Monday, November 27, 2006 6:11 AM

Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( The Great Escape )

PITBULLS:

We like playing a natural bidding system as opposed to an artificial club system. Furthermore , we go to great lengths to preserve natural sequences as stronger than using an artificial treatment like Lebensohl. Lebensohl is a classic Bridge relay to describe hands of varying strength. When used after a strong NT , direct natural bidding is stronger than going through the relay. When used after a weak two , natural bidding is stronger than going through the relay. When partner doubles 4♥/♠ , going through the relay is weaker than bidding naturally.

We have Lebensohl like relays peppered through all the trouble spots in our system. They are all the same , relay to escape so bidding naturally shows strength. Here are the trouble spots. You open a shapely hand (5-5 or 6-4) with a major . Partner bids a forcing NT so you make your rebid & partner bids 2NT invitational. You want partner to let you play a partial , so you bid 3♣ as a relay to 3♦ & any subsequent bid should be passed. When you bid naturally after 2NT , it is forcing somewhere. Simple..

You bid one of a major , partner bids a forcing NT. You bid 2NT which is virtually forcing to game. Why almost forcing to game ? Partner can escape with a relay so all natural bids are forcing to game or slam tries. This is how you show a limit raise in partner’s major. Just bid naturally & give preference. When you want to escape at the 3 level in partner’s major or a diamond suit , relay first so partner will let you out.

One of anything , a response & a leap to 2NT is a clumsy sequence in standard bidding. Use 3♣ as a Wollfe relay instead of NMF. This relay allows natural bidding to be strong & slam going. When you relay , your intentions are to escape completely ( dropping the auction in 3♦) or just find the best game ( 4-4 ) in the majors. The beauty of the Wollfe relay is that making a relay first followed by bidding 3NT , you have made a flat slam try in partner’s minor without going past 3NT !!

When the opponents bid in the sandwich position at the two level , it robs you of the ability to jump to the 3 level to show invitational hands. A relay to the rescue called the good-bad 2NT. When you bid naturally , it is strong ( invitational) . When you just want to compete , you bid 2NT (bad ) so partner must relay to 3♣. You can now compete without partner punishing you. Of course , you can break the relay with this sequence also.

Playing a relay is like using a light switch. When the light is off , your bids are strong & when it’s on you wish to escape or show the weaker hands. There is still another advantage of relays is when you deliberately break the relay. With Lebensohl , when you break the relay, it’s because you have a strong hand. When you do not do something that the system dictates , red lights should be flashing. When you break a relay , it has a special meaning defined by the partnership. I play a multi purpose 3♣ jump shift where breaking the relay shows hard to describe good one suiters or the equally tough good two suiters.

Once you have mastered the basic Bridge relay ( Lebensohl) , using the same principle in other auctions will fill holes in your system. Relays are not that difficult a concept. They are all the same.