Monday, May 21, 2007 12:43 AM

Hand Evaluation – Partnership ( Undo’s )

PITBULLS:

In a partnership game like Bridge , it is considered your duty to describe your hand correctly the first time . By doing this , you do not have to make up for lost time by trying to correct your previous error. Partner was informed correctly the first time so is now privy to the decision making process. A Tormentee held this hand ♠Axx ♥Kxxx ♦Axxx ♣xx & I opened one spade. Her RHO overcalled 2♣ so holding 11 HCP , rich in controls & shortage in the opponents suit , she bid 2♠ which shows 6-8 points in support of spades. Partner will pass 2♠ with

♠KJxxxx ♥Ax ♦Kx ♣xxx where +650 is cold or bid 4♠ with ♠KJxxxx ♥Ax ♦Kx ♣Axx where +1460 has a good chance. When the opponents competed later in the auction , she competed again to 3♠ thinking that somehow that would right the wrong of the first bid. This is called “St Albert” bidding . Of course , she had a 3♣ Q bid the first time around. Do your duty of describing your hand correctly when you have the first opportunity to do so. 3♠ was passed out making 5 for +200.

♠AKQx ♥K ♦KJ109xx ♣Kx so you open 1♦ . Partner responds 1♥ & you have 19 HCP with a nice 6-4 playing hand. Do your duty the 1^st time around so you do not have to make up for it later. You bid 2♠ and partner is put in the picture immediately about your 19 HCP. In Calgary , I bid 2♠ so partner with ♠J10 ♥A109xxx ♦void ♣AQ98x now was in a position to control the auction. He bid 3♣ so I bid 3NT spelling a misfit with a reluctance to support hearts. Partner now could see the misfit from his side of the table , so he passed & we played a 30 HCP 3NT making +630. At the other table , they rebid 1♠ so when partner forced to game with 2♣ , she never had described her 19 HCP. Consequently , she took control & drove the hand to 6NT for –200 . She left partner out of the picture because she did not show her strength initially to her partner. Bridge is a partnership game. Taking control to make up for lost time hardly every works.

In St Albert , you make hopelessly wrong bids initially & spend the rest of the auction trying to “right the wrong”. Since Bridge is a partnership game , partner becomes totally lost. It simply does not work as partner remembers your first bid. In real Bridge , there is no “undo’ button.