Wednesday, September 07, 2005 11:24 PM

Hand Evaluation - Partnership ( Inviting )

PITBULLS:

Single handed bidding can show up in a number of ways in Bridge. It is the simple act of not letting partner in on the decision making process. Over bidding or not inviting is single handed bidding. Underbidding and passing is a single handed decision for the partnership. “Master minding” is single handed bidding as you deduce from the opponents bidding what partner might have and bid accordingly. Bidding partners cards for her falls into this category. Bad opening bids , overcalls & pre-empts are all single handed bidding as you have left partner out of the auction with your random undisciplined bidding. Not playing forcing passes or D.S.I.P. doubles is single handed bidding in competitive auctions. There is a more subtle way of single handed bidding that I see quite often playing with the Tormentees. Underbidding by failure to make an invitational bid is very much single handed bidding !

By not putting partner in the picture , you are in effect making the Bridge decision single handed. You have decided that the place to play this hand is at this particular level. What is the worst that can happen when you invite & partner does not accept ? Is the contract going to go down when you invite ? Probably not very likely , so let’s get partners opinion on the matter. I notice that some matchpoint players invite too much. There is a Bridge platitude “ do not leave up to partner what you can do yourself” . When you have distribution or hidden assets, do not over invite . Just make your bid & conceal the distribution from the opponents.

Playing with a tormentee tonight , we had about 5 hands where the tormentee made single handed decisions without knowing it. You hold ♠Q ♥Axx ♦Kx ♣AQ109xxx & opened 1♣ . Partner bid 3NT so back to you ? She knew all bids by her were a slam try so she thought a long time & passed. We got a zero as everybody was in 6♣ making. It does not hurt to bid 4♣ as a slam try. When partner has an ill fitting flat hand, she will bid 4NT & that ends the auction. Does it hurt to raise the level by one to invite a slam ?

♠Kxx ♥AKQ10x ♦Ax ♣Qxx , the tormentee opened 1♥ which LHO doubled. He partner passed & RHO bid 2♦. You could compete a little by doubling & showing your 18 HCP’s but let’s assume you pass . Around to partner who bids 2♠. You can now make a single handed decision that 2♠ is the limit of this hand as partner has a dog or ask partner that question by bidding 3♠ to find out for sure. The tormentee passed 2♠ , which on a good day might make 6♠ !

You hold ♠Kxxx ♥x ♦Kxxx ♣KQ10x , with everybody vul partner opens 1♥ & RHO doubles. You redouble , the bidding goes

1♥-X-XX-1♠

P-2♠-? . The tormentee passed , we ended up in 3NT going down. The redoubler has an obligation to describe her redouble to partner. A penalty double describes this hand well & puts partner in the picture. Partner happily passes so you pickup up +800. The tormentee did not double because she made the single handed decision that 3NT or another game contract might make. She master minded by not describing her hand to partner.

Underbidding is a single handed action which leaves partner out of the decision making process. You have ♠xxxx ♥x ♦Qxx ♣KQJxx . RHO opens 1♠ nv vrs your side vulnerable. Partner makes a vulnerable balance with a double , RHO bids 2♥. Your hand is now gold. You have no duplication of value in spades the suit in which partner says she is short. You have a singleton heart in the suit that the opponents just bid , so every card in your hand is pulling full weight. You need a good 13 HCP from partner ♠x ♥Axxx ♦AJ10x ♣Axxx for a shot at a vul +1370 6♣ slam . You decide that that an underbid is in order so you pass. This gets passed out for –110 and a zero as +130 in clubs makes your way. By passing , you have single handedly determined that 2♥ by the opponents is the place to play this hand so partner will not bid again with hands that 6♣ or 7♣ might be cold.

When you are not sure & do not want to make the decision single handedly , you can re-invite. Here is a Klimo/Campbell auction from Philly where a re-invite is less single handed than a final pass.

1♠-P-1NT-P

2♣-P-2♠-P

3♣-P-? Gordon held ♠Jx ♥Axxx ♦xxxx ♣K10x & made the single handed decision to pass 3♣ vul in IMPS. When you are not sure yourself, throw the decision back to partner. Bid 3♥ as an attempt to show where you live. By bypassing 3♦ , you tell partner that you do not have values in that suit. You are still at the 3♠ level & you brought partner into the picture. Klimo held ♠AQ109x ♥Kx ♦x ♣AJ987 & +650 was the contract at the other table. Klimo will bid 4♠ after the 3♥ bid with no wastage in diamonds.

Here is a hand from tonight that also comes into the “single handed “ theme. You hold ♠Qxxx ♥QJxx ♦x ♣KQ10x , nv partner opens 1♠ & RHO overcalls 1NT vul . You do not have any invitational bids here so do you just bid what you think you can make & leap to 4♠ ? This is the action the tormentee chose so I made 4♠ complements of bad defense by the opponents. Is there a better bid ? Take advantage of the fact that the opponents are vulnerable & double 1NT. If they pass 1NTX , they certainly will not like the fact that they are outgunned in HCP’s with an obvious spade lead. They will probably run so now you can bid 2♠ . You have used the penalty double as an invitational bid. There are many creative ways to put partner in the picture in the game of Bridge. Solo artists misuse their creativity for clever ways of excluding partner from the Bridge decision. Bridge experts use their thinking energy to "invite partner to the party".

            A constant theme for me with these articles is to recognize single handed bidding & determine that partnership Bridge is a more effective way of getting good Bridge results. In my opinion , it is obvious that "two heads are better than one". Single handed bidding is guessing & gambling by not getting a 2nd opinion from partner. In all walks of life, not getting a 2^nd opinion is a bad strategy. In the game of Bridge , more so.  The partnership aspect of Bridge is an intriguing aspect of the game that distinguishes it from single handed games like poker. You are doing the game of Bridge a huge disservice by not being aware of this simple fact. Expert Bridge partnerships are just awesome in this game that we have chosen as a hobby.

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