Thursday, July 27, 2006 2:05 AM

Hand Evaluation – NT ( Passed Hand )

PITBULLS:

The 1NT bid is the cornerstone of your bidding system. The bid gets auctions off to good starts and describes a balanced hand with 15-17 HCP. You have many tools to get to games & slams from this starting point. A 2NT opener is also a good starting point to your auction for the same reasons as above. Quite often you open 1NT without the requite shape because you run into rebid problems or you might want to hide a long minor from the opponents. This tactic allows you to make a lucky 9 trick game.

There is a time to pull in the reigns though , when partner is a passed hand. Partners median or expected HCP’s as a passed hand is around 6 or 7 . Straight probability theory means that 75 % of the time you will not reach game opposite a passed hand partner. Given this fact , I feel you should “show where you live” rather than open 1NT. Why ? because you want to get to the best contract. A partial is in the cards with the laws of probability so start the bidding with a suit in order to find the best spot. 1NT down 2 vulnerable or a stretch to a 3NT game down two adds up in the IMP scale.

Take this hand . ♠xx ♥QJx ♦AKQ10x ♣KJx in 1^st or 2^nd seat this is a 1NT opener. In 3^rd or 4^th seat I would open 1♦. This is where I live and I feel this is the best starting point to find the best partial. If game is possible , I quite sure we will find a sequence to get us there. Partner has ♠Qx ♥Kxx ♦x ♣A10xxxxx so will bid 2♣ , you raise to 3♣ & this is your optimum spot. At the other table , they opened 1NT , found their good club fit , bid 3NT down 3 for –300. This coupled with 3♣ making is a substantial 10 IMP loss.

1NT & 2NT openers make game & slam bidding easier but hinder accurate partial bidding.

Quite often we promote good 19 HCP hands to 20 & open 2NT or make off shape 2NT openers. Again this is good strategy in 1^st & 2^nd seat but in 3^rd & 4^th , try and be as accurate as you can . Open these hands at the one level. Sometimes partner cannot even find a response so you buy the hand in 1♦ making instead of 2NT –200. Also the opponents quite often balance & rescue you from a bad spot. There is a safety factor also when partner is a passed hand. By avoiding 1NT & 2NT openers, you will not set yourself up for a penalty double or just as bad , passed out vul for a number of undertricks. Your choice of openings bids is dictated by whether partner is a passed hand just like your overcalls & T/O doubles. Tune your bidding by taking into consideration seat position as well as vulnerability. This is called Bridge judgment.