Sunday, October 08, 2006 5:21 AM

Hand Evaluation – Strong 2♦

PITBULLS:

Maybe its my rubber Bridge upbringing , but I think natural bidding is the best way to communicate in Bridge. We have a number of relays in our system but their main purpose is the negative inference that natural bidding is strong. Artificial relays show weak or specialized hands usually to escape ( Lebensohl principle). In the old days , all two bids were strong but eventually Bridge theorists opted for the weak two’s. This notion put all the strong bids under the 2♣ structure which complicated bidding auctions. We have gone back to natural bidding somewhat by having 2♦ strong & natural. I have bid many , many hands from Bermuda Bowls , Spingold & Vanderbilits starting with 2♦ rather than 2♣ with the appropriate diamond hand . They are amazingly simple to bid starting naturally but they were very difficult for the experts who had to start with 2♣. Here is one of them.

♠AKQ ♥Ax ♦AQxxx ♣Axx opposite ♠Jx ♥xxxxx ♦KJ10x ♣xx The auction at both tables went

2♣-P-2♦-P

2NT-P-3♦-P

3♥-P-3NT-P

Our auction 2♦-P-2♥-P

2NT-P-3♦*-P * Transfer

3♥-P-4♦-P

6♦-P-P-P

Here is another where the experts had a problem as both tables reached 4♥. Our auction has a relay inference that natural bidding is strong and a slam try. As usual , announcing your intentions early to partner simplifies auctions. Natural bidding does just that after 2NT rebids. We relay via 3♣ if our intentions were not forward going.

♠J109x ♥Axxxx ♦x ♣AQx opposite ♠AQx ♥KQx ♦Axxx ♣KJx

1♦-P-1♥-P

2NT-P-3♠ By bidding naturally , responder is showing slam interest . The big hand with most of her HCP’s in partners’ suits drives the hand to 6♥. This is a 50 % grand not reached by either table as both pairs had too much science . They did not describe their hand pattern & slam intentions thru natural bidding.

The ACOL 2♦ bid is defined as a strong diamond hand but not forcing to game. These ACOL 2’s apply to two suiters as well as long as diamonds are the anchor suit. ♠AKxxx ♥x ♦AKQJ10x ♣x is a 2♦ opener . After partners 2♥ response , you leap to 4♠. Opening this hand 1♦ in standard bidding is very misleading in my opinion. 4NT should be double agreement KCB by either partner.

Artificially is not necessarily good , as I see in these matches year after year. We can learn from them & bid naturally when we can.