Hand Evaluation - handling Intruders

Friday, April 06, 2007 5:15 AM

Hand Evaluation – Forcing Pass ( Handling Intruders )

PITBULLS:

The secret to handling interference is what we call “top down thinking”. All auctions in Bridge fall into 3 categories , auctions that you own ( forcing pass theory) , auctions they own ( penalty doubles) & auctions that both sides are competing ( D.S.I.P. competitive double theory ) . Identify the playing field initially by making sense of the auction thus far. Identifying “ownership” by analyzing the auction is a must have hand evaluation skill. Work on this …

A huge difference between experts & non expert Bridge players is how they handle intruders into their owned auction. The first inclination for the expert is to make them pay for their indiscretion . On the other hand , for the non expert , confusion sets in. This is why many players adjust to weak fields by disturbing auctions as often as they can. They get away with bad bidding & risks because the folks allow it to happen.

The mathematics of the game of Bridge heavily reward penalty sets. These sets are far more lucrative than games or slams in some instances. Getting a plus via a set is an insurance policy against slams or games failing because of bad breaks or finesses off side. Unless you have a huge fit yourself , your first instincts in dealing with intruders should be to punish them. Let the opponents play misfits doubled & you play the nice fitting hands. Punishing the opponents does not enter the picture with weak players because their defense is very suspect. They need a huge trump stack to double usually.

I was playing with a tormentee who held ♠Jxx ♥KJ98 ♦Qxxx ♣Jx & the vul opponents passed . I opened 1♠ in 4^th seat nv & a passed hand vul opponent overcalled 2♥’s. What do you do ? If they did not intrude into the auction , you would bid a simple 2♠. When they were nv vrs vul , I would still bid 2♠. The other vulnerabilities , I would just pass. You most likely have 3 trump tricks in hearts so if partner has a good hand which seems likely opposite two passed hands , they are in deep trouble. When partner does not have a good hand , defending 2♥ is the best way to obtain a plus. As it turns out , I did have a good hand so I would re-open with a double . We collect +800 or +500 if we defend poorly. Yes , we can make a nv game in spades.

The redouble in Bridge was invented as a tool to punish intruders who have wandered into your auction by doubling. The beauty of the xx is that it signals to partner that we own the auction . The XX lets partner in on the act also. Getting partner involved early in the auction , tightens the noose around our quarry & allows them little opportunity to escape. A XX turns on forcing passes which is another technique which assists in punishing the opponents. When you cannot punish them , maybe partner can so you pass to find this out.

A Tormentee held this hand tonight ♠Q9xx ♥QJ10xx ♦Ax ♣xx , partner opened a strong NT with equal vulnerability. You have 9 HCP’s & are planning to bid game your way. They bid 2♠ which is alerted as showing clubs or the red suits. One thing you can not do is pass as that signals to partner that you do not have anything resembling a good hand. Another thing you cannot do is rescue the opponents by bidding because they took a risk by entering your auction & they lost. Your side has a possible 26 HCP’s against their 14 HCP’s. They may be on a misfit , so you should start with a double to put partner in the picture. The double , like the redouble , turns on forcing passes & allows partner to start wielding the axe also.

When they have the red suits , you will certainly be doubling hearts . When partner has diamonds , you have invited her to join the party. When they have a good suit , forcing passes will allow you to ignore them & just bid your game. We are ready for the kill. A pass screws up the mechanism as you leave partner out of the picture that the opponents may be in trouble. It is just like not redoubling with 10+ HCP to let partner know that the opponents are in trouble. When you pass , confusion sets in. How is partner supposed to know that you bid a 9 HCP hand the same way you would have bid a hand with zero HCP’s ? How do you make up for your initial pass later in the auction ? Partner will always remember your initial pass. It’s the same ambiguity when partner Q bids as a slam try & with 12 HCP’s you make the same bid you would have made with zero HCP’s. Ambiguity destroys languages & communication is impossible with the language of Bridge bidding.

When you have a 2/1 auction & the intruders enter the auction , your first thought should to extract a penalty when you can. Do not rescue them when you do not have a big fit with partner. In a 2/1 auction , you do not need extra to double as you are bidding partners 2/1 or opener also. What if they are NV & you vul ? Partner knows the vulnerability also , partner has the option to pull your double if she feels the penalty will not compensate for the vul game. Here are two Tormentees in action vul against the NV Lee Barton. ♠A109x ♥J98x ♦AKx ♣Jx & you open 1♦ & partner forces to game with 2♣. The wiley veteran bids 3♣ which is alerted as the majors ♠xxxxx ♥K10xxx ♦xxx ♣ void . Opener has a minimum with 4-4 in the majors & no fit with partner. This bid should be music to her ears. Just apply patterns in the majors , 5-4-2-2 & 5-4-2-2 & Lee’s partner may have doubleton or less in both majors !! She doubles saying partner let me at the majors. This thinking is not unlike doubling a Michaels bid when partner opened. Since you do not have extra , this might be a nice way to get a plus as 3NT your way may go down ! When partner has extra & they are in a misfit , it could be a disaster for them. Let opponents play misfit auctions.

Anyway LHO bids 3♥ , Partner with ♠KQx ♥AQ ♦J10x ♣KQxxx passes around to you. You double & of course partner leaves it in. Partner leads the ♥A & continues with the ♥Q . 5 down doubled for +1100 your way. If you had club support you could bid their major . With club support & being vul , you do not wish to defend. A pass by you should deny the majors & a willingness to defend . You are just leaving the door open for partner to double them in their resting spot. The Tormentees had a confused auction , reached 6NT going down when they were about to win 13 IMPS. This was a 26 IMP swing because Lee Barton “confused them” by intruding into their auction. Lee will do it the next time so are you more prepared ? Forcing pass theory is automatically turned on with a 2/1 . Either partner can pass with impunity as the auction can only end with the opponents doubled or your game bid.

Taking your fix is a good guideline for handling intruders. You open 2♣ & they come into your auction. Your first thought should be penalty. Playing controls just rescues the opponents. If you do play controls , define the 1^st step as penalty. Do not have ambiguous bids in these 2♣ auctions. A double universally describes defensive hands , so a double should describe all NT hands. Otherwise you are rescuing the opponents from disaster. A player overcalled 2♣ equal vul with 2♦ holding ♠xxx ♥xxx ♦xxx ♣xxxx & was raised to 3♦. In 3♦X on equal vul, he takes no tricks –2300 but the opponents rescued him with a 3NT bid knowing that partner had 4 controls. Take your fix by taking your plus via the penalty double route should be your first thought in handling intruders.