Friday, October 15, 2004 6:00 AM
Hand Evaluation - Q bids ( Jumps )
PITBULLS:
There are not enough
bids in Bridge to describe solid
suits. The gambling 3NT opening or overcall is a good descriptive bid. When
opened , there is a solid suit with no outside controls. When overcalled there is a solid suit with a stopper in the opponents
suit. What are some other
bids that show solid suits ? At unfavourable
vulnerability ( vul vrs nv ) a normal pre-empt shows
a solid or semi-solid suit or else bidding to the 3 level would be suicidal
against nv opponents.
What if you had a solid suit but no stopper in the opponents suit ? This is where the jump Q bid comes into play. In the balancing , direct or sandwich
position , a jump Q shows a solid
suit & asks partner to bid 3NT when he holds a stopper in that suit.
Partner can have outside cards for this bid and quite often does. When you do
not have a stopper in that suit & a natural major to bid
, you can introduce that suit. The reason is that you are forced to the
4 level anyway so you might as well describe
your hand along the way. The jump Q bid is
extremely helpful in making your T/O doubles
disciplined. You never make a T/O double
with a very strong solid or semi-solid single suiter.
Part of this jump Q bid treatment is to play “coded minors” to show controls in
responders hand. Since you are not playing this hand in 3NT & are forced to
the 4 level in a minor anyway ( sometimes even a
major) the lower ranking minor shows zero
or one controls and the higher
ranking minor 2 or more
controls. This assists the jump
Q bidder in making a game or slam decision. It is like a “pre Blackwood” so sets the stage for
partner to use Blackwood.
1♠-3♠-P-? ♠xxx ♥Axxxx ♦xxx
♣xx You bid 4♦ to show your 2 controls so partner with ♠x ♥Kx ♦AKQJxxxx ♣Kx bids 5♦ or even Blackwood. Over 4♣ showing zero controls he just retreats to 4♦ .
When the opponents open a weak 2 bid , a Q
bid at the 3 level follows the same principles directly or in the balancing.
Bid 3NT with a stopper
but when you do not have a stopper show your controls via coded minors.
Showing a solid suit is the best way to get to 3NT
. The auctions goes 1♥-P-1♠-? And you are in the sandwich position with ♠QJx
♥x ♦AKQJxxx ♣Jx . You
have a choice of jump Q bids. Make a jump Q in the suit that you require the stopper so
partner will bid 3NT .
The make quite often or end up being a cheap sacrifice. In the balancing
spot , the jump Q bid can be a very good hand with 9 tricks
available , if partner has a stopper in openers suit. Vulnerability dictates
how close to 9 tricks the jump Q bidder has. If favourable
vulnerability , the jump Q bidder can just be
describing a solid suit for pre-emptive reasons. At unfavourable vulnerability , there is usually 9 tricks available if
partner has a stopper in the opponents suit.
When partner has initially bid a suit , the opponents have bid a suit , a jump Q bid is of
course a splinter. 1♦-1♥-3♥ is a singleton heart . When we wanted to grope for 3NT, the western
Q bid would be used after making a natural bid of some sort. The THRUMP
double is another way of showing a
solid suit . 1♥-3♠-X ♠x ♥xx
♦AKQJ10xx
♣Jxx . The 3NT double (
Thrump ) invented
by Bergen asks partner to bid 3NT with a spade stopper. A 4♦ bid with these
hands is lame by driving you to an 11 trick contract going down when 3NT is
cold.
Bridge
is a game of suits .
A solid long minor equates to excellent 3NT games making. The more bids you have
that describe solid or semi-solid suits
the better off the partnership will be. Sometimes the opponents open and you
have a long solid major too strong
to pre-empt to 4 of a major. Having a jump Q bid as natural in a major is a
waste of a good bid. You need a bid to describe a super jump to game in a
major. I held ♠AKQ1098xxx ♥x ♦Kxx ♣void , they opened 1♣.
Leaping to 4♠ pre-emptive is a silly bid. You bid 3♣ ,
partner bids 3NT. You bid 4♠ and that describes a
NAMYATS type 4♠ bid.
What are jump Q bids after a T/O double either at the one level or two level ? The
same thing as the bid describes a solid suit somewhere. Experts add a
wrinkle that the jump Q bid denies a
control in the bid suit. 1♠ by the opponents , you double with ♠Ax ♥QJxx ♦xxx ♣AKxx . Partner holds ♠xx ♥Ax ♦AKQJ10x
♣QJx so she bids 3♠. Partner bids 3NT with a
stopper so you try 6NT.