Friday, May 06, 2005 4:50 AM

Taking Out Insurance IV

PITBULLS:

There are enumerable differences between the game of IMPS vrs the game of matchpoints. In IMPS , you have a luxury that you do not have in matchpoints. In very close competitive decisions , in IMPS you can “bid one more” as insurance against them making their contract. As long as your expected loss is small , it is no disaster in IMPS to guess wrong. If you are –50 and you could have got +50 , the IMP scale does not punish you. Even if you are –300 and the next time you guess right and they make +650 you get it all back and then some. In fact , you can make wrong decisions a number of times as long as you eventually guess right and win 12 IMPS to equalize your loses. This is assuming when they make their game , you take a small minus. You can not have this strategy in matchpoints as getting the plus is the idea.

What about competitive auctions where there are small slam bids ?. Do you trust the opponents and take a cheap sacrifice or go for the set ? Again , In IMPS the scale itself gives you a luxury not found in matchpoints. If you guess wrong in matchpoints , it is a disaster as you are going minus when you could have had a plus. In IMPS you must think of the long run. Other boards with the same decisions might come up and you have a chance to guess right again. Even with slams , it is best to take out insurance if the sacrifice rates to be very small against what you might lose if they made their contract.

Tom Gandolfo in action in the Calgary GNT . He held nv vrs vul void Axxx KQJ10xx xxx and the auction went 1♣-P-1♠-2♦ 2♠-3♣-6♠-? My 3♣ bid shows limit raise or better in diamonds. The opponents are vul so they are obviously bidding this to make. Tom put the 7♦ card on the table as insurance. He went for –300 and our partners were +1430 in their spade slam for a huge pickup. Tom said that he felt that the sacrifice would be so small that if our partners were in game we would win IMPS anyway . If the opponents were overboard in 6♠ and our partners were in game making , the IMP scale takes away our winnings anyway. +650 –300 is +8 IMPs . +650 +100 is 12 IMPs so Tom is gambling a paltry 4 IMPS on his 7♦ bid assuming perfect team mates ! He won 15 IMPs so great pot odds . What about the worst case scenario that partners are in 6♠ down one. Tom gambled –400 or 9 IMPS to win 15 IMPs . Again the pot odds in Tom’s favour for a calculated gamble.

Susan & Kiz had this decision nv vrs vul opponents . Susan opened 2♦ and Kiz held x Axxxx KQ109x Kx . My partner overcalled 2♠ vul and Kiz bid 5♦ and I bid 6♠ . Around to Kiz again for the decision. This is the Tom Gandolfo hand all over again. 7♦ might even beat the spade game –300 let alone the slam . Kiz may have two defensive tricks but this is IMPS so you can afford to take out insurance if the sacrifice is very cheap. We indeed make our slam for a horrible 14 IMP loss for them and 7♦ for –300 would have won them 6 for a 20 IMP swing ! In IMPS , use the IMP scale to your advantage ! Assume partners are in game making for +650 and if your sacrifice beats that , go for it !