Tuesday, August 29, 2006 10:34 AM

Hand Evaluation - Taking Your Plus ( Doubt )

PITBULLS:

Here is where IMPS is an easier game than matchpoints. Gambling is more common in the matchpoint game because you need the best plus to score well. In IMPS, gambling is less common due to the nature of the scoring of that game. If you have doubt , do not gamble but default to taking your plus. The opponents are taking a sacrifice so partner makes a forcing pass around to you. Do you bid for your +650 or take your sure plus by doubling them ? In matchpoints this a tough decision , not so in IMPS when there is some doubt. You just double & take your plus. Even if you only get them for +300 & you can make game , in the long run you will gain IMPS by consistently doubling them. The next time you double them for 500 , you go for –100 if you bid. You just got a return on your investment already. You lost 6 IMPS last time & won 12 this time. You are a head of the game . If you are right by doubling with the next decision , you are +18 IMPS a head of the bidders.

Partner doubles their 3 level pre-empt so this time you have a decision to convert for penalty or try for a slam or a vul game. Again a tough decision in matchpoints. Not so tough in IMPS as if there is any doubt , err on the side of caution & take your plus. Sometimes with the “modern” notion of pre-empting they give you a slam anyway ! There is nothing worse in Bridge where you try for a futile slam going down one & you had +1100 by just passing their doubled pre-empt.

The hardest place to take your plus is vul vrs nv pre-empting opponents. They open 3♣ nv vrs vul & partner doubles. Your hand is ♠AJx ♥QJ9 ♦J9xx ♣Jxx so what is your decision ? You have a defensive hand but no wastage in clubs so if partner has a 5 card major you probably have a game. This is guessing however so with your flat 10 HCP’s , 3♣ doubled will not make so you pass. You get +300 but if you try for a major game you go for -300 so a 12 IMP swing on your decision. With a 7 card suit in the mix . the majors will not break properly anyway so take out insurance & just take your plus.

When the auction is up at the rarefied 4 level or higher , taking your plus becomes more paramount. 3♣-x-5♣-? Forcing passes are automatically turned on by this auction so that at least you can guarantee a plus. If you do not have a certain game your way , take your plus – do not gamble. The auction goes 4♠-P-P-? ♠x ♥J10x ♦AQx ♣AKxxxx so you have 3 ½ quick tricks. Why gamble that partner has clubs when you can take your plus with a double ? Partner could hold spades , a long heart suit , a long diamond suit or a void in clubs. Bidding 5♣ is an unnecessary shot that can easily turn a certain plus into a minus. By taking unilateral action , you are falling into the hands of the pre-empter. A double is the most flexible bid in Bridge & certain describes your quick tricks better than bidding 5♣.

There is another time where you should just take your plus. This is the occasion where something has gone wrong in the auction. Partner has forgotten an understanding or misbid his hand. I know your partnership does not have bidding misunderstandings but I am not so lucky. When the auction has turned to confusion, bail out by taking your plus. If you miss something , partner will apologize but do not make things worse by guessing & throwing gasoline on the fire.

I missed a systemic bid recently. I held ♠xxxx ♥Jxxxx ♦x ♣xxx , partner opened 2♣. They overcalled 2♦ which I passed showing 0 or 1 controls in our system. Partner bid 2NT , I bid Puppet Stayman . Partner bid 3♦ saying he had a major or both majors. I now slipped up by not bidding 3NT which shows both majors with a weak hand. I bid 3♠ which shows hearts & partner bid 3NT. I now bid 4♠ to play it in partners known major. This confused partner as I am not supposed to have both majors. However , the auction is screwed up & I have advertised zero or one controls so err on the side of caution & just take your plus. If we miss a slam its my fault , so bailing out time rather than guessing. Partner should not try some esoteric bid without discussing it first. If the bid can be natural , it is in a fowled up auction. That is a default. We make 4♠ by “taking our plus” & 6NT goes 6 down vul when you “guessed wrong” & try to compensate for partners systemic error.

If you are not sure on an auction , default to taking your plus. ♠A10xx ♥Kx ♦Kxxx ♣AQx & you hear partner overcall a 2♦ bid with 2♠. You Q bid 3♦ & partner shows a balanced hand with a 3NT bid. You bid 4♣ & partner complies with 4♦. You bid 4♥ & partner bids 5♣ . You bid 5♦ with partner bidding 5♥. You decide to try 5NT , which is an obvious grand slam try but partner bids 6♠. You can not count 13 tricks so you default to taking your plus in 6♠ . 7♠ has no play .

Say you are not sure of a systemic understanding. The auction goes 1♠-P-2♦-P

3NT-P-?

You are not sure of the meaning of the 3NT bid. It is either 15-17 or 18-19 HCP but you are not 100 % sure. Err on the side of caution by taking your plus. With 15-17 HCP , 4NT is surely safe so bid 4NT invitational rather than leaping to 6NT. Partner will go on to 6NT with the hand you think he might hold. Systemic misunderstandings are a disaster only if you make them a disaster. Take your plus when you have doubt & not 100 % sure !!