Monday, April 28, 2003 4:03 AM

Hand Evaluation - 2/1 ( Jump Preference )

PITBULLS :

In Bridge theory, it is a given to show a good suit with a fit before some other feature of the hand like a singleton/void or a systemic bid like Jacoby 2NT. Hand evaluation skills & experience shows that this information is far more important for slam purposes & making competitive decisions than showing a singleton . Therefore , in some instances it is required to bid a 2/1 with a 4 card fit with partners major rather than a splinter or a Jacoby 2NT bid.

Established partnerships should have some understandings worked out dealing with this issue .Luckily there is an idle bid available to describe these 4 card fits after a 2/1 . It is normally useless to make a jump preference for partners major after a 2/1 as it is game forcing anyway . Playing “Serious 3NT”, we do not need to jump around to show extra so use the jump preference to show a 2/1 with 4 trump . It should not be interpreted as a splinter as splintering in partners suit is a no-no.

You hold ♠Kxxx ♥x ♦xx ♣AKQ10xx , partner opens a spade . Splintering is just plain wrong as the club suit is the dominant feature of the hand . Using Jacoby 2NT hides the club suit also so it is best to bid a 2/1 . Partner now rebids 2♥ so now what . Jump to 3♠ ! 2♠ is absolutely forcing so it can be done on all the 3 card support hands . You need a way to show 4 trump on 2/1 auctions. A jump to 4♠ should mean the only reason why I went to the two level in the first place as I have a fit with you with no outside controls . Playing “serious 3NT” this should be a very rare bid .

These 2/1 auctions should change your Q bidding style. Partner must have a good suit for these 2/1 bids. Therefore, you treat the queen of his suit as equal to any other control when you are Q bidding. For example ♠Axxx ♥xxx ♦x ♣AKJ10x opposite ♠KQJxx ♥Ax ♦Qxxx ♣Qx , the auction goes

1♠-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-3♠-P

4♣-P-4♦-P

4NT The queen in partners suit is gold and +1430 results.

In other parts of the world , a lot of pairs would bid 3♣ as a fit showing jump . In Edmonton , we do not subscribe to that bid except maybe as a passed hand or over after an overcall . Since we love our splinters , we need a bid to describe these hands as a non passed hand . What if we had a bad suit ? Say ♠Kxxx ♥x ♦Ax ♣Kxxxxx ? Now a splinter is a more appropriate bid as it is the best feature of the hand . If you held ♠Kxxx ♥Ax ♦Kx ♣Q10xxx , I would bid a Jacoby 2NT as the club suit is nothing to write home about . My partners & I play the 3♣ & 3♦ jump after a major to show masked splinters.

Fit showing jumps make a lot of sense to me . However , since we do not play them in Edmonton except as a passed hand , we must bid 2/1 first followed by a jump in partners major . This should clarify those auctions. Tom & I play a fit showing jump at the 4 level ( flower ) as a passed hand but it is weaker so almost pre-emptive like a jump to 4 of a major . We also play fit showing jumps as a passed hand . The theme is the same though , show a suit & a fit with one bid.