Monday, June 19, 2006 12:07 AM

Playing the Vulnerability – Our side Vul

PITBULLS:

You , like all good players , “play the vulnerability” . When they are vul & you are not , you “get in there” to impede their progress to their vulnerable games or slams. This is simply good strategy so partner must give you leeway on this one vulnerability. You bid like Osama & do not apologize for this indiscretion.

What if the tables are turned and you are vulnerable and they are not ? Here are some common understandings that I like to play to counteract their non vul tactics. They open very light & respond very light which confuses your vulnerable auctions. On this one vulnerability only , play a sandwich NT as 16-18 balanced. You describe your hand immediately with one bid so partner is in position to judge who does not have their bids nv.

Do not trap on this one vulnerability. If you have a good hand get in there and manufacture a bid. Again this helps partner who might give credence to the opponents non vulnerable bidding to judge the auction. They open a weak 2♦ , you have ♠J ♥AKxx ♦AQ10x ♣Axxx , overcall 2NT despite your stiff spade just to get in there. On any other vulnerability , you trap & await developments. Off shape T/O doubles might have to be manufactured on this vulnerability so remember your equal level conversion understandings. Do not balance light on this one vulnerability. Remember , partner is not trapping on this vulnerability so bid your own hand in the balancing.

On this vulnerability , of course you are disciplined as they are not. Leave the operating to them at their vulnerability , you of course will have your bid & then some. Partner must be believed rather than the opponents so leave light overcalls & opening bids to other vulnerability scenarios. Beware when partner bids NT or jumps to 3NT on this vulnerability. She may really have their suit & did not want to trap. Let her play it there unless you have slam on your mind. Do not correct to a better contract , because you do not know if your contract is better.

On this vulnerability when they open weak NT’s , use your systemic toy to get to your vul games rather than doubling for penalty. With a choice of doubling or converting for penalty , choose bidding your vul game or slam instead. Sometimes in a 2♣ auction , they can not go down enough nv to compensate for your vulnerable small or grand slam.

Do not forget that many partnerships have automatic forcing passes on this vulnerability. If you bid a vul game & they bid again , forcing passes are turned on. Pre-empts have a special understanding. If they pre-empt again after partner has bid vulnerable , forcing passes are also turned on automatically. Forcing passes are a tool to assist us in this one vulnerability scenario just by the opponents actions alone. In other vulnerability scenarios, it has to be proven by the bidding that you own the auction before forcing passes are turned on . Not so with this vulnerability.

Negative double theory changes on this one vulnerability. Do not give partner a chance to go wrong & convert for penalty when you have a shapely good hand in the re-opening position. Bid one of your suits instead of doubling. On other vulnerabilities , you would have bent over backwards to double. Not so on this vulnerability. When they overcall at the two level bid 2NT or 3NT rather than waiting for partner to re-open with a double. In other words , avoid penalty conversion in lieu of your vulnerable game.

There are some common understandings when you are bidding vulnerable. You have 10 HCP ♠Jx ♥xxx ♦xxx ♣AKQxx and partner makes a vul overcall of 2♦ after they open 1♥. Partner is vul so do not make the single handed decision that 2♦ is the limit of this hand. A 3♦ bid is an underbid as you have a source of tricks. Most players Q bid 2♥ & +600 was reached in 5♦ making. When you are vul , you do not bid on nothing to “push up” nv opponents. The auction went 1♦ (nv ) & my vul partner bid 4♥ . They bid 5♦ so if I had a weak hand opposite partner’s pre-empt I would not bid 5♥ to push them into a slam that makes. I bid 5♥ to make on this vulnerability & to turn on forcing passes. They bid 6♦ so I doubled. This can not be an undouble as why would I push them into a slam I can not beat on this vulnerability. Undoubles of slams only apply on the terrorist vulnerability. Do not be oblivious to the vulnerability as they define your bids.