Hand Evaluation

Friday, July 28, 2006 2:16 AM

Hand Evaluation – Overcalls ( Q Bids )

PITBULLS:

A Q bid is one of the most if not the most ambiguous bid in Bridge. The Q bid of the opponent’s suit must be interpreted in the context of the bidding. The level in which you make the Q bid has a bearing on how partner interprets the Q bid. When the Q bid is beyond 3NT , its meaning should be narrowed down to a fit for partner or a general strong hand & just forcing partner another round. Even this meaning is too much of a generalization as it could mean a void and pick a suit between the unbid alternatives.

Since a Q bid is ambiguous , partner must try to interpret its meaning depending on context. This means you should leave some “bread crumbs” so partner has a chance to comprehend the bid. You should not just Q bid as a waiting bid or some nebulous reason. Partner will never tune into your wavelength. Q bids & disasters are a common occurrence in Bridge. The D.S.I.P. competitive double is replacing some old meanings of Q bids in competitive auctions.

What partner had done or not done helps in determining the meaning of a Q bid. Whether you are a passed hand or partner is a passed hand is an important consideration. You are a passed hand with ♠AJ10 ♥xx ♦AJxxx ♣Jxx , LHO opens 1♥ . Vulnerable partner bids 3♥ which is systemic saying you have a strong one suiter and asks partner to bid 3NT with a stopper in the opponents suit. I like to have the further understanding that when you do not have the stopper , 4♣ means less than 2 controls & 4♦ shows 2 or more. This will assist partner with her huge one suiter.

OK say you have not discussed the above agreement , so you bid 4♦ as a passed hand – what should that mean ? You are a passed hand , so the bid should be interpreted in that context. When partners suit is clubs , you have just forced the contract to game. This is what I intended with my 4♦ bid. So partner now Q bids 4♥ with ♠Kx ♥x ♦KQx ♣AKQ10987 , you bid 6♣ so that is +1370. Partner Q bids to a passed hand partner or otherwise to show extra for the bid she has already shown partner. This is additional information for partner to use. When partner has what she has already announced , say ♠Kx ♥x ♦10xx ♣AKQ10987 this is what partner would expect for a 3♥ bid. You would not Q bid but since partner has forced you to game , you bid it. This makes +600 with your 12 HCP and a passed hand partner.

If partner were not a passed hand & maybe unlimited should you bid 4♥ as a courtesy ? I do not think so as the 3♥ bid is a systemic bid which can have a very wide range. Whenever you have a high range , you must Q bid to show extra. Showing extra is one of the most basic uses of a Q bid. The other common use for a Q bid is to show a fit for partner.

My partners & I have an understanding that when the opponents bid 4 of a major in our auction, 4NT is not Blackwood but is interpreted as a Q bid showing a distributional 2 suiter. Why singlehandedly bid one suit , when you have two of them ? 4NT is a way of inviting partner to the party at the high altitude of the 5 level. A D.S.I.P. or co-operative double shows the unbid suits also but more defense with less distribution. The 4NT “Q bid” shows a whole lot of distribution with usually no fit for partner’s suit.

One of the most common uses for a Q bid is after a T/O dbl. There are two main uses for a Q bid by responder in this context. One is showing a 2 suiter so you are asking partner to choose one of them. The other reason for a Q bid in this context is showing a hand that is too strong to bid naturally. My partner holds ♠KQxxxx ♥xxxx ♦A ♣Kx & the auction goes

1♥-X-P-2♥

P-3♦-4♣-4♠

So what is going on ? Partner is bidding 4♠ yet he did not bid 2♠ or 4♠ directly so he has defined his Q bid as a hand too strong to bid 4♠ originally. I bid 5♠ & we get to our 6♠ which makes an overtrick. Tough to get to our grand slam but 6♠ is worth a lot of IMPS. He did not pass 4♣ to give me the option of doubling 4♣ , so he cannot hold a minimum defensive hand . Bidding in front of partner shows a distributional slam try type of hand. Do not forget that Q bids & forcing passes go together. A Q bid means your side owns the auction.

An overcall , bidding a suit at the 3 level or higher implies a single suited hand . In other words , partner will mentally picture all hand patterns involving a single suited hand. When you have two or more suits opposite a NT opener in competition , use a Q bid to help you out. In competition , do not bid your hand as a single suited hand when partner can assist you after a Q bid. ♠x ♥QJx ♦K109xx ♣K109x with partner overcalling a strong NT to a spade opener. They bid 2♠ so what is your bid ? Bidding 3♦ is a “non bid” . Yes it is forcing , but partner will bid 3NT 90 % of the time when you wish to play in a suit. She pictures a single suited diamond hand which obviously you do not hold. You are muddying the waters. A 4♥ Moysean might even be the best spot. You Q bid 3♠ to say you do not know where to play this hand so partner assists you by bidding 4♣. Partner now has told you she does not have 2 spade stoppers ( no severe duplication of value ) so you try 5♣ which makes.

Do not try to do too much in the game of Bridge . Take another bridge action when a Q bid might be misinterpreted by partner as showing a strong hand with a fit. ♠AKJxx ♥Axx ♦void ♣AQJxx & they open 1♦. You double with partner responding 1♥. A Q bid will “muddy the waters” with this hand as you must make partner the captain of the auction with these hands. A Q bid will imply a fit with partner when you use the bid too soon in the auction. Doubling first & jumping in a suit is a huge hand in standard bidding . I jump to 3♠ with this hand as I have ♥ tolerance. Without heart tolerance , I leap to 4♠ giving partner a choice of games in the black suits. I play this doubling sequence to implicitly show a strong two suiter , as strong one suiter’s are overcalled initially or jump Q bids. Bidding strong hands work best by describing them to partner soon as you can.

When to use Q bids is a hand evaluation skill. I like to limit my Q bids as a “limit raise or better” in partners suit when at all possible. However , as Master Solvers directors complain, a Q bid is used whenever a partnership is stuck for a bid. This is dangerous … A double works way better.