Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Hand Evaluation – Openers ( Competitive Dbls )

PITBULLS:

        We all  know how important competing is to get good results in the game of Bridge , this is a Bridge given. Ilya Kuzkin loves to compete. He played competitive doubles long before he even heard of my seven year project on D.S.I.P. competitive double theory. Ilya realized the value of the double in competing to keep the auction open ( compete ) as well as describing the strength of your hand. The double also pushed the opponents one level too high in a lot of instances for our side to get a plus. The so called bad part of competitive doubles are that you no longer use these doubles as an old fashioned "trump stack " penalty double in competition . Not really though ,  when you tie competitive doubles into the requirement for quick tricks & announcing defense with  the D.S.I.P. double . Partner can convert with ease holding their suit & we have regained the advantages of "trump stack " penalty doubles. Quick tricks are the foundation on which competitive double theory is based.

Garbage openers simply destroy competitive double theory. Responder doubles thinking that the opener can contribute defense & they make their contract or opener is forced to an uncomfortable high level & go down possibly doubled for some pretty substantial numbers. D.S.I.P. doubles by responder really punish opener for having garbage rather than quick tricks. This hand was bantered about by Klimo who plays garbage openers with his Polish Club system . Vul you open ♠Kx ♥Jxx ♦KQx ♣QJxxx vul against nv  as per garbage opener doctrine . The opponents overcall 1♠ so you make a negative double. They bid 2♠ so around to you in the balancing ♠xx ♥Axxxx ♦AJx ♣xxx  or similar hands . Why should you sell out at the two level with a partial club fit & a hand that values to 10 Goren points in support of clubs ? So you make a competitive double. Partner bids 3♣ to a resounding double by RHO . You pass and when the smoke clears , partner loses 2♠  , 2♥ , & 4 clubs for -1100 . OK  this example is very extreme . Let’s say he only goes for -500 with a trump end play & a defensive slip up against their +110  or play 3♣ undoubled for a loss anywhere from -200 to -400 with responders 10 Goren points. . This hand illustrates how badly flat hands with little quick tricks are for competing , playability or defensive purposes. These hands should not be opened for a reason. Playing garbage openers , Klimo's partners must pass pretty substantial hands giving Klimo leeway for a vul vrs not garbage "opening bid". This action could be very wrong when he has a real opener. Poor responder cannot even rely on the fact that partner opened vul vrs not for the garbage opening bid. This is because Bergen says “colour is for kids” & garbage is opened regardless of vulnerability. Partner has no chance to make a correct decision with this silly doctrine.

Add quick tricks to get a real opener . ♠xx ♥J10x ♦KQx ♣AKxxx same 13 HCP that you announced for an opening bid so you pass the same as you would with a garbage opener. Ambiguity runs rampant . This time when partner doubles with the same hand as above , you make +110 & they make +110 for a double partial swing. Here is the screwy logic by garbage opener disciples. They say a pass shows a garbage opener so that signals to partner when is unsafe to compete. This of course is ridiculous because you force opener to rebid her values just to show that she has a legitimate opening bid !!. What if partner did not have 10 HCP’s in support of clubs ? You could go for -1100 with the legitimate opener bidding her values again & finding an unsuitable hand in dummy. What if partner takes you for extra because you bid again ? In real Bridge , a pass announces I just have the same opening bid I started with . Add the element of a garbage opener and the whole competitive bidding structure breaks down. I do not care says the garbage opening zealots. Who in the F... needs quick tricks anyway they arrogantly proclaim ?

        Say they do not double 3♣ but compete to 3♠ but give responder extra . ♠xx ♥AKxx ♦AJx ♣xxxx is not a competitive double reasonable ? Opener must pass with his garbage so with a doubleton diamond & some finessing luck - 530  . This disaster holding opening bid values by responder ! Garbage openers conflict with competitive double theory because the element of defense for openers enters the picture big time. This is why quick tricks define opening bids  & competitive doubles . Distribution makes mincemeat of soft values like queens & jacks. Flat hands are unsuitable also for offense. Suit establishment & ruffing are a huge advantage for them because the opponents have the controls ( quick tricks ) instead of your side . There are 40 HCPs in deck so when you have the soft values , they have the quick tricks. A competitive advantage if you will . J

Garbage openers actually hinder competing rather than help the competitive process. Responder is so scared of garbage openers he is reluctant to compete or double the opponents. They tend to believe the opponents rather than partner. What if you assume wrong so it is the modern opponents who are already 3 tricks too high ? Garbage openers’ disciples deem it a cost of doing business their way but still give partner the leeway rather than knowing when the opponents are out of line. Having a partner who has the self discipline to have quick tricks , you have no problems in deciding when the opponents are trying to steal you blind. Such is the advantage of discipline & trust with opening bids in the competitive jungle of modern Bridge.

        I feel in the modern game when opponents are competing to the hilt , it is even more important to trust partner for her opening bids. Actually garbage opening bids would have worked better in the old days when people did not compete us much as they do today. Extreme competitive bidding shows the importance of quick tricks for opening bids not the benefit of garbage openers. Quick tricks are just or more important in today's game compared to the early Bridge years. They contribute to your decision making in Bridge . With garbage openers , you are contributing to Bridge anarchy so you & partner are just making guess's or shots instead of informed decisions. Some people like the thrill of being a solo artist  making garbage openers.  Conning people & partner ranks high on their enjoyment list . Count me out though.