Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Hand Evaluation - Openers ( Standards )

PITBULLS:

            In order to intelligently discuss the weather , you need a standard or reference point like the freezing point of water. Whether this standard is expressed in Fahrenheit or Celsius does not matter as long as you have a standard reference point. Bridge bidding needs a standard for a minimum opening bid. Totaling HCP's to 13 HCP is a standard because 26 HCPs make game & two hands with 13 opposite 13 should theoretical make game. Before HCP's came into vogue ( Gorens time ) , quick tricks in a trick taking game of Bridge were the standard. 2 1/2 quick tricks was the minimum requirement for an opening bid . For suit contracts , I believe this is a better more workable standard than totaling HCP's. For NT contracts , HCP's will do just nicely. Goren felt that both standards should be merged so he defined an opening bid as 13 HCP's with 2 1/2 quick tricks. He thought he could have the best of both worlds that way as if the HCPs were too soft without quick tricks ( garbage ) , it was best that these hands were not opened. This standard has passed the test of time for most Bridge experts since 1927 to the present.

            Quick tricks in Bridge are very cashable . They provided entries ( timing )  for communication both on defense & offense . Quick tricks provided more potential for taking tricks than totaling HCPs . The object of the game of Bridge is to take as many tricks as possible. Quick tricks are also potential "king makers". What do I mean by that ?  In hockey, a super star makes the players around him play better. They feed off his immense hockey talents. In Bridge , quick tricks held by opener makes softer cards in responders hand become tricks. Take this hand for example. ♠Axx ♥Axx ♦Axx ♣Axxx . Partners' kings are immediately promoted to tricks & entries for suit establishment , squeezes & endplays . Give responder  ♠QJ10 ♥QJ10 ♦QJ10 ♣QJ109 & this "soft" hand could be promoted to all 13 tricks via the finesses route !! Other quick trick combinations like AK promote queens to tricks , KQ promote jacks to tricks & AQ  promote Kings to produce 3 tricks. The quick tricks announce the trick taking potential of the hand.

            A modern garbage advocate ( HCP counter ) said he would open ♠Kx ♥J10x ♦KQx ♣QJxxx but not open ♠AKx ♥Axx ♦Jxxx ♣xxx . This is totally backwards !! The 2nd hand has trick taking potential as the ♠QJxx in responders hand gets promoted to 4 tricks & the  ♥QJ10 could be promoted to 3 tricks. This is in addition to the three guaranteed tricks held by the opening bid. The first hand has pathetic trick taking potential ( both offensive & defense ) similar to just a response. The first hand only offers 1 ½ tricks on its own merit. The hand's HCPs needs quick tricks in partners hand to become tricks ! A Bridge opening bid is not a cry for help like garbage openers but a definite statement saying I have a hand with trick taking potential for defense & offensive. An opening bid is a Bridge obligation to adhere to a trick taking standard . A pass is a Bridge call defined to mean my HCP’s are not in trick taking combinations worthy of an opening bid or I do not have 13+ HCP’s. Partner now bases their Bridge  judgment on that standard. Good results now follow for disciplined established partnerships.

          The worst form of debating logic is based on the advertising propaganda of testimonials . Just because a hockey star says that this brand of soup is good that makes it so. Same testimonial lack of logic with Bridge pros  who might open garbage on occasion unless they have a reputation for such single handed tactics. The situation could be taken out of context as they may be down 60 IMPS at the half so anti-percentage tactics are a way to swing. They may be playing with a client or having the client in at the other table. Garbage openers may "psyche out" an opponent ( also partner ) because she thinks you have an opening bid. "Making them guess" is the only justification for opening garbage , in my opinion. However,  I have not bought into the destructive philosophy of playing Bridge  at the expense of partner guessing wrong . We do not get any satisfaction for deliberately causing partner to go wrong with their decision in a partnership game like Bridge. Since my living does not depend on making the opponents guess wrong ( partner the 3rd opponent ) , we follow a simple Bridge rule. We do not make any bid  ( intentionally ) that could cause partner to make a wrong decision. It is called Bridge discipline. Opening bids start the ball rolling for partnership discipline. The terrorist vulnerability is an exception for some established partnerships. A systemic lack of discipline if you will , where partner is given leeway.