Pre-empting

(Courtesy of Bob Crosby)

Modern Pre-empting

July 27, 2002

Finely tuned partnership understandings are the only defense against opponents whose mission is to destroy by swinging tactics. Suicidal pre-empts are a popular tactic for certain types of players who have a strong club game background. Certain misguided players will argue until they are blue in the face that it is correct in IMPs to pre-empt 1st seat vulnerable vs not with x Kxx KJxxxxx xxx. Maurice described this pre-empting style to me this way. If you are in 1st seat there are 3 possible players you can get LHO, RHO and partner so its 2 to 1 in favour of a making this kind of pre-empt. In 2nd seat he said its more risky as there has been one passed hand so its 50-50 (partner or RHO that you “get”). Maurice freely admits that partner is fair game in this “style”. I hate this style with a passion as I feel partner should be preserved at all costs in the game of Bridge. However, I do acknowledge many players have the same “style” as Maurice do exist.

What to do about it? Here is my suggestion.

Suicidal Pre-empts at the 3 level vulnerable vs not or 2 level any vulnerability

The purpose of these bids are to be entirely destructive for players like Osama, Maurice and Cabay. The entire Gartaganis team and Peter Jones have bought into this “religion” also. They may have a good suit or a bad suit or outside stuff or not outside stuff, a 6 or 7 or 8 card suit. They are not interested in getting to their own correct spots and it would be hit and miss for them if they did. They do not respect vulnerability and have a “catch me if you can mentality”. They make these bids in 1st or 2nd seat so partner is not a consideration.

There are tons of defenses invented for bad pre-empts. Fishbien, Smith and Weiss are the most popular. With Fishbien the cheapest overcall is for takeout and double is for penalty. With Smith the cheapest club bid is for takeout and double is for penalty and Weiss is cheapest minor for take-out and double for penalty/NT hands. These apply in the direct seat only and not in the balancing.

My opinion, if the opponents have light pre-empts marked on their card or have a "reputation", play one of the 3 gadgets above. I like the cheapest minor for take-out (Weiss) as that keeps the natural 3 and 3 overcalls in effect. I like Weiss for weak two’s an any vulnerability and at the 3 level only if they are vulnerable and you are not. You only lose on some minor overcalls which does not seem to be a big loss to me. Double for penalty with defensive hands and 3NT overcalls with long minors (to play) come with the territory.

Playing one of the gadgets makes balancing easier as partner does not have a stack in the pre-empters suits with outside values also. Partner does not have bend over backwards and double with 9 points in the balancing seat. She is bidding her own hand and not protecting anybody. There are some positives in playing one of these gadgets so I recommend you adopt one of them to play against known "bad pre-empters".

These tools are designed for suicidal weak two’s. Cheapest minor means at the two level, clubs will always be for take-out except after the Polish/Precision 2 where diamonds are for takeout. These players really abuse these 2 openers from my experience. After 3 level vulnerable pre-empts by them, cheapest minor for takeout means clubs in all cases except after a 3 pre-empt where diamonds take over.

Given the pre-empting style of many players of the Maurice ilk, I would like to adopt cheapest minor for takeout. Against sound pre-empters, it does not hurt to have this takeout understanding anyway. The odds of partner converting for penalty is minimal, therefore you just lose the 3 overcall after a weak two. We play Roman jump overcalls over weak twos and cue bids for NT game tries so we can always manufacture something with clubs. A gambling 2NT or 3NT?

Playing cheaper minor for takeout means that this takeout bid has an upper limit. If you are very strong, cue bid instead. They open 2 and you have AKxx x Axxx Kxxx you bid 3 for takeout. If you hold AKxx x AKxx AKJx bid 3 instead. Partner is allowed to pass 3 or 4 for takeout if she holds clubs. If you can not stand this, do not make the bid!!

The Weiss double is not just a trump stack in their suit. It is a NT overcall in values (14+) and not a command to pass. If you just have a trump stack in their suit and nothing else, the green card is still the accepted action. Playing this style, a 2NT or 3NT overcall is always based on playability. Playing against Polish 2 and similar bids, play Weiss also. A double is a NT overcall/penalty orientated and 2 is takeout. If you pull the double it is not forward going. This is a very rare auction as a pass will always be the common action.

Playing Weiss solves the age old problem of handling strong NT hands or better after pre-empts. A double describes this hand type immediately and quantitative bidding can take place with the vulnerability being wrong. 2 - Dbl - P - 4NT means we are vulnerable against non-vulnerable and a quantitative try for 6NT. Think NT hands when partner doubles so 4NT is not for the minors or something silly. Against weak 2’s you have a choice to describe your flat hand - double or 2NT. Obviously the strength in their suit will govern your decision but you do have an option to describe the same hand type.

Anyway, against pre-empts put the Weiss converting on your card. Double for penalty helps level the playing field for weak twos. With pre-empts at the 3 level, Weiss is a bit clumsy. At the 3 level, play Weiss only on one vulnerability. They are vulnerable and you are not. On all other vulnerabilities at the 3 level, we revert to standard takeout understandings.

TACTICS - Weak 2's

August 01, 2002

Against people who play normal weak two's, the main preparation is just getting your Lebensohl understandings are on the same wavelength. Responsive doubles to 4 apply and double of their game is penalty. Against people who play destructive weak 2's (Nick Gartaganis and his disciples), Jacob/McOrmand, I think special counter measures are in order. They think nothing of opening a weak 2 on 9xxxxx vulnerable against non vulnerable. Against them I suggest that direct doubles are penalty, 2NT is natural, 3 is a takeout double, cue bids are strong take out doubles. In the balancing seat everything reverts to normal.

Against these people only, a direct cue bid is a strong 4-4-4-1 takeout double 18+ as we assume partner has 7 HCPs. Therefore 3 is a limited takeout double and can be passed if partner has clubs.

You hold AJ10xx xxx xxxx x

2

3

Pass

4*

* Here you bid 4

2

3

Pass

3*

*Here you bid only 3 as 3 is limited.

2

3

4

?*

* Dbl is penalty, 5 level bid to make, 4NT Blackwood

2

3

4

?*

* This auction is different as the 3 bid is a limited takeout. A direct bid may be a sacrifice against their makeable 4.

2

Dbl

Pass

?

* You hold AKQJ108 x Axx Kxx and pass. They probably will not make their vulnerable 2 doubled.

Balancing takes on a different perspective as the chances that the double will be converted for penalty diminishes. You do not have to bend over backwards to double with minimal values to protect partners penalty pass. With this information, balancing doubles are stronger and 2NT is natural.

2	Pass	4	Dbl
?*

* As the 4 bid can be re pre-empting I think in balancing auctions using 4NT as Lebensohl makes sense.If partner bids something she is showing some values. A pull to 4NT means that she does not want -790 and you must bid 5.

If partner bids 2NT directly or in the balancing are systems on? I suggest why not?

Anyway, the frequency of weak 2's with horrible suits over the long run will produce good results. It is a terrorist tactic that works because it muddles auctions and pre-empts opponents out of games. Fighting back means to catch them speeding once in a while. A few +1100's will counter some of the effectiveness of the bid. Just the thought that the opponents play penalty doubles of their weak 2's might deter their effectiveness and frequency. Osama will have no fear though, probably will just spur him on...

Replacing 4NT Blackwood

August 05, 2002

Another way good opponents can mess up your auctions is upping the frequency of 4/ overcalls or opening bids. You must have good partnership understandings in place to handle these or many IMPS will be thrown away. As these bids come at us in two ways, openers and overcalls, let's discuss overcalls first.

Most partnerships only play negative doubles to the 4 level. This is because they want to be able to double 4 and 4 for penalty. However what does this penalty double really mean? You have to distinguish between a penalty double with KQxx of trump behind the 4 bidder and say 13 HCP and a singleton spade. With the 2nd type of double you are invariably cold for 6 of something as their 10 HCP points in spades mean nothing defensively. Therefore you lose big time as they may only go down 1 or 2 for a max of 300. A penalty double with no fit in partner's 1st suit quite often does not work out either as you have a huge secondary fit.

In order to handle these situations you have to give up something. I strongly believe this something should be Blackwood. When you think about it there is no law that says you must bid Blackwood before bidding a slam. Blackwood is insurance against being in slam off two ACES or in the case of Ray Grace, 4 Aces but slams can be bid by the "Gandolfo method" and just leap to the slam. Experts know that many times the opponents can not afford to let you play the slam as they take out insurance by sacrificing in 6 anyway. They find out later that you were off two cashable aces but say so what..

O.K. 4NT is never Blackwood when the opponents overcall 4 or 4. Then what is it? Use it to describe hand that are very difficult to describe because the opponents took up so much room with their bid. The meaning of the 4NT will vary with the strain of partner's opener so let's go thru the possibilities. Tom Gandolfo suggests that these 4NT bids be more distributional than a D.S.I.P. double which he will make on a very strong defensive hand instead. A trump stack is shown by the green card and hope partner re-opens. If partner has doubled in the auction then of course 4NT is Lebensohl.

1 minor

4

4NT*

* The hardest hand to show under lack of room pressure are two suiters. So 4NT shows a two suiter in the unbid suits.

Opener: xxx Axxx AKxxx x

Responder: x KQxxx xx AQJ10x

1430 in hearts most likely makes and 4 goes for 300

..............................................

1

4

?*

Opener: xxx xx KQJx AQJ10

Responder: x AKxx Axxxx Kxx

* Bid 6 directly or 5

...................................................

If partner has opened 1 and you got a 4 overcall then 4NT shows the minors and a good offensive hand.

O.K. the 4 overcall can also be very annoying but you still have the 4 bid available.

1 minor

4

4NT*

* O.K. what does this mean? 6-4's are also notoriously hard to describe when room is taken away. So this shows 4 in partner's suit and 6 of the other minor.

1

4

4NT*

* Minor 2 suiter

.............................................................

O.K. what about the 4/ opening bids? Modern theory is that doubling is for take out. Doubling of 4 for penalty is considered archaic by the Bridge World panel of experts. Blackwood in these sequences also has to be sacrificed. The best replacement for the 4NT bid is Lebensohl.

4	Dbl	Pass	4NT*
Pass	5	Pass	5**

* Lebensohl
** To Play. You held xxx x QJxxxxx xx

.........................................................

4	Dbl	Pass	5*
Pass	6

* Shows values

Doubler: x AKxx QJ10x AQJ10

You: xxx x AKxxx Kxxx

4

4NT*

* What about the 4NT overcall? Blackwood does not exist so make this a hand that is hard to describe anyway. This bid shows any 2 suiter not just the minors.

O.K. there are many more sequences where the opponents can irritate you with a jump to 4 of a major. Takeout doubles and when your side overcalls. To me, it is easiest on the memory to say that 4NT is never Blackwood when the opponents have bid 4 of a major. This might be extreme in some partnerships but to me the math justifies it. Getting to the correct game is rewarded with the same number of IMPS as getting to a slam. So if you use Blackwood once and save 12 IMPS by staying out of a slam off 2 aces you may have lost 12 IMPS five previous times by getting to the wrong game or too high etc..

1

1

4

4NT*

* 6-5 in the minors

1

Dbl

4

4NT*

* Lebensohl

Pre-empting Strategy

September 26, 2002

The following is from Fred Gitelman on a particular aspect of Eric Kokish's coaching methods.

“Each partnership received quizzes to fill out. One of these quizzes consisted of 40 hands that you might consider preempting on. Each player had to write down what bid he would make in first, second, and third position, and at each of the four vulnerabilities. That's 480 questions. After the quizzes were filled out, each set of partners got together and compared their answers. Eric never tried to alter our style as to what hands we preempted on. His emphasis was on each member of the partnership knowing what to expect when the other one preempts.”

On Thursday night I played with a well known Polish player and made an off colored pre-empt in 3rd seat. The opponents bid their game and Piotr feeling that I would have a nice disciplined pre-empt sacrificed. It was not a success and we lost 11 IMPS. Afterwards when we were discussing the hand I asked Piotr don’t you play the “Subash rule”. Piotr said he never heard of it however, it goes like this “Partners are not allowed (barred) to bid over a Subash pre-empt if they are a passed hand“. Subash says that once partner is a passed hand it is taking liberties time with pre-empts. He does not want partner to submarine his efforts.

O.K. I do not go that far. I do not think partnerships should have the leeway that an Osama or Maurice does (vary a pre-empt depending on what they had for supper) but 3rd and 4th seat should have different rules and vulnerability should have different rules. Here are my thoughts. 1st and 2nd seat my pre-empts are disciplined. In other words, I will not have an outside King or Ace ever. Partner can take that to the bank in judging the auctions. Equal or unfavourable vulnerability 1st or 2nd seat my suit will be appropriately disciplined. Not vulnerable against vulnerable my suit and hand could be a disaster and I may have an outside King. I would open 3 1st seat non-vulnerable vs vulnerable with x Kxx KJ10xxx xx but never on any other vulnerability.

3rd seat, I agree with Subash, it is time to operate. I will have outside stuff some times. Axx KJ10xxxx Qxx x. I would open this 3 in 3rd and 4th and 1 in 1st and second. Partner has to be aware of this style or there are going to be a lot of pseudo sacrifices flying around or missed games for the other extreme. Partner has to be aware of this shift in discipline and tread lightly as a passed hand. Totally being barred is extreme but let's say bids should not be based on partner having a classic disciplined pre-empt. If the opponents ask to describe my 3rd seat pre-empts, “variable” would be a good answer.

Skilled match point players use their knowledge of the ability of local players in guiding their pre-emptive action. My partner pre-empted 2 vulnerable against not vulnerable with Qxxxxx x QJxxx x against a weak pair the other night. Instead of going for his life for -700 the opponents missed their baby slam their direction. I do not think my partner would have tried this pre-empt against most other pairs.

Pre-emptive 4/ bids also vary as to position and vulnerability. I will not have outside stuff in 1st and 2nd seat either. 3rd seat and 4th seat if I can not envision slam with a passed hand partner then I could leap to 4 with anything. Gambling 3NT’s are a part of your pre-empt structure. Should they vary as to 3rd or 4th seat? I was playing with Peter Jones on a Thursday night and vulnerable against vulnerable and I held the following hand. Jx x AKQJ109x 10xx. I opened 3NT and the auction went all pass.

Peter laid down the following dummy Axxx Jxxx void Qxxxx. I went down 6 vulnerable for a 12 IMP loss. Peter explained he did not pull because “I could have anything for a 3rd seat Gambling 3NT”. O.K. let's examine this. The gambling 3NT is put in your pre-emptive structure for the sole purpose of showing a runnable suit for NT purposes. It has a negative inference that if you do pre-empt 3/ you can not have a solid suit. Should 3rd seat really matter? Maybe a gambling 3NT in 4th seat should have outside stuff as there is a safety factor of opening the hand at the one level.

Weak 2’s. Weak jump overcalls and weak jump shifts could all vary according to 3rd seat of vulnerability. 3rd seat weak 2’s are quite often just lead directors with a 5 card suit. Understandings are also needed in these situations.

“Action doubles” come with the territory of 3rd and 4th seat pre-empts. If you tried one of your “tactical” pre-empts of 4 or 3 of a major in 3rd seat and the opponents crawl in, advise partner of that fact with an “action double”. This double means partner is to take some action like converting for penalty or retreating to your suit. This bid has paid big dividends for me in the past. I opened 4 in third seat with x AKJ109x AQx xx and they crawled in 4. Around to me and I made an auction double and hit partner with 5 spades! It was not pretty for them.

Anyway, Eric Kokish is right. Your understandings regarding pre-empts have to be worked out and self discipline is required once the agreements are in place. I strongly feel that pre-empts should not be used to “get partner”

Pre-empts - Part II

October 04, 2002

Established partnerships know each others pre-empt style. They also have understandings worked out on how the partnership bids over each others’ pre-empts.

Say partner opens 4 and your hand is Axx xxx AKQxxx A. This hand can make 7, 6, 5, or 4 depending on partner's hearts. A good rule to remember is the big hand does not cue bid to the pre-empter. A “cue bid” by the big hand is always an asking bid in that suit. The responses are similar to other asking bids in an opponent's suit. Bid 7 of the agreed suit with a void, bid 6 with a singleton, bid 5NT with the king and return to your suit without a control. You could gamble it out and hope that they do not lead a heart but why take a chance when you can ask?

On this auctions, I like 5NT to ask for solidarity of the trump suit so, what should 5 of the major mean? With KCB you can find out about trump so the asker must have a void somewhere where she can not use KCB. She probably has nothing in the trump suit, so if you have bad trump pass, good trump bid 6 and AKQ of the trump suit bid 7.

Kiz has some other treatments over the other pre-empts (weak 2’s, 3 level and Gambling 3NT) and they are noted below. I think her 2 control Blackwood should apply to the trump suit only. If you are interested in overall Aces, you would bid 4NT.

Partner opens a weak 2 and you hold void 10xx AKxx AKQJ10x. I would bid 4 which is Kiz’s Gerber (trump only) Partner shows two with the queen i.e. AKQxxx of trump so you bid 7.

Partner opens at the 3 level so this Gerber is totally trump asking. You do not have outside controls with disciplined pre-empts anyway. Gerber and terrorists do not mix.

This is Gerber (trump) over a three level preempt. I like it because it allows you to preempt on KJxxxxx without hurting the partnership. The first number refers to the number of key cards in the trump suit and the second number refers to the queen of trump. Tom and I played this also.

1.1 OPENING 3

Gerber 4. Responses are:

• 4 = 0/0 or 0/1
• 4 = 1/0
• 4NT = 1/1
• 5 = 2/0
• 6 = !!

1.2 OPENING 3/3/3

Gerber 4 Responses:

• 4 = 0/0 or 0/1
• 4 = 1/0
• 4 = 1/1
• 4NT = 2/0
• 5 = 2/1

1.3 OPENING 3/3

4 asks for shortness. Responses:

• 4/4 = shortness
• 4NT = diamond shortness
• 5 = club shortness

1.1 3NT GAMBLING—BIDS BY RESPONDER

• 4 - opener has to pass or correct
• 4 - asks for shortness
  • 4/4 = shortness
  • 4NT = 7-2-2-2
  • 5/5 = shortness
• 4/4 - to play
• 4NT asks for length in minor
  • 5/5 = this is my minor and I have no extra length
  • 5/5/5NT [other minor] = I have extra length and the queen in this suit
  • 6/6 = this is my minor and I have extra length

Hand Evaluation - 3NT and Pre-empts

March 01, 2003

One of the sinister objectives of pre-empting at the 3 level is to get the opponents out of their rightful 3NT contracts. They end up in a bad 5 of a minor contract, sometimes a bad Moysean or converting for a set that does not compensate for their 3NT. Established partnerships should have some good understandings to prevent, as much as possible, the opponents pushing you out of your 3NT.

If your partner opens and they pre-empt, Thrump doubles are a good tool to keep you in 3NT. Modifying your negative double structure to include Thrump doubles does not give up much and it’s a win – win proposition.

You hold:

xx Kxx xx AKQ10xx

Partner opens 1 with RHO pre-empting 3. You make your Thrump double, partner bids 3NT so you collect your 630. If partner has no spade stopper so plays you for a classic negative double by bidding 4, you just correct to 5 which is where you would have been anyway with a 4 and 5 bidding sequence.

O.K. partner does not open so the opponents pre-empt at the 3 level, what are all your 3NT overcall understandings? If you are stacked in their suit, you should just pass with almost any HCP holding. Looking for a juicy set should be your first objective so cheer for partner to balance with a double (vulnerability taken into consideration of course). I think it is useful to have different overcall understandings depending on whether they pre-empted a major or a minor.

If they pre-empted a major, you may have to overcall 3NT more often with a large balanced hand instead of making a double. You would double more often with the 20 HCP flat hands when they pre-empt a minor because you still have a chance to bid 3NT over partner's major response. Therefore, the understanding I like to have is that a 3NT overcall over a major is based on “playability” with a long suit somewhere or the huge flat hands in the 20 + HCP range with a stopper. This is a “practical bid” so may even hold a singleton somewhere.

OK. What if you do overcall a minor pre-empt with 3NT? It cannot be the balanced huge hands or else you would have doubled, followed by 3NT. I like to play the 3NT overcall as the other minor with a stopper in their minor. I held this hand Q 10xx QJx AKQJxx playing in the Calgary GNT. RHO opened 3 so I overcalled 3NT. Partner bid 4 which I interpreted as either pick a major or a huge hand. I bid 4 so we ended up in 6 opposite AK10x AKJ9xx x xx. I finessed the heart queen, lost to the doubleton queen in the pre-empter's hand. Unlucky yes, but we were in the wrong slam. With such nice clubs, I should have ignored partner's request for a major and bid 5 over the 4 bid. 6 is an easy bid and a very easy contract to play.

How is partner to respond to a 3NT overcall? Usually you do not try to improve the contract so passing is the order of the day with all hands where game is the maximum contract (law - do not try to improve the game). With that understanding, bidding is always forward going so may be a slam try. All bids are natural, forcing and 4NT is always to play if the slam try is aborted. An interesting treatment is always have 4 as straight Blackwood and 4NT as a general quantitative slam try. 4NT is the most common invitational bid after a 3NT overcall by far. One common treatment by experts is a method for a slam try in a major. You cue bid in the opponent's suit, then bid your major as a general slam try. Due to the “practical “ nature of a 3NT overcall, 4NT by either side is never Blackwood.

3	3NT	Pass	4
4NT	Pass	Pass

Overcaller's hand is AQx J AKQxxxx Qx.

Another way of responding to a 3NT overcall is via transfers only. There is a very clever scheme developed which works for all 3 level pre-empts by the opponents. 4 regardless of the pre-empt is a transfer to the cheapest unbid major, 4 is a transfer to the cheapest suit other than the lowest unbid major and 4 is always a transfer to the higher ranking minor. This works and always allows one suit below the intended suit as a super accept! Brilliant! This is what I prefer to play as a 3NT overcall is an undisciplined bid brought about by the opponent's pressure tactics. Responder should only be allowed to bid with a transfer with a suitable super accept scheme worked out.

The rule of defending against pre-empting is to assume partner has around 7 HCP so bid accordingly. A strong NT hand HCP range is not strong enough to overcall 3NT after a 3 level pre-empt with that understanding, so you would always double with that range. The so called co-operative aspect of doubling pre-empts to me is scary. Vulnerability considerations come to play so if partner passes the double with trump values, fine but with no values in trump, bidding should be encouraged as much as possible. When the opponents pre-empt in a minor, doubling first followed by bidding 3NT shows the strong balanced hand as opposed to a playable 3NT overcall. Of course, if you cannot stand partner jumping in a major, you would have overcalled 3NT initially.

Balancing changes everything as you are “bidding the table “ so partner is either a trapped hand or a passed hand. A balancing 3NT can be in the 1NT HCP range up to a range where you fear a slam might be missed. This is because partner and the opponents have passed and pre-empted. Doubling first followed by 3NT should be very rare showing a hand in the strong 2NT range or better. This will allow you to get to your slam opposite a partner who has passed initially, if it is there.

At the risk of offending the followers of the Blackwood religion, I believe 4NT should never be Blackwood in 3 level pre-emptive auctions when bid directly without jumping. You should always cue bid the opponent's suit first before you Blackwood or have the understanding that cue bidding in the opponent's suit is Blackwood. Therefore, 4NT is always to play when partner overcalls or balances at the 4 level in a minor. If you think there is slam in the minor, just bid it! 4NT is too valuable in these auctions as a contract to waste as in insurance bid to find out if you off enough Aces to make a slam. 10 tricks in NT is certainly better then +130 or –100 in 5 of a minor down one. I will concede that 4NT over partner's major may be Blackwood (depending on agreement) but never, never over partner's minor.

Anyway it is a power struggle when the opponents pre-empt. They are trying to get you out of your NT contract so you should make all reasonable efforts to get to 3NT. Don’t let them succeed!!

D.S.I.P. Pre-empts

May 01, 2003

When playing in a tough field there are certain auctions where you have to trust the opponents. These auctions are where their actions dictate that they have their trump suit wrapped up and they are making tactical game bids based on lots of trump. These auctions quite often include bids like Michaels, Unusual 2NT, pre-empts or just leaping to game in a major or minor. These type of auctions are automatic D.S.I.P. doubles for the defending side.

These doubles are pulled quite often depending on the vulnerability or the playability of your hand. The D.S.I.P doubles always have less then 3 trump to an an honour (maybe xxx) in their suit and just says I have some defense or offense so do something intelligent. If for some bizarre reason you do have their suit you must pass and partner might make a D.S.I.P. double!

The Steve Willards of the world love jumping to game on almost any kind of hand or distribution. The auction 1 - 1 overcall - 4 is a very frequent bid in Steve's bridge vocabulary. Why? Years of experience has shown that the opponents can not handle such a bid. He either steals the hand when 4 is cold, plays 4 down 3 undoubled, opponents play 4 doubled going down as a pseudo sacrifice or an unwise penalty double for +790. D.S.I.P. doubles are the best defense by far for this type of action. Doubles do not show trump in any of these auctions. It says I do not know whether to defend or bid but I do not have an abundance of cards in your suit or I would have bid. I will not have a singleton in your suit or their trump as I would wait until you make a D.S.I.P. double and convert for penalty.

D.S.I.P. doubles are essentially negative doubles in these pre-emptive auctions. You just can not expect a trump stack when the opponents are daring you to double them. Having this trump stuck mentality will just destroy you in these auctions. The doubles are far more useful as saying I do not have a clear cut action – YOU do the right thing. They make a Michaels cue and you double and they still jump to game anyway. Good players are not suicidal so when either defending side doubles its is D.S.I.P. as I do not have clear cut action. In these auctions “do not pull my penalty doubles” are thrown in the waste basket where it belongs.

At higher levels dealing with pre-empts, negative doubles and D.S.I.P. doubles converge. Negative doubles have disciplined suit requirements and Tom and I still play negative doubles to 4. Beyond 4 right up to 7, D.S.I.P. doubles apply and just show “cards”. These “cards” will not be in their suit however as you just pass and hope for a re-opening double. You hold x x Kxxxx AKQxxx and the auction goes:

1	4	Dbl	Pass
?*

* If you play trump stack doubles there could be a lot of wasted spade values there and maybe its best to just pass and collect your plus. Playing D.S.I.P. doubles, you do something intelligent and bid 4NT to show both minors. Partner bids 5 and you are plus +600. Partner's hand is xx AK10xx Q1098x x. I actually watched an opponent bid 5 with that hand and go 3 down vulnerable!!

Weak Jump Overcalls

July 01, 2003

Weak jump overcalls are designed to interfere with your bidding and force you into bad spots. These bids will work unless you have some partnerships understandings. They rob you of your space to make invitational bids especially. A rule should be to use Lebensohl and D.S.I.P. doubles to counteract the opponents taking away your invitational sequences. Take this hand for example.

Ax K10xx AKx A109x

You 1 and LHO bids 2 and around to you for a double. Partner bids 3 or 3 now what. You gamble and bid 3NT and partner has nothing for you and you are –300. The next time you try this auction you hit partner with 8 HCP and a useful diamond suit and you make 630. The best way out of this dilemma is to play Lebensohl in this auctions. Partner did not bid 2NT going in, so 2NT now is an idle bid over your double. You are forced to relay to 3 and partner chooses the contract. Bidding 3 or 3 directly will show some values and 3NT should make. Still another auction where Lebensohl clarifies things!

What about the weak jump overcall in the sandwich position? Support doubles are only up to but not including 2. I believe that all balanced NT hands in the 17-19 ranged should be described by a double. This gives partner the maximum options one of which is to pass. NT should not be bid with defensive flat hands as this gets them off the hook and eliminates an option for partner. 2NT or 3NT should be based on playability. Kx xxx AKQxxx Ax can be described by a NT bid (3 is lame). You do not need Lebensohl in these sandwich position doubles as partner has already responded so there is no danger of nothing showing up in dummy (Osama excepted).

What if you have a minimum and a trump stack in their suit? KQJ10 xxx xx AKxx for example. It does not matter whether they bid 2 in the direct or sandwich position, you have a clear cut pass. If partner re-opens with a double you know what to do. Doubling with a minimum and a trump stack just normally gets them to a better spot. The double is more useful as showing a good hand for offensive purposes or giving partner the option of passing when you have a strong hand.

A cue bid after you opened a minor and LHO has bid a weak jump overcall is a NT probe. Bid 3NT with a stopper is the most useful meaning for the cue bid. In the sandwich position, a cue bid is a NT probe unless partner responded hearts then it’s a strong heart raise.

Whenever the opponents make a weak jump overcall at the two level and partner makes a negative double, it robs you of the opportunity to show a good minor hand below 3NT. The natural 2NT bid should be sacrificed in all these auctions. Play it as Lebensohl and natural bidding can show extra. Also use Lebensohl when the opponents jam you past the two level after your partner makes a negative double.

1	2	Dbl	Pass
?*

* A natural 3 bid is strong as you did not bid 2NT Lebensohl and forcing partner to bid 3.

You held: A Axx Kx AJ109xxx

If the opponents interfere in the sandwich position after partner has made a negative double use a D.S.I.P. double to show the good flat hands where a natural 2NT would be applicable. 2NT is still Lebensohl and a direct bid shows good values.

Lebensohl and D.S.I.P. go hand in hand. The old natural 2NT bid is replaced by a D.S.I.P. double when possible.

The following is from Stan Cabay

“When we open the bidding and the opponents "pre-empt” at the 2-level removing our ability to make game invitations (as in 1 - 2 - ?, 1 - 2 - Dbl - P -?, 1 - P - 1 - 2 -?, 1 - 1 - Dbl - 2 -?), it is far more useful to give up the natural meaning of 2NT and instead to use it as Lebensohl. Then, after 1 - 1 - Dbl - 2, for example, 3 shows a minor 2-suiter with about 15-17 HCP's, 3 shows a 1-suiter equivalent to a jump rebid, 3 is highly invitational to game, and so on. Weaker distributional hands are shown by preceding your natural call with 2NT requesting partner to relay to 3. So, then what is to be done with a hand containing a stopper and invitational values when the usual meaning of 2NT is denied? We can sometimes make a DSIP double, or if that is unavailable just take a shot at 3NT hoping to bid and to play those 23-point games as well as Hamman or Meckwell. Notrump contracts are often difficult to defend. In return, the accuracy in bidding suit contracts, whether they be partials, games or slams, greatly improves.“

D.S.I.P. and Pre-empts

March 28, 2004

D.S.I.P. theory is a way of thinking penalty doubles in Bridge. In pre-emptive auctions by the opponents, D.S.I.P. theory still applies. Even if you have trapped with the opponents suit, the only way the opponents can play the contract doubled is if you convert partner's double. Single handed trump stack “enforcer” doubles simply do not exist.

There are many pre-emptive auctions where the opponents are or might be stealing from you. 2 - P - 3, 3 - P - 4, 3 - P - 4, 1 - P - 3 pre-emptive and 1 - P - 3 pre-emptive to name a few. In these auctions, it is the responsibility of the partner in the sandwich position to get in their and bid with the required shape even though the HCP ‘s are not quite up to snuff (vulnerability taken into consideration of course). Do not punish partner in the sandwich position by getting slam happy or stretching to tight contracts. He will play you for about 7 HCP’s (law of pre-empting) and bid accordingly anyway. Bidding in the “sandwich position” is quite often pre-balancing as in all pre-emptive auctions.

O.K. the auctions has gone 2 - P - 3 - P and passed around to you. Partner has had a chance to double with the right distribution but did not. This does not mean you let the auction die. AKxx xx Axxx xxx with this hand you thought you were too light to double initially but now that the opponents have limited their hand you can back in with a double. Change you hand slightly by adding a heart and I would pass. The bidding marks partner with shortness in hearts yet he did not double.

A lot of these auctions are “vulnerability dependent” and bidding not vulnerable vs vulnerable can suggest a sacrifice. With other vulnerabilities, the double shows “cards” but not a trump stack and partner is supposed to do something intelligent. Sometimes doing something intelligent can just be passing and handing them 4 IMPS for their game making doubled. You can not win them all when these doubles carry some risk. Usually these doubles have a flaw that prevented you from doubling in the first place like shortness in an unbid suit or not enough HCP’s for the level you are asking partner to bid. You choose to double now because you are “bidding the table” as the opponents are telling you that we have something. Taking your fix and passing with values in their suit is automatic. Taking your fix with a lot of other hands with no duplication of value is not generally recommended.

Doubling by you in these auctions may take some scrambling to find your fit. Equal level conversion just means that I do not have that suit partner let's try again. Quite often partner is just going to pass your double as you show cards and he has defensive values also. A trump lead is automatic on these auctions and sometimes they get caught speeding.

I had a hand tonight with Barry Pritchard that shows the importance of “getting in there” in the sandwich position when the opponents may have re-pre-empted. Everybody vulnerable Barry’s RHO opens 2. Barry held QJ J10xx Axx KQxx and passed. LHO bid 3 and I doubled with 109xxx void KQxx AJxx. Barry bid 3NT and I started the scramble with 4. Barry bid 4 to show the club fit and RHO doubled and I passed to slow things down. Barry bid 5 and that contract happens to make for +600. If I pass 3 the auction will go around to Barry and he is in a very difficult situation. He knows I am very short in hearts yet I did not double. Based on that information he will probably pass. We collect a paltry +100. Do not punish the “pre-balancer”.

Hand Evaluation - Re Pre-empting

May 12, 2004

Every Bridge player knows the “art of re pre-empting” as a tactic. If you open one of a major, partner bids 3 showing a weak hand you can bid 4 as an advanced sacrifice. You go down two probably undoubled, they can make 170 their way or game if they get to it. If partner pre-empts in a major you know that 4 of the major might keep them out of the auction so you have a double edged sword of making the contract or an advanced sacrifice.

With weak twos, the strategy of the ambiguous raise of the weak two suit comes into play. This can be a trap with a hand with quite a bit of defense and goading the opponents into balancing. Partner opens 2, the opponents are vulnerable and you hold AK10x xx Axxx Q10x. With this collection 4 making is pretty remote. I would bid 3 trying to catch a balancer speeding.

Partner opens 2 vulnerable so with this collection Jxx KJ10xx xx xxx it’s a clear cut 3 bid. Why? Because you can count points. Partner’s bid shows 5-10 so 7 HCP’s is an average. His 7 HCP’s and your 6 HCP’s equals 27 HCP for them. Time to make it difficult for them to come in. You really get rewarded as they can make 3NT or 5 of a minor. To add insult to injury you make +170 in spades and jam the balancer completely out of the auction.

When partner opens 3 of a minor, more judgment comes into play. Your partner opens 3 first seat not vulnerable, RHO passes and you hold Jxx AKxx Kx xxxx. Is it time to re pre-empt or let them balance at the 3 level? You diamond King should fill in partner's suit so the majority of the time you can count 9 tricks. If the diamonds are 3-1 (which is the odds) your side has only 3 defensive tricks against 4 spades. The trouble with passing is that you can not bid again if they do balance. Say they balance 4 so it comes around to you again. Bidding 4 is silly as you give them a second chance to bid 4 the game they are probably missing. I think 4 is the correct bid going in. You are going for deliberate minus but you are jamming them to the 4 level. The power of the re pre-empt!! In a very weak match point field, maybe passing hoping they do not balance is your best bet. Another interesting bid you can make is 3. This is forcing but has a lead directing effect. If partner bids 4 it can be passed and if partner bids 4 you can pass unless it gets doubled.

Bids change meaning depending on whether you are a passed hand or not. Good partnerships have most of their conventions off as a passed hand giving the partnership the ability to bid naturally and freely. Instead of weak jump shifts and splinters passed hand, jumps become two suited fit hands. Over their weak twos the balancing 2NT bid as natural does not make any sense. You would always double or pass with a flat 10 ish as a passed hand. It goes 2 so you are a passed hand in the balancing with Q x AJ986x J10xxx. The only reason the auction has come around to you at this level is partner has a trump stack in hearts. If partner has one minor you may have a vulnerable game here. 2NT as a balance is the unusual 2NT as a passed hand. As a non passed hand it shows close to a NT opener or a NT opener. It turns out if you do balance 2NT you play it there! Partner is 5-6 in the majors and 14 HCP’s. Turns out a pass by you would have worked out best but c’est la vie! Too bad partner did not have x AQ10xxx x AKxxx and you get to your +1370 in clubs.

The opponents open a non-vulnerable 2, you hold AJ10xx AQ Ax AKxx. You start off with a double and partner bids 2. Now what?. Normally you play shape before strength so bid 2. However, pre-empts changes that rule. The pre-empt robs you of room to show strong hands. Take advantage of a bid that does give partner some idea of how strong you are. If you had overcalled 2NT you could be as high as 19 HCP. The double first and jump to 3NT shows the higher range 20-22. If you bid a quiet 2, game could be easily missed as partner has no idea you are this big. The opponents could now back in 3 or 4 and further complicated the auction. A jump to 3 does not show this type of hand. A 3 cue bid seems to imply hearts or a strong two suiter, so what is left?

Strategy with pre-empts is the cat and mouse aspect of Bridge. What to do and when to do it makes the difference between losing and winning matches quite often. Pre-empts and tactics are a powerful mixture.

D.S.I.P. - Pre-empts

December 28, 2004

One of the tactics when your side has pre-empted is backing in and “showing where you live”. Since this involves an element of risk, a fit with partners pre-empt is necessary. These type of auctions fit the criteria for D.S.I.P. doubles rather than penalty doubles which are the norm when dealing with pre-empts. You do not own the hand, you want to hear partner bid his suit unless he feels he can beat the contract. How does partner know when to leave it in? Well you bid for a purpose. Is he short in that suit or does he have unexpected defense?

Here is an example. Partner opens 2 and the opponents double. You hold xxx xx xxxx AKJx and bid 3 at favourable vulnerability. The auction goes 3 - P - 4 and around to you again. Maybe a 4 sacrifice is in order? Why do it single handedly? Make a D.S.I.P. double saying I would like to bid 4. This is a 3rd case D.S.I.P. double where it appears the opponents own the hand. Partner has KQJxxx xxx x Qxx and says OK. You go for –100 and they make +620. Instead partner has AKxxxx xxx xxx x and converts. You get 3 clubs and two spades for a surprise +500!!

In general, if you just raise partner's pre-empt and double their final non slam contract it is not a penalty double situation as the auction dictates they own the hand. The double says I would like to sacrifice but I have defense and am not overly long in your suit. Your call partner – do something intelligent. I just do not see the percentages in doubling a freely arrived at game by the opponents after I have raised your pre-empt suit. If I feel I can beat them, I just put the green card on the table. I do not want to single handedly make a pseudo sacrifice so I double with defense and let you make the final decision. The most common example is the simple raise of a weak two.

2	Dbl	3	4
Pass	Pass	?*

* The 3 raise can mean anything. Why not have a D.S.I.P. double to say let's sacrifice or leave it in depending on your hand? The pre-empter should be able to read that it is the opponent's hand. Only the 3 bidder can take D.S.I.P. action because he just may want to take his plus if they landed in a bad spot.

3 by partner and the opponents double and I bid 4. They bid 4 and around to me and I double. Did I just make a clever trap bid and I have them where I want them? This assumes idiotic opponents who are making freely bid suicidal game tries. I think the double should be D.S.I.P. saying let's bid 5 but since I also have defense you may want to pass if you can contribute something. Of course if I took no action and I double their contract that is penalty and partner must put the green card on the table.

Pre-empts in 1st and 2nd seat should be disciplined with no outside stuff. No such thing as disciplined pre-empts in other seats though. All the more reason to play D.S.I.P. doubles. I am a passed hand and partner pre-empts 3. RHO bids 3 and I bid 4 and they bid game in spades and around to me again. I think it’s a good idea to sacrifice but I have a couple of defensive tricks. 3rd Case D.S.I.P. double time! I double and partner has pre-empted with AKx xxx x QJ1098x!! They got caught speeding. If partner had a real pre-empt he bails to 5 and we do our sacrifice thing. I think a single handed sacrifice by a passed hand partner should not be permitted.

Tom and I had an auction against Chris B which was a 10 IMP swing. I held xx AK108x Jxx xxx and the auction went 1 to my right and pass by me and a 2 bid by Chris. Tom bid 3 and RHO bid 4. I backed in 4 and LHO bid 5 and around to me again. Is this a time for a 5 sacrifice??. Might be but let partner make the decision with a 3rd case D.S.I.P. double. Partner holds x Qxx KQ1098xx xx and 5 goes one down against their plus +600. Change partner's hand to Qxx x AQ10xxxx xx and 5 doubled goes for +500! Normally when partner pre-empts D.S.I.P. doubles do not apply. The D.S.I.P. rules change though when partner raises the suit directly or by implication.

With slams and partner pre-empts or overcalls the ground rules are different again. A double of a slam by the partner of the pre-empter shows no defensive tricks whether he supported partner or not! If you are vulnerable and they are not, when a sacrifice is impossible due to vulnerability, a double is lead directing as you are ruffing partners suit!

D.S.I.P. Pre-emptive Auctions

April 26, 2005

The opponents pre-empt to make life difficult for you. They cramp the bidding and make you guess. If you guess wrong it can be expensive. D.S.I.P. doubles are a good counter measure for pre-emptive maneuvers by the opponents. First of all throw penalty doubles out, when one partner raises the pre-emptier. Penalty doubles just do not exist. If you have their suit, pass and wait for the re-opening double. A double says I have cards and no clear cut action. Tom Gandolfo had a hand tonight that shows D.S.I.P. theory in action at the 4 level.

3 - 3 - 4 - ?

K10x 9xx 109xx AJ10.

You have defensive values but no clear cut action. Why guess at a 4 contract? You double which gives partner the maximum number of options. I held Qxx AQJ10x KJxxx void so over the double I bid 4. Tom is at the 4 level anyway so he bids 4 which gets doubled. I know I can not stand the heart tap because Tom can not have 4 trump on this auction. I bail to 5 and a disaster is averted as they may not even double that contract! If partner does not make a D.S.I.P.double and guesses the 4 is the spot, I would never pull 4 doubled. It goes for a telephone number on this particular hand and 5 is down one! Not bad against –130 in clubs!

When the auction has prevented you from describing your hand and raising partner, D.S.I.P. doubles just show cards and no clear cut choice of bids. Bidding in these auctions are quite often just straight gambling by guessing. D.S.I.P. doubles help alleviate the guess and even allows partner to pass with a non offensive hand and wastage in their suit. As long as the criteria for D.S.I.P. doubles are there, a double will assist partner. We do not own the hand or partner has no idea that we own the hand, D.S.I.P. theory applies. The last statement is important. If you had 16 HCPs in the above auction, how does partner know it? Without a great fit double anyway and then cue bid. This reserves the direct cue bid for fits only in these pre-emptive auctions.

Forcing pass auctions only apply if it is obvious to the partnership that they own the auction. If one partner is in the dark, D.S.I.P. double theory is the default. Trump stack doubles have no place in competitive bidding.

Hand Evaluation - Pre-empts Forcing Passes

May 11, 2005

Pre-empts which are defined as opening weak 2’s, 3’s or 4’s have a rule associated with them. Once you have pre-empted, partner is captain of the ship so you can not bid again. Nonsense! There is a time when partner expects you to bid again and that is with forcing pass theory. When partner contracts for a vulnerable game after you have pre-empted, forcing passes are turned on. Partner is not bidding a vulnerable game as a sacrifice so if she is, she must live with that decision. There are times when partner bids a non-vulnerable game after your pre-empt, forcing passes are also turned on but that needs some previous bidding indicators.

When partner opens a weak 2 and you have a good hand, bid 2NT to turn on forcing passes at the game level. Do not leap to game when your side owns the auction as there are opponents lurking. Bridge is a partnership game so even a pre-empter has the right to know what is going on. Forcing pass theory involves both sides of the table.

Just a reminder of simple forcing pass theory for pre-empts. It is based on the opponent's bid suit only. If the pre-empter is short in the opponent's suit, a forcing pass is in order. If the pre-empter has two or more he issues a warning double. If he has a singleton or better, a green light forcing pass. This is the only exception to the pre-empter can not bid again law.

A hand was given in this months bulletin. Partner opened 3 vulnerable, RHO overcalls 4 non-vulnerable. You hold Axx AKxx KQxx xx and bid 4 vulnerable. This turns on forcing passes. LHO bids 5, partner makes a forcing pass so around to you for you decision. You decide to go for the +650 and bid 5. Partner's hand is KQJxxxx xx Jxx x so the contract is cold. Change partner's hand to KQJ10xxx xx xx xx, he issues a warning double so you take your plus. Pre-empters can and should help partner with these type of decisions.

You open a weak 2 in the major, partner leaps to game vulnerable or bids 2NT first and they back in with 5 of a minor. The weak two bid has an obligation to tell partner how many cards in the opponent's suit he has with a double or pass. Partner did not commit to game vulnerable to hear himself talk. OK, now the rare times forcing passes are turned on non-vulnerable after you pre-empt. These situations are where partner has made a strength showing bid like 2NT, a new suit, a cue bid or a redouble and later committed their side to game. The opponents now stick their noses in at a high level. Forcing passes apply so you are again obligated to give your count in their suit in accordance with forcing pass theory.

When you pre-empt at the game level vulnerable, partner takes a vulnerable push at the 5 level. 4 - 4 - 5 - 5 - ? Double if you have 2 or more spades, pass with one. They may have pushed you into a vulnerable slam. Use the opponents as a stepping stone if they over compete.

There are other times a pre-empt can bid again. Disciplined pre-empts are for 1st and 2nd seat only. In 3rd seat or 4th anything goes. In these seats an “action double” is permitted by the pre-empter. This means partner I was really kidding when I pre-empted, as I have some outside stuff. Do Something Intelligent over there based on this information. I opened 4 with the outside AK of diamonds, they crawled in 4. I want you to bid 5 or convert for penalty. Rules are made to be broken.

The big hand making a forcing pass on the pre-empt has a different interpretation. The pass is an asking bid in their suit. The pre-empter must double with two or more, bid with one in the suit and can cue bid with a void in their suit.

3	Pass	3NT	Pass
Pass	4	Pass	Pass
?*

The opponents are non-vulnerable vs vulnerable so 3NT was bid to make. The pass is forcing and asks about the spade suit. The pre-empter will bid according to the length in the spade suit.

Perry Khakar held this hand in Regina Qxxx Axx AJ10xxx void and I opened a weak 2. There is no real intelligent way to probe for slam but if partner shows a good suit after your 2NT query, there may be a slam. With your distribution, there is danger that the opponents will enter the auction so you bid 2NT to turn on forcing passes. Bidding 4 just shuts partner out of the decision making process as she has no idea whether you are re-pre-empting or not. After your 2NT bid, the opponents bid 4NT showing any two suiter. Partner now doubles to show a top end weak two so you already have extra information with which to work.

Your RHO bids 5 so you make a forcing pass. Partner doubles and you now bid 5 as a “pass and pull slam try”. Partner carries on to 6 and it is a 50% grand as partner has a singleton heart. AK and the diamond queen. An excellent auction to get to your 6, as you used the opponents bidding to your advantage.

2	Pass	2NT	4NT
Dbl	5	Pass	Pass
Dbl	Pass	5	Pass
6

Weak 2's - Understandings

June 16, 2005

Weak 2’s come up so often by your side and from the opposition, you should have some well thought out treatments. Understandings with no interference should be easy. You attach a meaning to 2NT and a meaning to 3 and that is all over. Established partnerships usually have a toy to ask for Aces which are normally just found in the trump suit. Tom and I play a jump to 4 as 2 control KCB. Why 2 controls? The reason should be obvious. If you had more than two controls you should have opened at the one level. Anyway these responses throw in the queen of the trump suit (notation 1st is control, 2nd queen of trump suit). The 1st step is two pronged either 0-0 or 0-1, next step is 1-0, next step is 1-1 and the next 2-0 and the final step 2-1 which is getting pretty close to a one opener.

OK the next understandings are when the opponents double your weak two. There are two scenarios. You are a passed hand or you are not. Not being a passed hand the treatment is pretty standard. The redouble should show cards and not necessarily a fit. A 2NT bid should show a fit (systemic) and ignoring the double. A new suit should be a lead director and forcing to 3 of your trump suit. We do not play rescue bids of weak two’s as our weak 2’s are not suicidal. A raise to 3 or 4 of the trump suit is pre-emptive and do not turn on forcing passes. If partner shows a strong hand, the weak two is allowed and should participate in forcing pass theory. Very important.

What if you are a passed hand and they double? The redouble should take on a different meaning. It should still show “cards” but for safety reasons at least a doubleton honour in the trump suit. A new suit is showing where you live but obviously with the safety net of a mild fit. A direct raise is pre-emptive.

BJ vulnerable held this hand

Kx Axxxxx Qxxx x and passed 1st seat vulnerable. In 3rd seat, I opened a weak 2 with A10987x x K1098x x and they double. BJ redoubles showing some cards and a spade honour. They bid 3 to my right so I introduce my diamonds. BJ takes a shot based on the diamond fit and vulnerability and leaps to 4! This produces +620 as the breaks were friendly.

When they open a weak two you should have some tactical understandings. Lebensohl is pretty standard. A 2NT bid in the balancing spot is natural if not a passed hand and unusual for the minors if you are. If partner overcalls a weak two with 2NT, systems are on. Stayman, 3 as minors, transfers are on and a transfer cue bid into their suit should have a special meaning. Tom and I play that as asking for the severity of the duplication in their suit. If minimal duplication, you accept the transfer and bid 3NT with duplication of value. This helps for minor slam exploration.

If partner doubles and they raise, a double is responsive. I held void AJxx 1098x QJxxx and the opponents opened 2 and BJ doubled. RHO bid 3 so I doubled and the auction went all pass. When the smoke cleared they went for +1100 non-vulnerable. BJ for his takeout double only held KQ109x KQxx Kx AK. The smart Alec to my right had no HCP’s and a doubleton jack of trump. Naughty, naughty.

Mathematics of Pre-empting

August 17, 2005

The science of pre-empting involves many variables. Most Bridge players realize that the number one reason for pre-empting is to make life difficult for the opponents. “Playing the vulnerability” means using pre-empts and the mathematics of the vulnerability for a gain. Right behind though at number two, is to describe your hand to partner so that she can make an informed decision either in a competitive situation or not.

There are 5 main variables involved with pre-empting a) quality of suit b) outside cards (defense) c) vulnerability d) passed hand e) hand description. Let's examine each of these in turn. You hold x K9x KJ10xxxx xx and you are vulnerable against not and partner is not a passed hand. OK let's look at the quality of the suit first. In the worst case scenario this suit has 3 losers and your heart king is ½ a trick. Vulnerable you could go for –1400 with only 4½ tricks. OK if you talk the opponents out of their non vulnerable game you gain 420-170 = 250 which is 6 IMPs. Going for a number is losing 16 IMPS. You are gambling 16 to win 6. A poker play would not be impressed. What if you only go for –1100 or –800 or –500. Even 500 is losing 11 on the IMP scale so it is still 2-1 against. Bad Mathematics.

What do you do to partner when you take these type of risks? Partner can not make any informed decision so you will cause her to go wrong most of the time. The outside heart king will just be enough to tip the scale so that they can not make anything. Bridge become straight bad gambling and any bid could be right. Bridge becomes a slot machine and you just grab the handle and see what happens. I see these type of pre-empts who are “single handed” players and do not respect partner's Bridge ability. Is putting partner thru hell worth this type of Bridge?

What if you are more disciplined and wait for the appropriate vulnerability or until partners a passed hand? Do you have to be a terrorist every round of the bidding? When partners a passed hand by all means pre-empt with that hand. If you are not vulnerable against vulnerable you can pre-empt with that hand in any seat. Partner will not expect the outside king but rules are made to be broken if the vulnerability calls for it. Partner always gives leeway if partner is non-vulnerable vs vulnerable both in opening bids and pre-empts. That is an automatic adjustment. With equal vulnerability I do not open 3 either as the pot odds are not right. I will lose more than I can hope to gain in the long run.

Weak two’s with bad suits and not respecting the vulnerability is the same thing. BJ and I have changed our doubling style when playing against those players at the 3 level and two level. When they are vulnerable and we are not, we are permitted to double directly or in balancing with any distribution as long as we have quick tricks. These auctions get converted for huge numbers more often than not. Smart players allow the vulnerability to guide their decisions. Rather than bid a non vulnerable 3NT they convert when the opponents are vulnerable. Why give the opponents extra options at unfavourable vulnerability?

Let's discuss hand description. There are no rebids in Bridge to aptly describe 7, 8, or 9 card suits after you have opened at the one level. A Tormentee had this hand non-vulnerable vs vulnerable tonight. AKQ10xxx K xxx Jx in first seat. Playing the vulnerability, I would open 4. This jams them out of their vulnerable game/slam if they have one. Opening 1 allows the vultures in and is there a rebid that shows these spades with no defense on the outside? The Tormentee opened 1 and my partner and I were allowed to exchange information so that we knew we had the balance of power. They did sacrifice against our vulnerable game for –300 but they lost a lot of IMPS because 4 (being opened) bought the hand undoubled at many tables.

I have strong feelings on bad pre-empts and not playing the vulnerability. Saying they are a matter of style is a cop out. They really mean that you have no respect for partner as she has no input into the decision and gets taken down with the rest of the team when these operations fail. To me, bad pre-empts are just a bad psyche as is opening a flat 11 with no quick tricks or not having quick tricks for opening bids. You put partner at risk just like any 1st seat psyche. Testing partner’s patience with these types of bids will result in a high partner turnover. Is it worth it?

Pre-empts – Equal Level Conversion

October 06, 2005

Pre-empts by the opponents with you holding a good two suiter does not mix very well. If they open a weak two, you are covered if you play a toy called Roman Jumps.

2 - 4 - P - ? shows 5-5 in the majors.
2 - 4 - P - ? shows clubs and a major.
2 or 2 by the opponents is easy, as a jump in a minor shows that minor and the other major.

Over 3 level pre-empts you need some partnership understandings. With a good two suiter with defense do you double or overcall? My style is to double with two suiters, if I have the defense and HCP’s to justify such action. Overcalling a pre-empt should show a single suited hand or a distributional 5-5 or 6-5 without the defense or HCP’s for a double.

OK if you double pre-empts with good two suiters, you need equal level conversion understandings with partner. If you double and pull partner's suit at the same level you are showing no extra for the bid and a two suiter without the suit partner just bid. Take this hand 1087 QJ965 AJ95 2. They open 3 and partner doubles so you try 4. Partner bids 4 over your bid so what is going on? Is partner showing a hand too strong too overcall spades and there is a spade slam on the horizon? Absolutely not. You do not pre-empt over a pre-empt, so if partner had a spade monster she would have bid 4 directly or cue bid. This is an equal level conversion albeit at the 4 level showing spades and clubs. You are all in for your 4 bid, so passing 4 is the correct bid. Partner's hand is AK9xx xx x AKQxx and your +620 remains intact.

The trouble with overcalling with strong two suiters is that you get pre-empted out of showing your two suits and cause partner to go wrong quite often. A double is a more flexible bid and gives partner more options. Given the above bidding sequence, let's change partners hand a bit. They open 3 and say partner overcalls 3 or 4 with that good 5-5 and the next bid is a simple 4 bid by the opponents. You hold xx AQxx xx J1098x or a number of similar hands so you bid 4. This goes down on a bad spade break with the diamond tap and 6 is cold for +1370. Now if partner doubles and they bid 4 you try 4 and partner converts to 4. You now bid 5 and 6 might be attainable. If not, at least you have your +620 instead of playing on a shaky 5-2 spade fit. With good equal level conversion understandings, accuracy is improved when the opponents are trying to destroy your auction with pre-empts.

Even people who have not solidly bought into “equal level conversion” recognize that off shape doubles are common in the balancing spot. You need a “scrambling tool” like equal level conversion. Opponents pre-empting put pressure on you. They open 3 and you have AKQxx xx QJ109x K so what do you do? This hand is built for equal level conversion so you double. Say you overcall 3 and partner holds xx x AKxxx xxxxx bidding 4 or pass are the disciplined options. Either way you miss your vulnerable 5 game.

Where do cue bids fit in with two suiters? I play cue bids over pre-empts a la Goren and not Michaels. Make the hand we have been discussing even stronger and its too strong for a double. AKxxx Ax x AKQxx we would cue bid 4 over 3 and pull 4 to 4. With cue bids you also play equal level conversion. This 4 bid is not a cue bid showing hearts and slam interest. You are describing your strong two suiter. The advantage of cue bidding is obvious as you show your monster with one bid and you negate the danger of partner converting your double. What if you held AKxxxx x x QJ10xx? This is just a 3 overcall over 3. So you have all your two suiters covered after a pre-empt depending on the strength of your hand. Overcall, double or cue bid in order of the strength of your hand.

Lebensohl - 4 level majors

October 23, 2005

The fact that you play Lebensohl at the four level determines what type of action you take at these rarified high levels. Lebensohl is a nice “safety net” to encourage using a more flexible bid, the double in cramped quarters. BJ Trelford made a tactical bid recently which shows how handy these Lebensohl understandings are.

I opened 3 non-vulnerable vs non-vulnerable and BJ up the ante to 4 by making a pre-emptive re-raise.

The opponents in these pressure auctions were put in the usual bid situations that pre-empts create, do you double or bid your suit? The double is a far more flexible bid if you have defense, because the opponents at these high levels can just choose to defend. My RHO hold Axx AK AKJxxx xx so what do you do after BJ’s tactical 4 bid? Without Lebensohl understandings, you might really distort the strength of your hand with a 5 bid. Partner will never imagine your defensive strength when you make this bid and you have rescued the opponents from disaster. Partner will think your 5 bid is made on distribution and really long diamonds. The 4 bid may have bid by BJ to make 4. Ambiguity reigns supreme in these confusing auctions.

What if you had Lebensohl understandings though? This is a win-win situation for a double. If partner bids her suit after your double, it shows values and you may reach a slam in NT or diamonds. If partner chooses to pass, the opponents will be appropriately punished with all your defensive strength. If partner has a weak hand with her own suit, she will relay to 5 and you break the relay with a 5 bid and you have at least given partner some idea about the strength of your hand.

Partner held a huge playing hand on this auction. xx Q109xx x AKQ10x and as it turns out can not lose on this auction after a double by partner. If he chooses to pass 4 doubled, the contract goes 5 down for –1100. If this hand bids a suit directly, the cards are friendly and 7NT makes without a finesse. A suggested auction would be to bid 5 after the double which usually shows two suiters in these types of auctions. The opponents have shown a possible 7-3 spade fit, so partner's spade shortness is a good bet. Partner bids 6 and you convert to 6 which shows a two suiter in hearts and clubs. Partner converts to 6NT and plays it there with an overtrick. The worst result on the hand is what actually happened at the table. RHO bid 5 directly and went down one with a 5-1 diamond break!!

Tactical bidding makes life difficult for the opponents as that is its purpose. To help combat these pressure tactics, tools like Lebensohl are a must in my opinion. Do not leave home without Lebensohl understandings after the opponents major suit bids at the 4 level and doubles.

Weak Twos - Doubles

October 26, 2005

Weak two’s are a tactical bid which have as one of their functions to disrupt the opponent's auctions. Partnerships should have some sound understandings on how to handle these bids. When you overcall 2NT after a weak two, you should generally have systems on and other treatments. After takeout doubles, you use Lebensohl as a weapon to show the difference between invitational hands or weak hands. Lebensohl frees the direct jump to be forcing rather than invitational after partner doubles. Cue bids are overused anyway, so eliminating cue bids just to show a strong hand is a bonus.

Having a jump as forcing after a double of a weak two, is very handy especially if partners double is slightly off shape. Getting the suit established immediately leads to the usual good understandings of cue bidding and KCB. Investigating the proper game is also a nice by product of the forcing jump. Forcing jumps free the cue bid as a pick a suit bid (two suits) or even a NT grope with general strength.

AJ84x xx Ax Axxx

2

Dbl

Pass

?*

* Jumping to 3 forcing is much better than using an ambiguous cue bid to put on a game force. Partner's double is KQ109 Ax KJ1098x x so after a jump, a bid at the 4 level should imply spades. Partner now bids 5 which asks for a heart control and partner bids 6 showing 1st round control. A grand slam in spades might be reached with this auction.

As with all pre-emptive auctions, getting to 3NT should take precedence over bidding a suit. A doublers 1st duty after a cue bid by partner is to show a stopper in the opponents weak two suit. Bidding a suit is redundant and partner can always re cue bid is she just wants you to choose a spot for the contract.

2

Dbl

Pass

?*

* You hold Ax xx KQxxxx KJx so you bid 3 and partner bids 3NT with KQ109 Ax Axx xxxx.

Always remember, people pre-empt for the most part to make your life miserable. This is in part due to not discussing understandings with partner on how to handle pre-empts. With good partnership understandings, you can use the opponent's pre-empts to get to your right spot and also help you play the hand. They also risk going for horrible sets with penalty conversions.

Forcing Passes - Pre-empts

December 09, 2005

There are two ways of combating the so called “modern pre-empts”. One is by trapping when you have their suit and rely on the opponents to get themselves. Modern pre-empters consider their partners as fair game also. Just like in any psychic bid, it is their partners rather than the opponents that result in their undoing. Their unfortunate partner is going to believe the pre-empter and disaster quite often occurs. The doubling will commence when they finally come to rest somewhere.

Your partnership should have special balancing rules against these bad pre-empters. BJ and I have the understanding that when they are vulnerable and we are not, a balancing double just shows cards and does not need unbid suits for take-out. We are just bidding the table that we have trapped non-vulnerable vs vulnerable. These pre-empters have no consideration for vulnerability so we pay special attention to vulnerability. In all other vulnerabilities our balancing doubles return to normal.

The best weapon by far against these pre-empters is to have special rights for your partnership vulnerable vs non-vulnerable. In this one vulnerability scenario only, forcing passes are automatically turned on when they pre-empt and jam you by bidding game. Bridge is a game of probabilities. You do not gear your system to rare eventualities. The majority of the time when the opponents are jamming you non-vulnerable against vulnerable, you actually do own the hand. What about the rare time that they are bidding to make? We still assume it is our hand and the worse thing that can happen is they make their doubled contract. Lose 4 as redoubling is so rare as be considered negligible on these auctions.

The auction goes 3 - Dbl - 5 -? and you are vulnerable against non-vulnerable. Forcing pass theory is automatically turned on. You hold xxx xxx xxx xxxx so you must double as this is a forcing pass situation. Partner has 16 HCP for her double but despite all those HCP’s they make it anyway for –550. So what? The advantages of forcing pass theory is 99% of all the other hands that your partnership may hold in these auctions so you really do own the hand.

Forcing pass theory allows both partners to make a joint decision in determining the final contract. You have AKxx Kxxx xx xxx so you can safely pass to partner saying you want to bid vulnerable at the 5 level. You do not have to make the decision for the partnership and guess the diamond distribution. Partner will make the decision based on your pass. Otherwise you would have to force to slam that may not make our choose a major yourself which could be a Moysean with a 5-1 break. The best spot might be 5 doubled so let partner decide thru forcing pass theory.

The pass and pull part of forcing pass theory is an excellent slam try tool at the 5 level. You have AKxxxx Q10x x xxx so you simply pass 5. Partner with Qxx AKxx xx AKQx doubles 5 and you now pull to 5. These pass and pull auction must by definition show a control in the opponent's suit or otherwise you would have bid 5 directly to make your contract. AKxxxx Q10x xx xx is a 5 spade bid. You also would not pull the double with two fast losers in their suit.

Since we do not have a trump suit already established in their pre-emptive auctions, a double does not say that we have losers in their suit as that is silly. The doubler is marked with shortness so unless she doubles to tell you otherwise you assume shortness. A free bid of 5 says that you feel you can make the contract but says nothing about length in the opponent's suit. The pass and pull does though as the doubler can hold two in their suit.

If after a forcing pass and the original doubler chooses to bid rather than double, you can assume shortness in their suit. Therefore with some hands you may bid slam on that basis. AKxxx Kxxx xx xx so you make a forcing pass and partner bids 5. Partner holds Qxx AQxxx x AKxx so you carry on to 6 and all is well. Forcing passes vs pre-empts.

Combating Pre-empts

December 14, 2005

In the modern game, players pre-empt way more than they should. Discipline with many of these players are a thing of the past. Established partnerships need to adjust their system to compensate. Here are some of the adjustments that my partnerships have made to combat this nuisance. D.S.I.P. doubles apply directly after all pre-empts beyond the negative double level. Trump stack doubles of pre-empts are only made by passing re-opening doubles. This allows direct doubles to “show cards” and the opener has the option to convert for penalty. D.S.I.P. doubles remove the ambiguity of penalty doubles in these pre-emptive situations.

Pre-empts of 4/4 overcalls have redefined 4NT in competition. 4NT is no longer KCB when they bid 4/ but instead show two suiters. These 4NT bids are more distributional than a direct D.S.I.P. double. Lebensohl applies after they pre-empt at the 4/4 level and we double, so KCB is no longer available in these auctions. A direct bid shows values after a double and 4NT is a relay to 5 to show the weak distributional hands. Pulling of direct or re-opening doubles of their 4/ bids is Lebensohl.

Over 3 level pre-emptive overcalls, we have modified our negative doubles. The first instinct of the opener should be to bid 3NT with a stopper in their suit. There negative doubles are called “Thrump doubles”. These Thrump doubles combat the pre-empter trying to cause us to miss our 3NT games when we have a long suit or a majority of HCP’s. We still make normal negative doubles at the 3 level but partner just has to be wary that these hand types may be included with the double.

If they are vulnerable and we are not, direct or balancing doubles of weak two’s or 3 level pre-empts do not have shape requirements. These doubles just show defense to allow partner to convert bad pre-empts for penalty. We trap on these vulnerabilities to catch the modern pre-empters “speeding”. We trap on equal vulnerability also and manufacture a 3NT bid only if we are vulnerable and they are not.

Modern pre-empters have caused us to redefine 4NT when we bid minors at the 4 level. 4NT is always to play when we bid 4 of a minor after a pre-empt. This means that a cue bid of their pre-emptive suit is KCB for the minor.

AQxxxx x AQx Kxx

1

3

4

?

* 4 is KCB and 4NT is to play.

To combat weak two’s, Lebensohl is used, direct cue bids ask for a stopper to bid 3NT and jump overcalls show two suiters in that minor and the unbid major. 2 - 4 shows a two suiter in clubs and hearts.

2

Pass

Pass

3

* 3 asks for a spade stopper to bid 3NT. 2NT in the balancing is natural but the stopper may be only a partial. 2NT as a passed hand in the balancing is for the minors.

The best weapon against their “modern pre-empts” is the forcing pass. We do not pre-empt over a pre-empt so if we bid game directly on any vulnerability, forcing passes are turned on. We are deemed to own the auction if partner doubles with us vulnerable and they pre-empted non-vulnerable at the 3 level or higher. At this one vulnerability only 3 - Dbl - 5 -? forcing passes apply. 3 - Dbl - 4 -? and 3 - Dbl - 4-? forcing passes also apply at one vulnerability only (vulnerable vs not). If the result is –590 so be it. 4NT is Lebensohl with these auctions but the double is in accordance with forcing pass theory. The reverse is also true when our side pre-empts vulnerable against non-vulnerable and we bid a vulnerable game. Forcing passes apply if their side bids again even though one of has pre-empted!! At the other vulnerabilities, we assume they are bidding game to make so normal methods apply.

If the auctions deems it so with pre-empts and a passed hand, forcing passes are turned on with any vulnerability. A 3rd seat pre-empt of 3, a double and then 6 as a passed hand. The auction has turned on forcing pass theory. All 3rd seat pre-empts, a double and a raise to game by a passed hand turn on forcing passes. If they bid it to make and they do, they get a doubled bonus. Forcing passes simplify the auction for our side and reduce the effectiveness of their bad pre-empts.

Hand Evaluation – Systemic (Weak Jump Shifts)

December 16, 2005

We like jump rebids by responder to be forcing to game and show a good suit. If you do not have a good suit, you can make a 4th suit forcing to game bid and bid your suit. Partner now knows your suit is not semi-solid or solid. The jump rebid virtually “sets the trump suit”.

1	Pass	1	Pass
2	Pass	3*	Pass

* 3 is a game force with a semi-solid or solid suit. Axx KQJ109xx Kx x. This bid replaces the Goren strong jump shift by responder and is referred to as “recovering” the useful form of the strong jump shift (good suit).

This understanding comes at a price. Jump rebids by responder in her own suit are no longer invitational. What replaces the invitational bids? Tom Gandolfo’s solution is to scrap weak jump shifts and play “invitational jump shifts”. Weak jump shifts are just bid by responding at the one level and rebidding your suit. Jumps to the 3 level in a major after a minor opener is a splinter.

My partner and I have had to adjust our Weak Jump Shifts to a more robust HCP range so the negative inference of rebidding our suit at the two level shows invitational hands. Our weak jump shifts can be quite healthy right up to the invitational range. We also use 2NT as the only forcing bid after a Weak Jump Shift. Our responses are graded because the range is quite extensive from a good 4 to a bad 8 HCP.

Our approach to one level rebids is to play XYZ which helps us identify invitational hands. If the auctions stays at the one level, we use 2 way new Minor Forcing.

You hold x AQJxxx Kxx xxx and partner opens 1

1	Pass	1	Pass
1	Pass	2	Pass
2	Pass	2

The 2 bid shows all invitational hands and partner must relay to 2. 2 or 3 now describes your hand. If partner rebids her suit at the 2 level, you just rebid your major suit so partner plays you for an “invitational jump”. As a passed hand or after overcalls (partnership agreement), weak jump shifts automatically turn into fit showing jumps. You have already opened your Weak jump shift hand a weak 2.

I think “recovering the strong jump shift” is worth adjusting your weak jump shifts. There are no free lunches for system designers.

Pre-empts Rule of 7

January 05, 2006

Bridge involves an element of intelligent risk taking or gambling. This is due to the element of probably in random events such as dealing cards. Pre-empts by the “nature of the beast” introduce an element of risk. Risk for the pre-empter but also a risk for the opponents who must bid over the pre-empts. You must have a very good hand to bid over pre-empts but you are allowed some leeway. You can not base your bid on the assumption partner has nothing and the opponents has all the remaining outstanding cards. This would “paralyze” you and just hand victory to the pre-empter on a silver platter. When you bid over a pre-empt, the partnership must assume the bid is partially a “pre-balance”.

The rule of thumb in bidding over pre-empts is to give partner 7 HCP and bid accordingly. You are vulnerable and they are not and you hold x KJ1098x Axx AKJ. They open 3 so do you overcall 4?? OK give partner her rightful 7 HCP. In this case the KQ of diamonds, with either the club queen or the heart queen. With these 7 HCP you can count 10 tricks with your hand!! You have 16 HCP and RHO may have the KQJ of spades and an outside queen. You have around 25 HCP’s accounted for between your hand and the pre-empter. Now the two unknown hands with 15 HCP’s unaccounted for. It is illogical to assume all the remaining HCP’s in the opponent's hand. The law of averages says that 7 HCP should fall in partner’s hand. You should “pre-balance” and bid accordingly.

This is straight good risk taking. If LHO has most of the remaining HCP’s you will be doubled and go for –800 and lose 12 IMPS. If you pass and partner will not balance with her 7 HCP you miss a vulnerable game and lose 12. It is the same gamble!! It is more than that though is that by passing 16 HCP, you set partner up for future disasters as she will stretch in the balancing spot to double with hands that she should not. You have now induced disasters by not taking the appropriate risk immediately.

When you make a takeout double of a pre-empt you take another bid based on partner holding 7 HCP. You need a base on dealing with the unknown that a pre-empt creates. Assuming no HCP’s in partner's hand after a pre-empt is illogical and unrealistic. The greatest fear is fear itself. If you do occur a disaster, congratulate the opponents and say nice pre-empt. However your partners better have done the same damage at the other table. Partner should not punish you in a pre-emptive auction.

Here is a hand from the Bridge World.

J8764 AQJ1086 A5.

You are vulnerable and they are not. They open 1 and RHO pre-mpts to 4. What do you do vulnerable vs not? You are under pressure vulnerable vs non-vulnerable opponents applying pressure. The majority of the panel voted for 4. Most people would not even overcall at the one level with this suit. Yet the majority of World class experts are bidding 4 directly vulnerable vs not at the 4 level. Why? Well 10 HCP in hearts should be identified. You have a 6-5 with a void in their suit. Give partner her rightful 7 HCP in a pre-emptive auction and bid accordingly. RHO has shown nothing and LHO an opener. Partner should not punish you as she realizes you are under pressure. The panel joked and said 4 is a transfer to 4 on these auctions. If LHO slapped the double card on the table they would retreat to 5 etc. However Rodwell, Hammon, Wollf etc bid 4. Here is a weird answer from Zia “5. Too strong for 4 which I would bid with less of a chance of making a 5 level contract. 6-5’s are for bidding and not doubling. “ Wow!!

Implied Fits - Pre-empts

January 31, 2006

Peter Jones and I had an understanding that I feel is worth playing. Whenever partner pre-empts at the 2, 3 or 4 level, if partner bids another suit there is an “implied fit” understanding. In other words, we are not allowed to bid a new suit on our own without a fit if the opponents own the auction. We bite the bullet and just pass with a single suit and no support for partner. The most common bid came up with BJ and myself. The opponents opened 1 and BJ pre-empted 3 and RHO bid 3. BJ hit me with 4 and the vulnerability was right for a sacrifice. I held J1098xx Q10 1098x x so why sacrifice at the 5 level when a 4 spade sacrifice might be better? I bid 3 which got doubled. Jones and I had an understanding that a pass by the pre-empter showed a tolerance for spades otherwise you must bid 4. I can not bid 3 without diamonds, it's just not allowed opposite partner's pre-empt. Of course, if its our hand, a bid does not show a fit as I may have a huge hand.

Tonight Dora was in 3rd seat and opened 2 with A10987x xx KJxx x and they overcalled 3NT. As a passed hand I crawled in 4 which got doubled. All pass and I went for –500 against their +460 for a zero. 4 doubled goes for –300 and a tie for a top. As a passed hand or otherwise I can not crawl in at the 4 level without a fit for partner. It is just too reckless and too much of a gamble. I must have spade tolerance for my bid. I preferred to play 4 doubled as I had 7 clubs but I did have spades as a backup.

Discipline in Bridge is important. When partner pre-empts, you can take liberties with lead directing bids or bidding your suits because you have an escape hatch in partners pre-empt suit. It seems silly to bid a suit with no fit for partners pre-empt anyway. Rescuing pre-empts never seems like a good idea. Partner of the pre-empt is still captain of the ship though. If she bids a suit and rescues herself to your pre-empt suit this is where you play it despite your fit in her suit. The pre-empter is allowed to bid NT in competitive auctions. A NT bid by the pre-empter is a “choice of suit” bid. You open 3 with x Qxxx KQJxxxx x and partner bids 3. RHO bids 4 so you have an excellent offensive hand in light of partner's heart bid. You can not bid 5 but you can bid 4NT which says “pick hearts or diamonds” please. Partner may have bid her heart void as a lead director.

xxx void A1098 J1098xx

Weak 2's Competition

March 31, 2006

Treatments around your weak two’s and the opponents weak two’s should not change in competition (takeout double or overcall). If the opponents double your weak 2’s, the 2NT bid still should be an artificial bid showing a fit and the same methods as if you were left alone. Maurice had a hand that shows this principle in action. KJx Qxx Kxx KQxx with everybody vulnerable Susan bids 2 and BJ makes a takeout double. A redouble in Bridge generally says you have HCP’s without a fit so weak two’s should not be any different. Some players say Maurice should have bid 3. I disagree, as 3 is a terrible bid. Why? Because it is single handed and shuts partner out of the decision making process. Partner vulnerable could have a nice 10 HCP and a vulnerable game would be missed. Partner will never bid over 3 no matter what her hand.

A 2NT bid gets partners input into this decision. You do not want to redouble because you are always pulling partners penalty double to spades and if the auction takes off (they bid 4) you want to broadcast the fact that you have spades immediately. Maurice did redouble and it had an unexpected psychic effect in that BJ thought I had nothing when I bid subsequently we missed a vulnerable game our way. We have repaired that by including this sequence in our default that we ignore the opponents when possible in competition and our Lebensohl understandings still apply.

OK partner bids 2NT and any number of weak twos make game easy since your Kings are well located behind the takeout double. Location, location and location as they say in real estate. A substandard weak two of AJ10xxx x Q10x xxx can make 620 easily because of the location of the Aces. Better weak twos can of course make avulnerable game without any finesse. Therefore 2NT is your best game try as this gives partner the green light to bid. The redouble also gives partner the green light to bid but normally just a penalty double so the redouble muddies the waters when a better bid is available.

A tormentee held an excellent 16 HCP hand with a diamond fit and I opened a weak 2. Peter Jones overcalled 2 and 2NT as a systemic force did not occur to her because it was in competition. Preserve your treatments in competition. The Tormentee bid 4 and we played it there making 6 because I thought it was pre-emptive. She had a 2NT bid and a 3 cue bid as forcing bids so a 3rd forcing bid of 4 is redundant. This is why players disturb your auction so often. For some reason, we feel that common understandings are off in competition. No they are not. Only if you allow it to happen, makes it so.

Bad Pre-empts

April 07, 2006

A tormentee held this hand vulnerable vs vulnerable in IMPs against me.

QJ10xxxx Q10x Axx void.

1 to her right so what is your call? Most of the Thursday night crowd in their infinight wisdom chose a pre-empt of 3. This bid was opposite a non passed hand partner. What an atrocious bid! How can partner every read you for a void, 3 HCP in your suit and an Ace and a queen on the outside vulnerable. Welcome to the VLT and slot machines! Anyway these bidders all got appropriately punished and when LHO made a negative double, opener converted and they all went for 800 against a partial. Worse still the partial is your way in clubs!

Along the theme of making undisciplined bids that catch partner, you really get partner this time.

Void J10xx xx AKJ10xxx who can not even bid 4 forcing as that should imply spade tolerance. She is shut out of the auction and must helplessly view the carnage. Some more conservative players choose a bid of 2. This is slightly better in that it describes your outside cards a little better but still a bad bid in that this hand is not a pre-emptive type hand. This is an offensive type hand which is quite a difference. A void, an Ace and an outside Q10x makes it a nice playing hand if you let partner in on the decision. I would overcall 1 and that would get doubled. Partner would bid 2 and then 3 and if you buy it there you win 13 IMPS for +110!!

The tormentee at our table chose a pass. Partner made a vulnerable 2 overcall with a hand that does qualify for a pre-empt opposite a passed hand partner. Bidding 2 hides your hand from partner who now comes alive by bidding 3 with the safety of a vulnerable bidding partner. This got passed out and we beat it 3 for +300 and we lost 9 IMPS! Of course, partner can not bid 3 as that would describe your hand to partner who would now pass. I guess a 3 bid vulnerable must show a bad suit with outside cards!!

This particular auction tells me what I already know. Nobody knows how to pre-empt! They bid 3 with a 1 bid and 2 with a 3 bid. Why because Bridge is not a partnership game when it comes to pre-empting. You paid your card fees so when you hold a 7 card suit you just do what you feel like! Partner is an unnecessary complication. “Bridge is a bidders game” is just an excuse for horrible undisciplined Bridge. As the song says “when will they ever learn “. Respect thy partner!!

Hand Evaluation - Pre-empts (Defense)

May 11, 2006

In my opinion, pre-empts only make your life miserable if you allow it. Suicide pre-empts by the opponents are just that. They give you an option to extract a huge set or assist you to play the hand when you get to your correct spot. You should have a number of understandings over pre-empts whether they are at the two, three and four level. These are our default defensive understandings with my partners when they pre-empt.

1) You do not pre-empt over a pre-empt. These jumps are good hands showing strong one suiters.

2) You never and I mean never make a takeout double with a single suited hand over a pre-empt. You either overcall or jump in your suit or if you have a demand two bid with a single suit, cue bid. This means that a takeout double will always show two or three suits or a balanced hand. You can take this to the bank.

3) Never double a pre-empt with a distributional demand two. Make a Goren cue bid instead. This clarifies a double followed by a 4NT bid as for the minors and not KCB. A balanced demand two, you can double, of course.

4) Equal level conversion applies against pre-empts. You may be forced to double without the perfect hand.

3	Dbl	Pass	4
Pass	4*

* This means an equal level conversion with spades and diamonds. I was forced to get in there without hearts. It does not mean a hand too strong to overcall 3. No, No and No.

5) A 3NT overcall of a pre-empt is to play. Pull only if you have slam on your mind and not to improve the contract.

D.S.I.P. - Pre-empters

June 26, 2006

It is almost a perfect world playing D.S.I.P. theory. Auctions fall into two scenarios. Those that you own the auction (forcing pass theory) and those that you do not, so you are competing (D.S.I.P. Theory). Not quite! The pre-empt either by partner brings in old fashioned penalty doubles. Partner has described her hand with a two suited toy, a pre-empt at the 2, 3 or 4 level so she is all in with nothing more to say. A leap to game by responder in a major is also a pre-emptive action so a double by partner is penalty.

What if the pre-empter doubles in these auctions? They are not allowed to, you say as they have already described their hand. Nonsense. In reviewing World Championships, Spingolds and Vanderbilts pre-empters bidding again is the greatest cause of lost IMPS just behind bad opening bids.

Here is an auction in the Spingold finals. Equal non-vulnerable A10 Qxxxxx xx Qxx and partner opens 1 and they overcall 1. You bid 4 and they bid 4 and around to you again. You bid 5 and went one down and 4x goes for 300 as partner holds Kxx AK10x xxx A10x. Playing D.S.I.P. theory this would never happen. The pre-empter is allowed to bid again but only with a double. The double says I want to bid 5 but I have defense considering my pre-emptive action previously. Pre-empting and re-preempting is very single handed bidding.

Forcing passes are not turned on with these auctions. Unless you are Kantar, being vulnerable does not turn on forcing passes on this kind of pre-emptive auction. Everybody is competing and nobody knows whose hand it is so D.S.I.P. theory applies. The partner of the pre-empter still has trump stack penalty rights though as she is opposite a pre-empter. The double is not D.S.I.P.

D.S.I.P. - Pre-empting over Pre-empts

September 26, 2006

In competitive auctions, we do not pre-empt over a pre-empt. In other words, when they pre-empt or make a jump raise or a leap to game and we bid game it shows values. I would go a step further and say our jump bid turns on forcing passes. You hold KQx xxx xxx Axxx and they open 1. Vulnerable partner overcalls 2 and they bid 3. The 3 bid is a pre-emptive bid so our rule takes effect. A leap to game is not weak and says I think we can make 5. Just bidding 4 is a gross underbid as the opponents have mapped out a singleton heart in partners hand (5-4-3-1). Therefore your cards are pulling their full weight after a vulnerable two level overcall.

There is a great danger in these types of hands that the opponents will bid again. As stated previously, this bid should turn on forcing passes. However, you have an obligation to partner in these forcing pass auctions to tell her what type of game bid you have. Is your hand a defensive hand type or an offensive hand type? I feel the leap to game should show a good hand but with the emphasis on trump values rather than a balanced defensive hand. Enter the D.S.I.P. double. I feel in these types of auctions a D.S.I.P. double should be a defensive type 5 bid. Partner most of the time with a 2 overcall after a 1 opening will deny spades so your double should not be interpreted as takeout and of course not penalty.

After your D.S.I.P. double, partner has a more accurate picture of your hand. When they bid again in a forcing pass auction, partner will more likely make the correct competitive decision after you have described your hand as defensive in nature. D.S.I.P. doubles quite often turn on forcing passes as you are telling partner we now own the auction. D.S.I.P. doubles are an invaluable tool in all competitive auctions. Experts who do not play D.S.I.P. doubles are shooting themselves in the foot.

D.S.I.P. - Pre-empts

January 05, 2007

D.S.I.P. doubles were also designed to assist partnerships when the opponents pre-empt at the 3 level in the sandwich position. Opener must double with a good defensive hand (Thrump or cards) and if she just bids, forcing passes are not turned on with 3 of the 4 vulnerabilities. BJ Trelford held x Axx KQJxxxx Kx and opened 1 both vulnerable. I responded 1 and there was a 3 pre-empt in the sandwich position. The double is the only bid (other than a cue bid) that turns on forcing passes. BJ decided that our side did not “own the auction” and he bid 4 based on distribution. My RHO got into the act and bid 4.

I held x QJ1098x 10x AQxx so I prefer that we play this hand. I would like to bid at the 5 level so I double asking permission to do so. BJ accepts the offer to play the hand but he does so by bidding 5. This gets doubled and with favourable club spots gets rewarded for +750. The negative inference that BJ did not double 3 is the key to the auction. D.S.I.P. doubles are like a setup man in baseball, they turn on forcing passes! This allows the freedom to bid on distribution without partner getting carried away. Bids have entirely different meanings when forcing pass theory is not turned on. My double now changes from penalty to asking permission to bid.

What would a 5 bid by me mean? Since forcing passes are not turned on, this bid must show a very strong hand. This is a slam try knowing that partner previously just bid on distributional values. Possibly with a hand like x QJ109xx Ax AQJx where 6 would be cold. A 5 bid by me would mean I think we can make it or even bid because I feel 4 would make and 5 would be a good tactical bid. Switching back and forth from D.S.I.P. and forcing pass theory takes bidding skill and reading the clues correctly. D.S.I.P. theory is not for beginners.

Playing the Vulnerability – Pre-empts

January 06, 2007

Playing the vulnerability is a Standard Bridge tactic. Your bids do change depending on the vulnerability. Partner has been trained to give you leeway on the terrorist vulnerability and take you for your values on all the others. When the opponents pre-empt how does this strategy work? Again partner allows you to get in earlier on the terrorist vulnerability because sacrifices are way more common. In fact, if you do not come in early you may have to take a single handed sacrifice later and leave partner out of the picture.

You have AKQJxx xx xxx Qx, they open 3. This hand is not strong enough to come into the fray at the 3 level if you are vulnerable or if both sides are non-vulnerable. On the terrorist vulnerability this is a clear cut 3 overcall. Why? because partner will not punish you on this vulnerability so a 4 sacrifice might be excellent against their vulnerable 4 game.

Say you do pass, they bid 4vulnerable so back around to you. Now you must make a single handed decision for the partnership. If you guess wrong and go for –300 or worse against a +100 it is a double digit IMP disaster. Is it not better to overcall light initially and bring partner into the picture?. It turns out partner has two defensive tricks so after a 3 overcall will just let them play it there for +100.

Bridge is a partnership game. The more times you just guess and leave partner out of the decision, the more times you will be in trouble. Bid the vulnerability when the partnership is prepared for it!

Power of the Pre-empt

February 19, 2007

The power of the pre-empt is like being the house in Casino Blackjack. The customer must make the decision to gamble and ask for another card. The customer might break and the house did nothing to earn the money. When your side pre-empts, the opponents must make a decision to bid or double. Sometimes the pre-empt has done its dirty work so you do not need to do anything to earn your IMPS.

The 5 level is for the opponents is very true when partner has pre-empted. They have made a guess so there is no reason for you to make a guess also. You have AKxxx Jx x KQxxx and you open 1 non-vulnerable. Your vulnerable opponents double and partner pre-empts to 4. They have a decision to make so they decide to bid 5. If partner has the right cards, 5 might be a nice sacrifice non-vulnerable vs vulnerable. Why gamble though? The opponents have already taken the risk by bidding at the 5 level. You may have them booked in your own hand so let's see how good their guessing was. You pass and partner's 4 bid was xxxxx Qxx Q109x x and the opponents are lucky to go 3 down vulnerable in 5 (1 spade, 1 heart, 1 diamond and 2 clubs). Give partner leeway with non-vulnerable pre-empts.

Bidding 5 undoes partner’s pre-empt as you are gambling that you have a non vulnerable sacrifice. Let the pre-empt work for you. At our table we beat 4 doubled +100 as we chose not to go to the 5 level in 5. If you bid 5, you go for –300 and lose 7 IMPs instead of gaining 10. A 17 IMP swing. Only one gamble per pre-empt and they gambled first so do not hit 17. Lets see if they can get 21 at the 5 level.

Hand Evaluation - Equal Level Conversion and Pre-empts

March 05, 2007

Advocates of equal level conversion know that the concept is quite common at the 2 level after a takeout double or after a balancing double. Takeout doubles without clubs or diamonds are very common among IMP players. You in effect “scramble “ to your best spot at an equal level.

What is not so obvious is equal level conversion is applicable after pre-empts at the 2, 3 and even 4 level. Pre-empts put pressure on you. You can not always have the classic takeout double when they make a pre-empt. Equal level conversion is an excellent example of “games before slams”. You should not interpret a new suit bid at the same level as a cue bid. You have not even found a spot for your game let alone think of a slam. If slam is in the cards, there will be clarifying bidding later in the auction. Your initial interpretation of partners bid should be that it is a suit.

Does equal level conversion mean we have a two suiter in the traditional sense? No it does not, as you could even be 4-4.

This artificial looking hand actually occurred in a Bermuda Bowl.

You: KJ10x AJ AQJx xxx

Partner: AQxx KQ Kxxx xxx.

You are vulnerable, they are not with a 3 opener to your right. With this vulnerability, it is not advisable to trap. You do not have values in clubs (duplication) so trapping should be out of the question. You “manufacture” a bid, so you double. If partner bids 3, you convert to 3 at the same level. Partner should read you for spades and diamonds. On the actual hands, you find your 4-4 spade fit with no problem.

Soloway and Goldman did not play equal level conversion in those days so Soloway was reluctant to double. He manufactured a 3 overcall, Goldman leapt to 5 down one so 12 IMPS out of the window. Which is the best lie? A takeout double or overcalling at the 3 level on a 4 card suit? In the days of equal level conversion, get to your game before thinking of slam. Pre-empts were designed to make things rough on you. Equal level conversion helps you combat their tactics.

Two hands in Calgary recently show the equal level conversion assisting us with the opponents pre-empts. The opponents open 2 vulnerable and RHO bids 4. Kiz Fung held Q QJ109 KQ109xx Ax and was not vulnerable. There are two bids that come to mind when you hold two suits. She could bid 4NT and if partner bids clubs, convert to diamonds so partner knows the 2nd suit is hearts. However, the best bid giving the most options with two suits is the double. Your hand has defense with your 14 HCP (2 quick tricks) so if the vulnerable opponents are out of line, partner can convert with J9xx or the like. If partner bids clubs, you make an equal level conversion at the 5 level and bid 5. On this hand partner bids 5 which goes for –50 and 4 goes one down. Your partners are +170 however there is a 14 IMP swing in these cards. If you bid 5 single-handedly, you suffer the ignominy of going for -500. Let partner in on the secret that you have a 2nd suit and defense. Do not treat a hand with two suits as you would a hand with one suit.

My partner had a hand in Calgary where partner equal level conversion takes place at the 6 level! In 3rd seat vulnerable the opponents open 3. Partner decided not to enter the frey with AJ KJ10x QJxxxxx void. They bid 4 and I backed in with a double. You play an “equal level conversion” style so partner may just have the majors. I held Q10xx A9876x A xx. Playing the equal level conversion method of takeout doubles, partner can not leap to 6 as I may not even hold diamonds. Instead partner leaps to 6!! The equal level conversion takes place at the rarified 6 level! I bid 6 and all pass making 7. Equal level conversion is a hand evaluation concept to assist you in finding your fit with off shape doubles or even cue bids. Grasping this concept will improve your bidding immensely.

We like jump rebids by responder to be forcing to game and show a good suit. If you do not have a good suit, you can make a 4th suit forcing to game bid and bid your suit. Partner now knows your suit is not semi-solid or solid. The jump rebid virtually “sets the trump suit”.