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A few more holiday swiss deals
Sep. 7th, 2007 01:28 pm9) 2nd, unfavorable
Jx Kx AQxxx AKJx
P-1D-2D-X, 2H-?
1D may be as short as two with a strong NT.
2D is Michaels.
X shows cards, later double is cooperative. I use a similar treatment after 1 of a suit-X-XX. In either situation, if partner passes and then doubles it's pure penalty. I've heard people complain that the pure penalty never comes up, and when it does partner bids in front of you. That's fine, since I get to X/XX to show cards all the time and I think that's much more useful from a frequentist point of view.
It's your call. Given the discussion above, what does double mean here?
I made a cooperative double, pard passed with singleton HJ, and we were +100 against our own +660. Lose 11.
Pard asked if she should have pulled the double. Still seething, I said "Yes." She started to say something else, and I suggested we discuss it later. So we did. Here's what I said, as a good partner (and a smart husband):
I'm wrong, and I'm sorry.
I don't say that often enough, especially considering how frequently it applies. Pard isn't allowed to pass out 2H, so she would have made a cooperative double with a few trumps if I'd passed it around to here. That means my double is pure penalty (and a misbid).
After all these years playing bridge, I was due to make a mistake. I'm glad that's over with.
16) 4th, unfavorable
KTxxx - QT9xxx xx
1S-2C-3D-X, 3S-4H-4S-5H, X-P-P-P
3D was a fit jump, showing at least four spades, at least five diamonds, and at least an invite to game.
(3D)-X was penalty.
3S was a signoff, denything the values of an encouraging/forcing pass.
By agreement, 3D and 4S do not set up a forcing pass. Over the years I've seen a lot of confusion about forcing pass situations. It's really helpful to see intelligent discussion of useful examples, and the Bridge World's Master Solvers Club is the best place to go unless you have friends in high places. Kokish summarized this way:
If you've set up a forcing pass, pass is encouraging, X suggests not bidding on.
Otherwise, pass is non-forcing, double shows extra values.
In either case, bidding shows playing strength. I won't go into the difference between control bidding for slam and passing, followed by a pull to a control bid for slam, since that's not relevant, except to say the latter is stronger. Since it's never come up, I haven't thought about whether that makes sense, and probably won't.
That's all well and good, but does it describe everything you need to know? For example, are the following auctions equivalent:
a) 1H-P-2C-4S, P/X
b) 1H-P-2N-4S, P/X
2C is natural and game forcing. 2N is a game forcing heart raise.
Note: a) does not promise a fit, b) promises a fit.
In either a) or b) a pass as "extra, convertible values, double this if you like but bid out if you like, or even try for slam" makes a lot of sense. A double suggests defending, unless you have surprise distribution. In a), for example, pard might be 0=4=2=7.
Now, here are some non-forcing auctions:
c) 1D-P-1H-4S, P/X
d) 1H-P-3H-4S, P/X
3H is a limit raise.
Note: a) does not promise a fit, b) promises a fit.
In either a) or b) a pass as "I have nothing special to report, you're on your own" make a lot of sense. However, I don't think double means the same thing in each auction. When you have a fit, it makes sense to say "I've got something extra, and if you have a max let's go to the five level, otherwise maybe we'll set this" but when you don't have a fit, it doesn't. In c) I think X should suggest defending.
Also note that in d) responder shows a pretty narrow range, while in c) partner is quite wide ranging. That's certainly relevant.
Enough stalling...back to the actual deal. I went out of my way to set up a non-forcing pass situation, saying I knew what to do over 5H, barring further input from partner. Pard doubled 5H, saying "everything's under control" and I floated it for -650. She thought I "didn't have my bid" and should have pulled to 5S. Well, maybe. Why can't she have something like AQJxx QJT98 x xx? I don't think I've promised any defense, just playing strength.
I might as well throw in Marc Jacobus's transfer suggestions (any errors are mine, since he told me all this in about 20 seconds):
a) 1M-X-?
I play transfer respnses here with a few partners. XX might be an eight count, 1N and 2C are transfers to clubs and diamonds. If pard opened 1S, then 2D transfers to hearts. A single raise shows "nothing" while a transfer to pard's suit shows a real raise (6-9?).
That's all he said. I'll add this:
With a limit or better raise you can redouble or bid 2N or fit jump or even, shudder, Bergen.
In practice, I only play this when responder is an unpassed hand. Otherwise, I play 1S forcing, 1N normal, XX 10+ no fit, 2N invitational with long clubs, single raise very weak, and 2D as a sounds single raise.
b) 1X-1M-X-?
I play transfer advances here, starting with 2X, ending with 2M. I also play them after RHO's pass or raise to 2X.
Jacobus suggested, on the given auction, having XX show some values and a doubleton (I've been playing this for a few years, since Alan Sontag suggested it) and start the transfers with 1N.
After 1D-1S-X, I play 2C natural and forcing, since I can't transfer to clubs and then bid again. I don't view that as a huge loss. However, I play 2S as normal-ish and wide ranging, while 2H is at least a three card limit raise. That means he has the terrible raise and the decent raise, but has to do something else (2N?) with a limit raise. I have the decent-ish raise and a convenient limit+ raise, but no garbage raise. I suppose I'll keep my eye on this for a while and see weigh my results.
Jx Kx AQxxx AKJx
P-1D-2D-X, 2H-?
1D may be as short as two with a strong NT.
2D is Michaels.
X shows cards, later double is cooperative. I use a similar treatment after 1 of a suit-X-XX. In either situation, if partner passes and then doubles it's pure penalty. I've heard people complain that the pure penalty never comes up, and when it does partner bids in front of you. That's fine, since I get to X/XX to show cards all the time and I think that's much more useful from a frequentist point of view.
It's your call. Given the discussion above, what does double mean here?
I made a cooperative double, pard passed with singleton HJ, and we were +100 against our own +660. Lose 11.
Pard asked if she should have pulled the double. Still seething, I said "Yes." She started to say something else, and I suggested we discuss it later. So we did. Here's what I said, as a good partner (and a smart husband):
I'm wrong, and I'm sorry.
I don't say that often enough, especially considering how frequently it applies. Pard isn't allowed to pass out 2H, so she would have made a cooperative double with a few trumps if I'd passed it around to here. That means my double is pure penalty (and a misbid).
After all these years playing bridge, I was due to make a mistake. I'm glad that's over with.
16) 4th, unfavorable
KTxxx - QT9xxx xx
1S-2C-3D-X, 3S-4H-4S-5H, X-P-P-P
3D was a fit jump, showing at least four spades, at least five diamonds, and at least an invite to game.
(3D)-X was penalty.
3S was a signoff, denything the values of an encouraging/forcing pass.
By agreement, 3D and 4S do not set up a forcing pass. Over the years I've seen a lot of confusion about forcing pass situations. It's really helpful to see intelligent discussion of useful examples, and the Bridge World's Master Solvers Club is the best place to go unless you have friends in high places. Kokish summarized this way:
If you've set up a forcing pass, pass is encouraging, X suggests not bidding on.
Otherwise, pass is non-forcing, double shows extra values.
In either case, bidding shows playing strength. I won't go into the difference between control bidding for slam and passing, followed by a pull to a control bid for slam, since that's not relevant, except to say the latter is stronger. Since it's never come up, I haven't thought about whether that makes sense, and probably won't.
That's all well and good, but does it describe everything you need to know? For example, are the following auctions equivalent:
a) 1H-P-2C-4S, P/X
b) 1H-P-2N-4S, P/X
2C is natural and game forcing. 2N is a game forcing heart raise.
Note: a) does not promise a fit, b) promises a fit.
In either a) or b) a pass as "extra, convertible values, double this if you like but bid out if you like, or even try for slam" makes a lot of sense. A double suggests defending, unless you have surprise distribution. In a), for example, pard might be 0=4=2=7.
Now, here are some non-forcing auctions:
c) 1D-P-1H-4S, P/X
d) 1H-P-3H-4S, P/X
3H is a limit raise.
Note: a) does not promise a fit, b) promises a fit.
In either a) or b) a pass as "I have nothing special to report, you're on your own" make a lot of sense. However, I don't think double means the same thing in each auction. When you have a fit, it makes sense to say "I've got something extra, and if you have a max let's go to the five level, otherwise maybe we'll set this" but when you don't have a fit, it doesn't. In c) I think X should suggest defending.
Also note that in d) responder shows a pretty narrow range, while in c) partner is quite wide ranging. That's certainly relevant.
Enough stalling...back to the actual deal. I went out of my way to set up a non-forcing pass situation, saying I knew what to do over 5H, barring further input from partner. Pard doubled 5H, saying "everything's under control" and I floated it for -650. She thought I "didn't have my bid" and should have pulled to 5S. Well, maybe. Why can't she have something like AQJxx QJT98 x xx? I don't think I've promised any defense, just playing strength.
I might as well throw in Marc Jacobus's transfer suggestions (any errors are mine, since he told me all this in about 20 seconds):
a) 1M-X-?
I play transfer respnses here with a few partners. XX might be an eight count, 1N and 2C are transfers to clubs and diamonds. If pard opened 1S, then 2D transfers to hearts. A single raise shows "nothing" while a transfer to pard's suit shows a real raise (6-9?).
That's all he said. I'll add this:
With a limit or better raise you can redouble or bid 2N or fit jump or even, shudder, Bergen.
In practice, I only play this when responder is an unpassed hand. Otherwise, I play 1S forcing, 1N normal, XX 10+ no fit, 2N invitational with long clubs, single raise very weak, and 2D as a sounds single raise.
b) 1X-1M-X-?
I play transfer advances here, starting with 2X, ending with 2M. I also play them after RHO's pass or raise to 2X.
Jacobus suggested, on the given auction, having XX show some values and a doubleton (I've been playing this for a few years, since Alan Sontag suggested it) and start the transfers with 1N.
After 1D-1S-X, I play 2C natural and forcing, since I can't transfer to clubs and then bid again. I don't view that as a huge loss. However, I play 2S as normal-ish and wide ranging, while 2H is at least a three card limit raise. That means he has the terrible raise and the decent raise, but has to do something else (2N?) with a limit raise. I have the decent-ish raise and a convenient limit+ raise, but no garbage raise. I suppose I'll keep my eye on this for a while and see weigh my results.
