Friday, June 30, 2006 10:32 PM

Hand Evaluation – HCPS ( Placing Cards )

PITBULLS:

On some auctions , the bidding allows you to visualize partner’s entire hand. The bidding & applying patterns has allowed you to “place cards” in partners hand by her indicating distribution & HCP’s. Partner , by reversing , opening 2♣ or other means , shows her exact hand pattern & HCP range. Normally placing cards in partners hand is a bidding “no no” as partner never seems to have the right ones. In some auctions , though it is good as proven that she holds these cards. Placing cards are another hand evaluation skill. You are using hand records during the bidding !! HCP’s are not just counted before you make a bid.

Here is a Maurice & Susan auction to demonstrate the art of placing cards. Susan held ♠AJxx ♥Axx ♦J98 ♣KQx so while she was contemplating her 1NT opening bid , Maurice opened 1♣ . Susan replied a spade & Maurice reversed into diamonds which in their system as in most others , shows at least an Ace above an opener. Susan bid 3♣ forcing so Maurice “patterned out” by bidding 3♠. Susan now knows his distribution & approx HCP range. Susan showed her slam interest by Q bidding 4♥. Alternatively , she could have taken control of the hand by bidding 4♣ KCB since there is no heart wastage opposite the probable heart singleton. Her 15 HCP’s opposite a reverse are pulling their full weight.

Anyway my partner doubles 4♥ so Maurice XX’s confirming the singleton heart. Susan continued showing slam interest by bidding 4♠ but Maurice was all in with his reverse so he bid 5♣. Susan carried on to 6♣ . OK , what do we know about partners hand ? Maurice has a stiff heart with 16 + HCP. There are no HCP’s in hearts , so just count his reverse using HCP’s. Ace of clubs , AKQ of diamonds & the King of spades gives a minimum reverse ( 16 HCP ) which is what he held so 7♣ needed a finesse in spades. 6♣ was the correct contract.

OK , let’s back up to see if we can get to a grand slam in clubs , when Maurice held a maximum reverse which now includes the spade queen ( 18 HCP ) . Once partner shows a stiff heart , you take control of the hand with 4♣ KCB so partner bids 4♠ showing two without. 4NT would be a queen ask so you bid 5♦. This is a suit ask in diamonds & 6♦ shows the KQ . Over 6♦ you decide to force the contract to 6NT by making a spade asking bid. Partner looking at the KQ of spades bids 7♣ so you convert to 7NT and claim. Specific suit asking bids , as invented by Kantar , are a fun way of getting to grand slams.

Opponents interference quite often allows you to place cards. The odds favour that they hold cards in the suit in which they are interfering . You now use them as “stepping stones” for your own purpose. Tom opened 2♣ & Maurice interfered with a bid that showed clubs. A Tormentee held ♠xxx ♥Axxx ♦A10xxx ♣x so with two Aces & a stiff in the opponents suit , her hand has grown . For the sake of argument , if Tom has zero HCP in clubs , they must have all 30 HCP remaining in the deck !! You can count 12 tricks in any suit that Tom shows thanks to “placing cards” . If Tom just has the Ace of clubs , the opponents KQJ of clubs are useless on defense so a grand slam might be a good bet. When opponents interfere , they quite often are helping your side with valuable information in which to use.

A Tormentee had a hand playing with Kiz where placing cards were made possible via a Jacoby 2NT bid. ♠AQJxx ♥A ♦AQxx ♣KQx . Partner opened 1♠ so you bid 2NT & partner showed a singleton heart opposite your own stiff heart ! . The auction in now over as you can place cards. With no HCP’s in hearts , partner needs every other outstanding HCP in the deck for an opening bid. ♠K , ♦KJ , ♣AJ & that only comes to 2 quick tricks & 12 HCP ! . You say skip bid 7♠ in IMPS or 7NT in matchpoints.

Along with the using the opponents as a stepping stone theme along with placing cards here is another good example. ♠AQx ♥Ax ♦AQx ♣AKQxx  you open 2♣ & the wiley veteran Lee Barton interferes & they show hearts as a suit. Partner shows two controls so the odds favour these controls being outside the heart suit. Partner later in the auction shows 5 or more spades. So by placing cards ( HCP’s ) you can count 5♠ tricks , 3♦ tricks , 1♥ trick & by establishing the 5^th club , 4♣ tricks . So you raise partners spade bid to 7♠ & thank Lee for his assistance during this auction !!