Friday, May 11, 2007 2:57 AM

Hand Evaluation - Overcalls ( Q bids )

PITBULLS:

Q Bids are one of the most ambiguous bids in Bridge. A T/O double leads to many competitive auctions so I feel that there should be a default understanding to a Q bid by the responder of the T/O doubler. This default understanding is also predicated on whether there was a responsive double available for the responder. A double should show a good hand so it is redundant to the Q bid that just shows overall strength. I feel a Q bid should show the very difficult to bid two suiters as the default understanding. This Q bid should not include a two suiter in the minor suits as 4NT is universally accepted to show that hand type.

Everybody vul , they open 2♠ with partner making a T/O double & RHO jamming with 3♠. You hold ♠Ax ♥Kxx ♦Kxx ♣AQxxx so now what ? The Q bid to show strength is silly as it uses up bidding room when a double would show strength anyway. The double is a good bid to conserve available bidding space. You double & partner holds ♠x ♥AJxx ♦AQJxx ♣KJx so he shows his extra by bidding 5♦. Here is where I like an initial Q bid at the 5 level to be Exclusion KCB. It is a sneaky way of playing KCB at the 5 level when there is grand slam interest. You bid 5♠ which is Exclusion KCB for diamonds. Partner bids 6♥ which shows 2 Aces & the trump queen. You bid 7♦ so all is well.

Gittleman feels that Q bidding starting at the 5 level is normally a waste of time. Phony exclusion or real exclusion allows KCB at the 5 level so suit asking bids or specific king asking can follow. I think Exclusion in competition at the 5 level is a good tool as you have KCB at the 5 level. This cannot be a bad thing.

The entire field got this one wrong at a local club game. At virtually every table the auction went 1♠-X-4♠-X & at every table the T/O doubler passed because they had a void in spades. Partner must have a trump stack penalty double right ? Partner should not double with a trump stack. Partner should pass & wait for partner to re-open with a double. When partner does not re-open with a double, they play it there undoubled. Your trump are duplication of value so you cannot make anything anyway. 5♦ does make the other way on this hand for the infamous double game swing.

The double is too valuable a bid in competition to waste as a trump stack when they have bid & raised their suit. The double says I have “cards” so take some action over there. Passing with a void in their suit after the double is not taking action but an effective form of suicide. D.S.I.P. theory was invented for all competitive auctions to take away the ambiguity of trump stack penalty doubles. Ambiguity does not exist anymore as partner will not have values in their suit.

A double by responder of a T/O double is responsive systemically. However , you can also use the double to replace a strength showing Q bid. This understanding leaves a Q bid to generally mean a distributional two suiter after a T/O double .