” . Do not do stupid undisciplined things in 1st or 2^nd seat like pre-empting with outside cards . Chances are the victim will be your partner rather than the opponents . Super light openers in 1^St or 2^ND without controls also is not good strategy for the same reason . Respect partner !

In 3^rd and 4^th seat you have the green light . Openers can be shaded as you have Drury with a partner that will not punish you . Make your light openers lead directing though . Opening light just for the sake of opening light is a pigeon shooting technique which should have no place in IMPS . You really are not going to hinder good players by opening your flat 11 HCP . In fact , you probably just have located cards for them when they reach their spot . 3^rd seat now gives you license to have some outside cards in you pre-empts . Partner should not get “sacrifice happy” as you may be operating with your pre-empt . Sacrificing should be more frequent after disciplined 1^st or 2^nd seat pre-empts .

4^th seat changes the meanings of some bids. The Gambling 3NT is constant in 1^st ,2^Nd and 3^rd seats as we still have the “opponent factor” . In 4^th seat the opponents are passed hands also so 3NT will definitely have outside stuff and partner should probably not pull if the contract gets doubled . Lee Barton sometimes opens 3NT with a flat 10 HCP in 4^th seat . Please feel free to pull the double when Lee is your partner J . Weak 2’s in 4^th seat are still weak 2’s or else you would have opened 1 & rebid your suit . Since you are in 4^th seat you are at the top of the range and even beyond right up to 16 HCPs . These hands are normally quite distributional , lacking in defensive values or else you would have opened at the one level .

3^rd seat at favourable vulnerability you have the green light for “tactical operations” . You hold ♠xx ♥xx ♦xx ♣KQJ1098x . 3♣ is a little mundane with this hand in 3^rd seat . They certainly have a vul game their way so why not show your flat distribution with a 1NT bid ? Do not just get fixated on your hand . Bid your hand in conjunction with the “table action” . Two passed hands quite often dictates your actions. Always remember “bidding safety plays “ . If you pass , the next two bids could be 1NT pass 3NT so –630 for you anyway !!

We all play 5 card majors . Rules are made to be broken in 3^rd seat . Opening good 4 card majors in 3^rd and 4^th is a good tactic . They are lead directing as well as pre-emptive . They cut down on the opponents overcalls & take out doubles .In 3^rd seat with ♠AKJx ♥xx ♦Q10xxx ♣xx I open 1♠ rather then 1♦ . Opening 4 card majors is not bad Bridge . Charles Goren opened 4 card majors all his career & he did just fine . You hold ♠Jxxxx ♥KQJ10x ♦void ♣Kxx in 3^rd seat. The rules of Bridge say open 1♠ but not in 3^rd seat. Treat the spade suit as a 4 card suit & open 1♥. This is to prevent the opponents bidding 1♠-1NT-P-3NT and getting the dreaded spade lead.

Also in 3^rd and 4^th seat , if I have a close decision between a one bid & 2♣ opener , seat position dictates that I open the hand 2♣ . I would open 2♣ with all strong two suiters as the chances that my passed hand partner might not be able to respond is greater . Have different bids for different seat positions. A 2♠ opener in 4^th suit is 14-16 rather than the weak two range as we have 3 passed hands. 2♦ is Roman in 4^th rather than multi etc. Passed hand bids have different meanings like my partners & I play fit showing jumps as a passed hand rather than weak jump shifts. Weak jump shifts as a passed hand is silly as you would have opened them a weak two in the majority of cases.

Vulnerability effects your decision to trap or whether you will make a penalty double of their 1NT. If they are vul &d you are not , do not overcall 1NT with a trump stack in their suit. That is silly bidding as you just rescuing them. 1♥ to your right , you have ♠Kx ♥KQJ10x ♦AQx ♣Qxx . If they are vul & you are not , this is a clear cut pass. If you are vul & they are not , overcall 1NT. On equal vul , I still pass but others notably the Vinnies do not. If they open 1NT and you have ♠AKxxx ♥AKxxx ♦Kx ♣x again your decision is vulnerability dependent. If they are vul you double , if you are vul & they are not , make your systemic bid that shows the majors. On equal vul , I again would double as when NT is bid it is “strength before shape “.

Anyway , always be aware of the seat position and the vulnerability when partner opens . Take that into consideration so if the opponents interfere , do not punish partner. Have extra when you compete , take table position into consideration when you make penalty doubles & redoubles . Bidding is not just bidding your hand – it’s bidding your seat position & the vulnerability also. Give partner leeway & partner should give you leeway.