Thursday, September 02, 2004 12:13 AM
Hand Evaluation - Openers ( Lack of Discipline )
PITBULLS:
Bridge is a partnership game . In
order to get the best results , you build up a rapport of trust with your partner by showing self
discipline. . After a while partner will gain confidence in your bidding style & act accordingly.
In competitive auctions , partner will be believed rather than the opponents . Self
discipline shows up in 5 main areas of partnership
Bridge . Opening bids , pre-empts , overcalls , penalty doubles & respecting vulnerability.
Lack of discipline in these areas are single handed
actions which remove partner from the
decision making process. The whole complexion of the game of Bridge changes when
decisions are just single handed gambling .
Partner just becomes the 3rd opponent. Masterminding by not bidding your hand or not inviting because you are
solely making the decision for the partnership
obviously lacks Bridge discipline.
Opening non openers without the required quick tricks is the worst form of lack of discipline in my
mind. The garbage “semi-psyche” is the worst bid possible
because the bid gets partner many
more times than hurting the opponents. It usually
results in a doubled contract making , a slam
going down or a very bad game going down
many tricks. This bad practice erodes
partnership confidence so partner has an extra decision to
make. Does partner really have an opening bid this time ? The adjustments that must be
made in case partner does not have a bid , causes bad decisions.
It’s the little boy “crying wolf” concept. Opener ends up saying false alarm so responder tends not to believe partner’s openers in the long run . A blatant psyche is better than a semi-psyche because the opponents as well as partner can be fooled
so maybe you might gain something.
However ,
psyches are destructive to
the partnership also. Modern garbage bidders are very arrogant thinking
that their style of making them guess (
including partner) is some new modern tactical strategy. It is not. For most of the years
that Bridge has been played , these undisciplined
openers were called
psyches. Psyches make them guess
also but what a silly undisciplined way
of playing the game. Taking partner out of
the bidding equation right from the onset is good tactical strategy ?????? Bridge is a partnership game
with my Bridge value system anyway.
I have seen people open ♠KQ109x ♥Qx ♦KJxx ♣xx , ♠Qx ♥AQJxx ♦x
♣Jxxxx & even ♠Q ♥QJx ♦KQxxxx ♣Kxx all for bad results . In the 1st hand
partner held a huge hand & bid a ridiculous 6NT which goes two down doubled. The 2nd hand was “opened” also , the opponents got doubled in 3♠ making when partner held 12 HCP. The
last hand was a mini-disaster at one table & a disaster at the other. Both tables opened
the hand ( 13 HCP’s )
, at one table they got too high & went one down in 5♦ for a –230 blow
( 130 makes ) . The other table 4♠ was doubled by partner with
her 14 HCP’s & 2 1/2 defensive tricks but received –790 for her efforts.
Opening these hands means that you do not understand
the game of Bridge or if you do , you just have no self discipline. You do not care how partner
interprets your “opener”. What is common
in all 3 of these :”non openers” ? They all have only 1 ½ defensive
tricks which fooled partner.
Partner cannot use his judgment
built over the years based on quick trick requirements in
competitive auctions , penalty doubles , game or slam bidding because there might be a non opener over there. The dreaded semi-psyche. In IMP matches , analyze your bad results afterwards.
I would hazard a guess that most of them can be traced back to a bad decision at opening bid time.
A recent example that is almost comical . A
local good player opened his terrible
collection of queens & jacks that added up to 12 HCP, 1♥ vul The hand was so bad ( 5-3-3-2 ) that it only had one defensive trick. Anyway
, a competitive auction ensued so partner
made a reasonable competitive decision to bid 3♥ with an Ace , 7
HCP & 3 trump. The opponents doubled , converted
for penalty so they went for –800 . They lamented they were “fixed” by the opponents double
instead of the garbage opener !! Flat hands with
soft values play poorly as they lack trick taking potential like Culbertson cautioned
from day one in Bridge. Talk about taking rationalization to a new level ! Tom Gandolfo held ♠Q ♥Qxxx ♦Kxxxx ♣AQx so in first seat he passed. If he opened & I responded 1♠ he would have had to rebid 1NT which Tom did not like very much. Tom’s
hand lacked controls & a good rebid so he decided to pass.
The novice players who we were playing
against were incredulous
that he passed the hand ( 13 HCP) . They just use an abacus , add up their queens & jacks . When the total
reaches 11+ , they open. Tom replied to them that even
passed hands get to game
as we got to +450 in hearts after a light 3rd seat opener. The hand
actually is easier to describe as
a passed hand . I open 1♠ , Tom can bid 2♦ . I make a rebid , Tom can bid hearts or
right side the 3NT with the AQx of clubs.
The modern
garbage style of openers
were mostly championed by
players who played Precision. The Poles
who played the Polish club opened non
opening bids as they felt that the artificial club gave them some protection.
Good intermediate hands were covered in the 1♣ range so invitational
hands could be handled differently. An invitation
could be used differently as “do you have your bid or not ?
“. Cohen & Berkowicz , Meckwell , Klimo
, Nick & Judy all play an artificial club
, so modern garbage openers come with the
territory in their mind.
Standard players must remain disciplined
in my opinion because
opening bids are a 3 tier structure with minimum , intermediate & strong.
There is no room for a 4th range which would mean do you really have
an opening bid or not ? Modern undisciplined
openers simply foul up your bidding structure.
Get the opponents or get partner
your choice , so let’s roll the dice. Partner becomes
the 3rd opponents so you are bluffing as in poker
where everyone else are the opponents by the definition
of the game.
Overcalls are another area where a lack of discipline rears its
ugly head. I actually heard a decent player saying that he would overcall a weak 2♠ with 3♣
with this hand ♠xx ♥AKQ ♦Axx ♣Jxxxx . He said he had
“compensating HCP’s” which justifies this bid.
3♣
is atrocious
for many reasons. One is you hand the opponents an opportunity to hit a home
run by doubling you. You have enough outside cards so that cannot make anything
so that seals the deal for them . The next reason is that
Bridge is a game of suits. When
you overcall at the two level you are announcing to partner
that you have a decent
suit. Surprise partner , I do not have a suit so your decision is wrong ! I mislead you because I have “compensating
values” .
Pre-empts are the next worst offender to erode the partnership
aspect of the game of Bridge. In fact with undisciplined pre-empts you are
sending a message to partner that he does not exist. You are vul
with ♠xx ♥xxxxxx ♦Axx ♣Axx so first seat you open a weak 2♥ . It might mislead partner but it might screw up the opponents. The urge to get the opponents is
stronger than the discipline needed to assist
partner in these auctions. If they get to 3NT ,
partner leads the Kx of hearts , unlucky. You go for a tremendous set vul you are also unlucky.
I watched a player make a horrendously bad pre-empt tonight. Partner was not a
passed hand , the auction went 1♦-3♥ with ♠KJ ♥J109xxxx ♦A ♣xxx
. Again you have
“compensating values” to make up for your lack of heart cards right ? No , you have just insulted
partner. How can he make any decision at all if you make such a
filthy bid. He can never read you for 1 ½ defensive tricks outside the heart suit. You may go for a number
with enough defense so that the opponents cannot make
anything. You may miss a vul game because partner
cannot read you for such outside strength.
Partner might make a pseudo sacrifice
not expecting the outside cards. This is
just single handed undisciplined
destructive bidding. How can I misdescribe
my hand the most , so that partner has no idea what’s
going on ? Opening pre-empts when you do not have a pre-empt is single handed so insults a good partner &
shows no discipline. ♠x ♥AKQxxx ♦AQxx ♣xx in
1st seat vul
vrs not you open 4♥. This is an insulting bid. You could be cold for 7♦ , 1♥ , 3NT or
whatever. Partner does not even exist.
You hold ♠x ♥xxxx
♦KQ1098xx ♣A a hand that
falls in the cracks in the game of Bridge. Alex Fowlie
opened the hand 1♦ as he had 2 quick tricks
which is the defense promised for an opening bid.
A Tormentee opened the hand 3♦ because she had
in part one of the requirements for a pre-empt which is a 7 card suit.
She did not anticipate that the bid might confuse partner
who would not be expecting an A & a
KQ combination for an opening pre-empt.
Which bid is more undisciplined ? .Opening at the one level or 3 level ?
Pre-empting with that hand takes partner right
out of the picture however it might fool the opponents. Your choice depends on
your Bridge value system. Partner or the opponents ?
Penalty doubles are the most single handed
bid in Bridge. You double them when you feel
that they are too high. Did partner have her say on the matter ? Probably not , so another mindless gamble whether you are getting a
top or bottom. Reckless balances & entering
auctions you have no right to be in is obviously undisciplined. Going
for -1400 against –170 is so much fun.
Bergen said Bridge is a bidders game so I randomly bid like a machine gun going off. Partner you
better duck !
Lack of discipline
is “not taking your fix” & ignoring the
vulnerability. You hold ♠Kx ♥AKQx ♦xxx
♣KJ109 , they open 2♠ to your left nv vrs vul . They bid 4♠ to
your right so what do you do ? You spade king just got
downgraded & you are vul vrs
nv. Discounting the spade
king you have a flat 13 HCP’s. You double so
partner tries 5♥ which goes for 500 against their 420. Unlucky or undisciplined ?
A wise player once said “anybody can
bray like a Jackass” . Lack of discipline is just that . It
is not being aggressive ,
or tough to play against or “modern bidding “
or any other silly rationalization.
It’s just a single
handed undisciplined style of playing Bridge which insults a good partner. A pro
playing with a client makes all these bids. Why ? ,
because he has no respect for partner ,
so the result justifies the means.
Like tossing a coin , you may win or you
may lose playing with a client. Bridge is above
that as it is a partnership game
. Unless of course , you destroy partner by a lack
of discipline. Bridge is not just Casino like gambling . The partnership element
along with the language of bidding is supposed to reduce
the gambling aspect common in other endeavours.
Bridge is above all this single handed
nonsense. Who in the F… needs quick tricks , indeed. Maybe partner
for her judgment & partnership discipline ?
Like handling a drunk
who wants to drive, undisciplined players
on your teams must have their keys taken away. Undisciplined players undermine the partnership & the team. They become a time bomb where it is just a matter
of time before they will explode & destroy the team. At least Ray Grace says it with a touch of humour ,
I hate discipline he says J. I am with Ray . Modern garbage bidders seem to hate discipline as the thrill of living on
the edge is gone . Make them guess , where them
includes partner !! A scary religion to buy into ,
more like a cult where partner
is a sacrifice ritual to the gods , in
my mind anyway .