Their Auctions

2008-02-18 19:09

Hand Evaluation – Partnership ( Their Auctions )

PITBULLS:

There are three different auctions in Bridge. We own the auction , they own the auction or we are just competing for the contract. Discipline is very important when the opponents own the auction as it affects partnership understandings. If they have Q bid or made a 2/1 , the assumption is that it is their hand. They may not be forced to reach game , but you bid on that assumption since the odds are that they will bid their game eventually. Therefore , if you are in their auction , you must describe your hand carefully. Since they own the auction , the only type of double of their final game contract is a trump stack double. D.S.I.P. doubles do not apply when it is obvious they own the auction at any level game or otherwise. You must be competing for D.S.I.P. theory to apply but intruding into their auction is not competing. If you have pre-empted & they own the auction , you can make an “action” double which forces partner to make a decision . Partner can bid your suit or convert for penalty based on his hand. At the 5 level also , D.S.I.P. doubles do not apply by definition.

However , partner is at the table & heard the bidding so if it is impossible for you to have a trump stack penalty double on their auction , the penalty double can be pulled. For example , If you have shown a distributional two suiter , the penalty double can & should be pulled with the appropriate hand. Otherwise , many double game swings. When they bid strongly to their game , you do not double just because they do not know what they are doing. They must be coming into a bad trump break . You give the opponents their due otherwise. They bid game on a strong auction so they intend to make it. Listen to their bidding.

My partner had such a hand , ♠x ♥AJ109xx ♦AKxxx ♣x both nv . The auction goes 1♣ & he overcalls 1♥ & they Q bid 2♥. This Q bid normally means it is their hand so you take it as such. I held ♠xxxxx ♥Qx ♦Qxxx ♣xx so I doubled for a heart lead in case they get to 3NT . Lead directing doubles just show a honour in partners suit , not values. Of course I cannot have values, when they are Q bidding anyway. They now bid 2♠ forcing to game so partner makes a key bid of 3♦ . He is not just competing with a 5-4-2-2 in their auction thereby telling the opponents how to play the hand. Therefore , his bidding must show virtually a red hand. They now bid 5♣ in their very strong auction , so now partner makes a tactical key bid. Knowing that he described up to 11 red cards already , he doubles ! This is a penalty double but he cannot hold any values in the black suits on the auction. There is no room in his hand !! An excellent bid , as I bid 5♦ which gets doubled & makes for +550 as the ♥K is on side ! I had red queens in both his long suits & zero HCP’s in the blacks . Passing the double could be a recipe for the double game swing. If my queens & jacks were in the black suits , I just pass as his penalty double is showing quick tricks in the reds.

IMPs is not matchpoints. You avoid converting responsive doubles , T/O doubles or D.S.I.P. doubles without a trump stack. You do not convert doubles because you just have HCP’s or do not know what to do. In matchpoints, sometimes maybe as you may get the magic +200 when all you can make is +140 . In IMPS , do not even think of doing it . You do not know what partner’s hand may contain so it is a single handed gamble. Partner could be void in their suit & you may have a game or slam your way.. 1♦-X-3♦-X if you were too strong to overcall 1NT with diamond duplication of value , passing is fine as you are just choosing your best plus. You have a game , but the set might be more than your game. Otherwise, you just respond to partners responsive double as requested. Leave gambling for matchpoints !!

Time after time, in any contract but doubled contracts especially , you should not lead blind if you can avoid it. This is because the dummy is the great unknown . You get to look at the dummy first so a peek is worth a 1000 finesses. The 1NTX contract is the prime example of not leading blind because you do not have a clue when the dummy looks like. My partner knows not to make blind opening leads. He holds ♠Jx ♥AK10xx ♦Axx ♣Qxx so on the basis of his 5 card suit he decides to double 1NT . I convert the double for penalty so he is on lead. The card gods dealt him the ♥AK for a reason , so he leads it to look at the board. ♠xxxx ♥void ♦QJ10xxx ♣xxx I play the ♥2 so partner switches to a club . Declarer has a doubleton ♣A so he holds up one round & takes the 2^nd club. Declarer now leads diamonds & he holds up twice. Declarer gives up on diamonds & plays the ♠AK & throws me in with the ♠Q. We now beat the hand for +500 as I run all my clubs but if partner leads a small heart blind , declarer gets out for one down as we do not find the club switch in time !

There are different rules for competing when the biding determines it is the opponents auction or the odds are in favour of the opponents owning the auction. My partner had such a situation when the vul opponents were bidding very strongly & we were not vul . Partner held ♠K1087 ♥AKQ109x ♦void ♣xxx ,the vul opponent opened 1♦ & partner overcalled 1♥. They bid 2♣ & I bid 3♥ which in our system is a simple raise with 4 hearts. They bid 4♦ so they most likely have committed to a vulnerable game their way. Partner on this auction has freedom to do what he wants so he tries 4♥. The opponents now bid 4♠ & partner doubles. Since they own the auction & are not competing the double is penalty. They now bid 5♣ so what is your decision ? At the 5 level , it is just old fashioned Bridge. You bid if you think you can make it & double or pass if you think you cannot. This is an easy decision as you double a freely bid game for a diamond lead. Partner must have defense for his double of 4♠ so let’s take our plus. They go for –800 with best defense & 5♥X goes for –300. The 5 level is for the opponents so double to get your diamond lead & let’s see what happens.