Thursday, March 17, 2005 2:58 AM

Hand Evaluation  -  HCP's ( Offensive Vrs Defensive Hands )

 PITBULLS:

            Theoretically you can divide all Bridge hands into offensive or defensive hands. With offensive hand types you bid or Q bid . With defensive hand types , you double or pass. A very simple but effective way of to approach  bidding. In the Toronto NABC , Kiz Fung held ♠AQJx ♥Jx ♦KQxx ♣J109 & opened 1♦ . I responded one spade & Kiz raised to 2♠ . This was passed out to a balancing double. Kiz has a defensive hand type  with 14 HCP & 2 ½ quick tricks. She of course redoubles to show this hand & put partner in the picture. The opponents had nowhere to go . I held ♠K10xx ♥KQ10x ♦x ♣xxxx & the opponents go 3 down doubled in any contract they choose. If Kiz rescues them by bidding 3♠ directly , we go one down instead. Partner’s response in these auctions is the “great unknown” & should be captain of the auction as you have either described your defensive hand with a pass or redouble or an offensive hand type by bidding. Kiz, redoubles with her flat 14 HCP defensive hand & the opponents are duly punished for entering our auction. Interesting hand as the opponents had 5 tricks on defense but almost only 5 tricks on offense also !!!

Actually this offensive & defensive model is too great a generalization. There is a 3rd category of hands called “garbage” which is neither good for offense or defense . Take this hand for example vul vrs ♠Kx ♥J10x ♦KQx ♣QJxxx . This hand lacks valuable quick tricks to be considered an opening bid on offensive considerations nor is it an opening bid considered on defensive considerations for lack of quick defensive tricks. This hand falls into a 3rd category called “garbage” which are hands that serve no useful Bridge purpose.  These hand types are passed to convey that particular message to partner.

Why are these hands garbage for Bridge purposes ? On defense these hands are terrible because the opponents doubletons wipe out the 3rd round queens & jacks for defensive purposes quite often. The opponents have Axxxxx opposite two small so they establish the suit where your 3rd round potential winners do not realize their potential and get discarded on the established suit. These garbage hands simply do not take tricks on defense in a trick taking game called Bridge. Garbage hands have too any losers no matter what method you se to count losers.  In NT , they are quite useless based on timing because the opponents quick tricks win the race for suit establishment. On offense,  they are poor cards also as the opponents have the timing for cashing tricks quickly or ruffing these cards out rendering them useless. With a preponderance of these soft cards like the hand above , the opponents have enough quick tricks to set you off the top. You lack timing for suit establishment yourself , entries for squeezes , endplays , timing  or lack the card combinations like an AQ for even making a finesse. Advocates of garbage openers are missing the point as to the purpose of an opening bid. “this is the opening hand in all forms of duplicate bridge and in all vulnerability” they say incredulously. An opening bid was designed by the authors of this game  to announce both defensive & offensive potential to partner so that logical Bridge decisions can follow.  Garbage openers like the above hand have neither to offer partner . Case closed. Try poker or the VLT’s instead of Bridge if this does not make any sense to you.

Generally though , Bridge is a bidders game with offensive hand types. This means that use the green card mostly when you have unsuitable defensive hands. What do I mean by defensive hands ? HCP's & patterns again provides your answer. 4-4-3-2 , 4-3-3-3 , 4-4-4-1 , 5-3-2-2 or 5-4-2-2 are defensive hands by virtue of their distribution . When you have these flatish type hands especially with soft HCP values, the odds are increased that the other hands will be defensive in nature also. These defensive hands should normally be passed unless you have the right number of quality HCP’s  ( quick tricks ) to justify bidding.  Offensive hands are 5-5-2-1 distributions  and all hands with a 6 card suit or more . Get into the auction with offensive hands ! Lots of HCP’s are really not necessary when you have the distribution to fall back on. The type of HCP's you hold should also be considered along with your patterns. Passing is usually right with soft values & bidding or doubling with transferable values ( quick tricks ) .

            Playing with a tormentee tonight we got some bad results by passing with offensive hands . You pass with ♠xx ♥AJxxx ♦Q9xxx ♣Q initially, the auction goes 1♠ by LHO , 1NT to your right. This is an offensive hand so let’s crawl into the auction. With two suits below the spade suit you would like to keep the auction below 2♠ so you double. If partner bids 2♣ you have an easy pull to 2♦ so partner knows that you have a red two suiter. 5-5’s are meant for bidding and you have the added advantage of partner knowing that you are a passed hand. Anyway you pass , they bid 2NT and all pass. They make +120 and you get a zero as most tables got pushed to a spade contract which only makes 110 and down one at the 3 level.

            You pass in 1st seat ,t he auction goes 2♠ followed by the opponents bidding 2NT . You hold ♠void ♥Qxxx ♦AJx ♣K1098xx . This definitely falls in the class of offensive hands. A void in the opponents suit is gold & should bring you into the auction. . I would double 2NT as I have the liberty of being a passed hand and I have some defense measured in quick tricks . You pass and they exchange information unimpeded and they get +420  for almost a zero for you. Open up the slip , there is a 5♣X making our way. Offensive hands are made for bidding .

            Same Tormentee , you hear the auction go 1♦ to your right and you have ♠Jxx ♥QJ10874 ♦x ♣Axx . This falls into the class of offensive hands . You have a 6 card suit with a stiff in the opponents suit. This is a 2♥ bid in any game,  at any vulnerability. You paid your card fees so you have a right to bid . A pass tells partner you have a defensive hand or no reason to enter the auction. A pass is a bid that communicates information to partner that you do not have an offensive hand. The Tormentee passed this hand & we were rewarded with a zero.

            Let the vulnerability & the Bridge scoring method  allow your side some risk taking . Do not forget when the opponents make +650 you have 3 down not vul to play with . Vul I opened 4♥ against a Tormentee who was in the balancing seat with ♠AQx ♥xxx ♦AKxxxx ♣x . She passed ( not enough HCP's she thought ) so I made +650 . The problem was that game in spades or diamonds makes her way ! This again is an easy double with 3 1/2 quick tricks  . If partner bids 4♠ you live with it . If partner bids 5♣ you convert to 5♦. Since you are in the balancing seat , this bid just means that you do not have clubs. It is not a huge hand. Partner will give you leeway to bid with offensive hands in these pre-emptive situations.

            Penalty doubles with offensive hands usually do not work. This gives partner a wrong picture of your hand so when they run to another spot , he starts to wield the axe. In a competitive auction partner after opening 1♦ doubled 3♣ with ♠xx ♥x ♦AKQJxx ♣Q10xx so when they ran to 3♠ I doubled . This contract unfortunately was cold because partners points were all in one suit and a 6-4 pattern is not a defensive hand with only 2 quick tricks ( diminished at that ) .A penalty double announces quick tricks not just a stack in their suit. Do not double the only contract you can beat.

            Partners judge opening leads , balancing , penalty doubles or overcalling but what partner did or did not do . Passing with offensive hands throws a partnership off. When defending , partner is going to infer that you can not hold a 5-5 or a 6 card suit or else you would have bid. This is going to cause partner to make wrong defensive decisions or opening lead decisions or balancing decisions. Passing too often puts strain on the partnership to find right opening leads . Passing also gives a “free ride” for the opponents to find the right spot. Passing allows opponents to beat you in the competitive game. Pass with defensive hands but bid with offensive hands. Let HCP's measured in quick tricks  and patterns ( distribution ) be your guide.