Thursday, September 02, 2004 12:13 AM
Lack of
Discipline
PITBULLS:
Bridge is a partnership game . In order to get the
best results you build up a rapport of trust
with your partner by showing self discipline. . After a while
partner will gain confidence in your bidding style and act accordingly. In
competitive auctions , partner will be believed rather then the opponents .
Self discipline shows up in three main areas of Bridge . Opening bids ,
pre-empts and overcalls. Opening non openers without the required quick tricks
is the worst form of lack of discipline. The “semi-psyche” is the worst bid
possible because the bid gets partner many more times than hurting the
opponents. It usually results in a doubled contract making , a slam going down
or a very bad game going down many
tricks. It erodes partnership confidence and partner has an extra decision to
make. Does partner really have an opening bid ? The adjustments that must be
made in case partner does not have a bid causes bad decisions. It’s the little
boy “crying wolf” concept. You end
up saying false alarm and tend not to believe partner’s openers. A blatant
psyche is better then a semi-psyche because the opponents as well as partner
can be fooled and maybe you might
gain something. However psyches are destructive to the partnership also.
Bridge
theorists almost since the beginning of Bridge have defined opening bids as the
mainstay of the game of Bridge. Theorists for eons have stated there is a quick trick requirement for an opening bid
. There is a sound theoretical basis for that requirement. Controls are more important cards than queens and jacks
for both offensive and defensive purposes. Once partner opens the bidding there
is an assumption of a minimum of 2 ½ controls over there which is necessary for
competitive bidding , game and slam bidding and penalty doubles. If you have
scattering of queens and jacks even if they add up to 13 HCP it is not an
opening bid. Partners ingrained judgment is based on an opening bid having
these controls.
I
have seen people open KQ109x Qx KJxx xx , Qx AQJxx x Jxxxx and even Q QJx
KQxxxx Kxx all for bad
results . In the 1st hand partner held a huge hand and
bid a ridiculous 6NT which goes two down doubled. The 2nd hand was
“opened” also and the opponents got doubled in 3♠ making when partner held 12 HCP. The last hand was a
mini-disaster at one table and a disaster at the other. Both tables opened the hand and at one
table they got too high and went one down in 5♦ for a –230 blow . The other table 4♠ was doubled by partner with 14 HCP’s and 21/2
defensive tricks and got –790 for her efforts. Opening these hands means that
you do not understand the game of bridge and if you do you just have no self
discipline. You do not care how partner interprets your “opener”. What is common in all 3 of these :”non
openers” ? They all have only
1 ½ defensive tricks which fooled partner. Partner can not use his judgment in
competitive auctions , penalty doubles , game or slam bidding because there
might be a non opener over there. The
dreaded semi-psyche.
A
recent example that is almost comical . A local good player opened his terrible
collection of queens and jacks that added up to 12 HCP 1♥ vul
The hand was so bad ( 5-3-3-2 ) that it only had one defensive
trick. Anyway a competitive auction ensued and partner made a reasonable competitive
decision to bid 3♥ with an Ace and 7 HCP and 3 trump. The opponents
doubled and converted and they went for –800 . They lamented they were “fixed”
by the opponents double instead of the non opener !! Tom Gandolfo held Q Qxxx
Kxxxx AQx and in first seat he passed. If he opened and I responded 1♠ he would have had to rebid 1NT which Tom did not
like very much. Tom’s hand lacked controls so he decided to pass. The novice
players who we were playing against were incredulous that he passed the hand.
They just use an abacus and add up their queens & jacks and if in comes to
11+ they open. Tom replied to them that even passed hands get to game as we got to
+450 in hearts after a light 3rd seat opener. The hand actually is
easier to describe as a passed hand . I open 1♠ and Tom can bid 2♦ . I make a rebid and Tom can bid hearts or right
side the 3NT with the AQx of clubs.
Overcalls
are another area where a lack of discipline rears its ugly head. I actually
heard a decent player saying that he would overcall a weak 2♠ with 3♣ with this
hand xx AKQ Axx Jxxxx . He said he
had “compensating HCP’s” which justifies this bid. 3♣ is atrocious for many reasons. One is you hand the
opponents an opportunity to hit a home run by doubling you. You have enough
outside cards so that can not make anything so that seals the deal for them .
The next reason is that Bridge is a game of suits. When you overcall at the two
level you are announcing to partner that you have a decent suit. Surprise
partner , I do not have a suit so your decision is wrong ! I mislead you
because I have “compensating values” .
Pre-empts
are the worst offender to erode the partnership aspect of the game of Bridge.
In fact with undisciplined pre-empts you are sending a message to him that he
does not exist. You are vul with xx xxxxxx
Axx Axx so first seat you open a weak 2♠ . It might mislead partner but it might screw up the
opponents. The urge to get the opponents is stronger then the discipline needed
to assist partner in these auctions. If they get to 3NT and partner leads the
Kx of spades unlucky. You go for a tremendous set vul you are also unlucky. I
watched a player make a horrendously bad pre-empt tonight. Partner was not a
passed hand and the auction went 1♦-3♥ with KJ J109xxxx A xxx . Again you have “compensating values” to make up
for your lack of heart cards right ?
No , you have just insulted partner.
How can he make any decision at all if you make such a filthy bid. He can never
read you for 1 ½ defensive tricks outside the heart suit. You may go for a number and you have
enough defense so that the opponents can not make anything. You may miss a vul
game because partner can not read you for such outside strength. Partner might
make a pseudo sacrifice not expecting the outside cards. This is just single handed
undisciplined destructive bidding. How can I misdescribe my hand the most , so
that partner has no idea what’s going on ?
A
wise player once said “anybody can bray like a Jackass” . Lack of discipline is just that . It is not
being aggressive , or tough to play against or “modern bidding “ or any other
silly rationalization. Its just a single handed undisciplined style of playing
Bridge which insults a good partner.
A pro playing with a client makes all these bids. Why ? , because he has no
respect for partner and the result justifies the means. Like tossing a coin ,
you may win or you may lose. Bridge is above that as it is a partnership game . Unless of course , you
destroy partner by a lack of discipline. Bridge is not just Casino like
gambling . The partnership element along with the language of bidding is
supposed to reduce the gambling aspect common in other endeavours.