Monday, October 27, 2003 1:33 AM

Quantitative Bidding

PITBULLS:

HCP’s work well in NT contracts. Everyone is familiar with the standard quantitative auctions . 1NT-4NT or 2NT–4NT. A little less familiar are the 1NT– 5NT & 2NT–5NT auctions which say bid 7NT with a maximum and 6NT with a minimum.

When partner has forced to game with a 2/1 or a 4^th suit forcing auction then a leap to 3NT has a meaning. In all cases a jump to 3NT shows extra with a hand in the 15-17 HCP range.

1♠-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-3NT 3NT shows extra , A 2NT bid is an either or hand . A minimum flat hand or the

18-19 HCP hand.

You have a flat 15-17 HCP hand with a 4 card heart suit and partner opens 1♠ . A direct leap to 3NT shows 15-17 HCPs with both minors so you must manufacture a 2/1 and then leap to 3NT. Do not bid a forcing NT with any hand over 13 HCP’s.. How do you show the flat hands in the 15-17 HCP range where you have had a few rounds of bidding at a low level? 4^th suit forcing to the rescue . Bid a 4^th suit and then jump to 3NT ( or play 2NT as 4^th suit like BJ & I do ) . if you play xyz , a jump to 3NT also shows the 15-17 HCP range even with “semi-balanced “ distribution 5-4-3-1 . In misfit auctions ( all four suits bidable ) the jump to 3NT should show a higher range ( strong NT ) so do not bother with the 4^th suit forcing first.

How about the bigger hands in the 18-19 HCP range ? These are an either/or bid. 2NT shows both these ranges and pulling 3NT to 4NT clarifies the larger range. This is not Blackwood as you have to agree a fit first. If it is a minor fit , then a jump in the minor is Blackwood anyway.

1♥-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2NT-P

3NT-P-4NT-P

There is a law in Bridge that 4NT is not Blackwood unless there is a major suit fit established. This means established and not just implied somehow. By the way , A jump to 3NT does not need to be a flat hand in all cases. The hard to bid semi-balanced 5-4-3-1 hands with the stiff in partners suit is quite often used as quantitative to show the HCP’s without a fit. AKxxx K10x J AJ10x so you open 1♠ and partner bids 2♦. 3♣ is ambiguous as to HCP’s and wanting to right side the NT . You have 16 HCP without a fit so why not describe your hand to partner with a 3NT bid. The thinking goes along these lines. If you are going to pre-empt partner out of bidding room anyway, why not do it with a HCP range that she is familiar with i.e. a strong NT range. This simplifies most auctions.

Playing xyz or 2NT as a new suit force, the jump to 3NT will prevent a number of futile slam tries. BJ Trelford held ♠Kxx ♥AKxxx ♦Kxxx ♣K and partner opened 1♣. BJ responded 1♥ and partner bid 1♠. This shows a minimum of 9 black cards and the bidding has remained at the one level for 3 rounds. This means xyz has come into effect. Bridge is based on probabilities. With 9 black cards shown, what are the odds of a diamond or heart fit ? A leap to 3NTshows hands in the 15-17 HCP range which is what you have. You can bid 2♦ to force to try and find a heart fit , but that is very remote so why take the chance ? You bid 3NT and partner with ♠AQxx ♥void ♦Axxx ♣AQxxx will force this hand to at least 4NT by bidding 4♦. At least by bidding 3NT, you have described your HCP’s to one partner rather than the partnership guessing on the relative strength of each hand.