Friday, August 18, 2006 12:25 AM
Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( The 4 Level )
PITBULLS:
The 4 level has a special status in
Bridge. At this level , it is automatically assumed you
have found your fit earlier. Natural bidding at
the 4 level is very rare after partner’s opening bid at the one level. The 4 level is reserved for Q bidding
, KCB or patterning
out. When partner has made a strong jump shift or a jump rebid ,
responder can not show
her natural suit at the 4 level. A bid at the 4 level is a Q bid
for partners suit. You must bid 3NT & hide your suit thereby avoiding going to the 4
level naturally. A 4 level bid is not an
ambiguous either/or situation ( suit or Q bid ).
1♠-P-1NT-P
3♥-P-4♦-P is not
natural. This bid implies hearts.
Q bidding & hand evaluation is dynamic. A Q bid may occur because the
opponents have all of a sudden have improved your hand. Of course , the reverse is
true. When the opponents interfere , they may harm
or help the auction. My partner had a hand where the opponents bid
helped evaluate his hand.
♠Ax ♥10xx ♦Kx ♣A109876 , partner opened a strong
NT . Partner bid 2♠ which shows all the club hands with
partner super accepting in clubs. Partner made a slam try by bid 3♦. This normally
shows a stiff but he had the impossible 6-3-2-2
hand. Partner encouraged with 3♥ , RHO doubles
what do you do ? With 3 small hearts ,
your hand has dynamically taken a
turn for the worse. A XX by you would show 2nd round control so a
pass or returning to the trump suit would probably show 3rd
round control. You only have 11 HCP so a slam would need a super fit so the
heart double spells doom . Fast arrival is the way out in these auctions. You leap to 5♣ , so this is cold for +600. You may want to right
side the club contract by getting partner to bid clubs with a pass. Bidding at
the 4 level has slam
written all over it though.
The 4 level is traditional reserved
for slam tries & tools. When you
have splinters or systemic bids that find your minor fit ( implied) under the 4 level in a forcing to game auction , a return to the trump suit at the
4 level by either side is KCB. The key is
the forcing to game auction with the fit being found below the four level. Say either
partner Q bids again in this auction, 4♣ is KCB
because the fit was found when partner bid 2NT confirming clubs.
Implied minor suit fits in a forcing to game auction means the 4 level
is reserved for KCB.
1♥-P-2♦-P
3♠-P-4♦ is KCB because the splinter implied diamonds so you found your fit below the 4 level. The 4 level is the benchmark for minor suit KCB
.
If the fit was just found
at the 4 level , you need Kickback.
If the minor fit was found below
the 4 level either directly or
implied the agreed minor is KCB. Kantar would approve .J