2007-10-13 04:10

Hand Evaluation – Triggers ( Patterns )

PITBULLS:

When the opponents pre-empt or use a systemic toy , they have established an automatic trigger for hand patterns. It is common knowledge , for example , that a pre-emptive jump overcall shows a 6 card suit. Think of hand patterns as golf clubs in your bag. When they make a jump overcall , ask your caddy for your 6 iron. These are the 6 series of patterns you are going to use for this particular defense. ♥Kxx of trump on the board & you have ♥A10x & partner leads a trump against 4♥X which heart do you play ? 6 iron please . 6-3-3-1 so partner has a singleton so may as well go up Ace & cash all our tricks. +300 instead of –590 is a 20 IMP swing.

Here is an example of partner’s golfing ability . He has ♠xx ♥void ♦AKQJxx ♣xxxxx & with everybody vul opens 1♦. Osama bids 2NT which I double with ♠A109 ♥A987x ♦xxxx ♣x . They end up in 4♥X so I lead a diamond. Board hits with ♠KQJxxxx ♥Q10 ♦xx ♣10x so partner turns to his caddy & after some thought asks for the 6 iron. It sounds from the bidding that Osama has 6♥ , so let’s go with that assumption. Osama bid a toy so the rest is relatively easy. Give him 5 clubs for his bid & he followed to the 1^st diamond. 6-5-1-1 or 6-5-2-0 . OK you now ask your caddy for the 5 iron to get the club situation . 5-5-2-1 so partner has a stiff club. He did not lead it of course as he has 5 trump. Therefore , it is best to get declarer down to the same length as partner as you know the trump are 6-5-2-0 from your 6 iron. Partner returns a diamond & Osama ruffs. Osama leads a heart to board & I duck & he wins his ♥queen . I take the 2^nd heart & now as I am the same trump length as Osama , disaster for their side. I lead another diamond & Osama has lost control of the trump suit. He leads clubs & I ruff so I get as many trump tricks as I have diamonds to lead for +800. Say partner does not play golf & returns a club to my known singleton. Osama has 6♥ to my 5♥ so we just beat the contract 1 as I get my two natural heart tricks.

Partner opens & they overcall 3♠ . This gets passed around to opener who doubles. You leave it in with you flat hand ♠Axx ♥xx ♦Qxxxx ♣xxx & the board hits with ♠xx ♥xxx ♦xxx ♣AKQxx . You ask your caddy for the 7 iron due to the trigger of the 3 level pre-empt. You win your spade Ace & you now know from using your 7 iron that declarer has 9 tricks if you do not cash the reds in the right order. 6♠ & 3♣ = 9 . Help partner make the right club selection by leading your doubleton heart. This suit is easier for partner to plug into a pattern than an ambiguous low diamond. You know that cashing the reds in the right order is huge.

Patterns are just another tool in the bag to be used when the situation calls for it. It would be absurd if a golfer did not use the appropriate club in his golf bag for a shot. It is absurd for Bridge players to not utilize all the clubs in her golf bag. The wrong shot is usually the outcome , so fire your caddy. It is fun in Bridge to use the correct iron in your bag as it is in Golf. Correct shots are what both games are all about.