Friday, January 21, 2005 5:12 AM

Hand Evaluation - ELC ( Clubs )

PITBULLS:

In the game of Bridge , clubs are the lowest ranking suit in the deck. The club suit is also “lower ranking” In other ways. The club suit has a very inferior status with respect to takeout doubles. The Meckwell partnership came up with something they call “equal level conversion”. This concept allows them to make off shape takeout doubles and balances. When partner bids a suit they do not have they convert to another suit. As long as it is kept at the same level , the sequence does not show any extra values. This has been a standard way of showing two suits after a T/O double or even a Q bid in the game of Bridge for many years.

Bridge World Standard 2001 does not play “equal level conversion” . They say they make an exception though with the lowly club suit. This is because it is easy to make an equal level conversion over the lowest ranking suit. It goes 1♥ to your right and you have ♠AKxx ♥xx ♦AJxxxx ♣x do you overcall 2♦ or double ? The Bridge World recommends you double because if the auction takes off after you overcall 2♦ , you may lose the spade suit. Even with ♠AKxx ♥xx ♦AJxxx ♣xx they recommend a direct or balancing double after a heart opening bid. In other words a takeout double does not necessarily promise clubs !

It goes 1♦ to your right , you have ♠AJxxx ♥AKxx ♦xxx ♣x do you overcall a spade or make a takeout double? Let’s say you overcall spades as you can’t make a takeout double as you do not have clubs. Partner has ♠x ♥Qxxxx ♦xx ♣Axxxx or countless other hands that he can not respond to a spade overcall. You notice that 4♥ has a shot for 5 and +650 . To add to the ignominy 1♠ can not make ! You do not play forcing 1NT to an overcall. 1NT to an overcall is a descriptive bid showing a balanced 8-10 HCP with a stopper in their suit. The Bridge World & Meckwell suggest that competing in clubs is not worth the risk of missing a major suit game in IMPS. They suggest a direct double so if partner bids clubs pull to your lower ranking suit at the same level. If you do overcall , play a 2/1 by responder as non forcing.

If after you make this conversion with partner bidding clubs again ,he may have KJ109xxx of clubs so let him play it your 7-1 fit. After takeout doubles it is buyer beware as far as the club suit is concerned. You have to be careful with sacrifices and competing with the club suit as partner may be lacking that suit after a double. Take this auction of 1♦-P-3♦-X with ♠AJxx ♥AKxxx ♦Axx ♣x . You should double rather than bid 3♥ directly as with a stiff heart and partner with enough spades to make a spade game will pass 3♥ say ♠Kxxxx ♥x ♦Kxx ♣xxxx note 6♠ has a shot for +1430 and you may be playing 3♥ going down ! Say you double and partner does bid 4♣ . You make an equal level conversion to 4♥ and partner with ♠Kxxx ♥x ♦xx ♣QJ1098x will convert to 4 spades. Partner could have ♠Axx ♥Axxx ♦x ♣AKxxx for his double so it’s silly not to bid your nice club suit rather than spades initially. Equal level conversion means just that. It does not matter at what level the auction is at as long as it is equal , converting to another suit shows no additional values.

The Bridge World suggests leaving equal level conversion to the experts like Rodwell & Meckstroth except when the lowly club suit is involved. So be very careful when you have clubs opposite a takeout double. You may be on your own. You hold ♠Ax ♥xxx ♦Ax ♣Jxxxxx and everybody vul it goes 1♦-X-1♠-? . Partner may have clubs for his double so you bid 3♣ invitational. When he converts to hearts you are not unhappy so you have described your hand. Say you just bid 2♣ and they compete to diamonds. You can now double saying you would like to compete to 3♣ but you have defense and are maximum for your previous call.

Experts who play equal level conversion have no respect for the diamond suit also. It goes 1♣ and you hold ♠AKxx ♥AKxx ♦x ♣xxxx or ♠AKxx ♥AKxx ♦xx ♣xxx both hands are handled with a double. When partner responds a diamond , just convert to a heart at the same level. Same in the balancing spot. When your goal is to get to major suit games in IMPS , competing in a minor is sacrificed.

Re-opening doubles and balancing doubles are not takeout doubles per se. These doubles are just showing defensive tricks so that partner can convert for penalty if she has their suit. Equal level conversion is a scramble in these auctions to find a fit. Again conversion does not show extra values. That is absurd so would prevent off shape re-opening doubles or balances.

A Tormentee had this hand ♠xxx ♥AKxx ♦AK109x ♣x nv and RHO opened 1♠ vul . What is your bid ? Well if you have bought into the above concept you make a T/O double and convert to diamonds when partner bids clubs. Partner actually overcalled 2♦ , they bid 2♠ so around to her again. Now D.S.I.P. competitive doubles come into play. You now double because you have 4 defensive tricks for your mere overcall. When partner bids hearts fine, but if partner bids clubs, you convert to diamonds so no harm done. Partner passed , here is our matchpoints for this board .

15> 0 6- 1- 6- 8 3- 5 3- 1-
 100 170 110 170 300 130 ---- 140 ---- 130 110 
 
A double going in will get us to hearts 6- and a belated D.S.I.P. double 3- for +130 in diamonds.
 
 Tom Gandolfo held ♠J10xxxx ♥x ♦x ♣AJxxx , they opened 1♠ , I doubled . Tom has a nice playing hand when I have a classic T/O double so he bid 2♣.I made an equal level conversion to 2♦ so now what ? I may have 10 or 11 red cards but no clubs so a pass is in order as this is a blatant misfit. 2♦ is not doubled yet so it’s best to bail. If 2♦ gets doubled, you can actually try 2♠ to play. Partner held ♠A ♥A10xx ♦A10xxxx ♣xx which would have been a 2♦ overcall for non believers of equal level conversion.