Thursday, May 13, 2004 2:51 AM

Hand Evaluation – Dbls & Forcing 1NT

PITBULLS:

The forcing 1NT bid & D.S.I.P. theory are a good mix . A forcing NT generally but not always means a misfit auction. In misfit auctions, a lucrative source of IMPS is doubling the opponents for penalty. What a minute ! I thought that the basis of D.S.I.P. was that trump stack doubles do not exist ! Yes , that is correct , but doubles certainly can be converted. In all the years I have played Bridge , my partner has rescued opponents from impending doom innumerable times by bidding in front of me before I could make a penalty double . It was quite frustrating how they escaped their bad bidding time after time . Tom Gandolfo introduced me to D.S.I.P. doubles after forcing 1NT’s to correct that problem. Essentially this is an application of the over/under rule. Re-opening dbl’s are not penalty even in a misfit auction.

Tom says in a forcing NT auction whenever the opponents bid in the sandwich position up to & including 3♠ , a double is D.S.I.P. showing good defense but not a trump stack double. If you have a trump stack double , you must pass so partner must bend over backwards to re-open with a double . With an unsuitable distributional hand , the 1NT bidder can still bid but there could be a trump stack over there. A free bid by the opener shows a distributional minimum if at the two level . We play the good-bad 2NT in these forcing 1NT auctions ( Dbl shows cards) . A 2NT bid is a relay to 3 clubs so you show a distributional minimum. A free bid at the 3 level shows a distributional good hand. Even with 4♥ say ♠AKxxx ♥AKxx ♦xx ♣xx , the auction goes 1♠-P-1NT-2♦ you should double . Partner has ♠xx ♥xx ♦J10987 ♣AKxx so converts the double for penalty & gets 2♦ x for +800 against no game making our way.

I will give you a few hands that show this principle in action. Playing with Tom in the Penticton CNTC’s , I pickup ♠A1098 ♥AKxxxx ♦x ♣Kx , non vul vrs vul I open 1♥ . Tom bids a forcing 1NT , RHO bids 2♠ . I can not double for penalty so I pass hoping that Tom can re-open with a double . No such luck as the 3♣ card hits the table. Much to my surprise RHO bids 3♠ ! My double ended the auction & they escaped for +800 . They were in 4♥ down 2 at the other table for a huge pickup.

You can also take an inference that partner opened a dog thereby avoid getting into trouble yourself . You hold ♠xx ♥Kxx ♦xxx ♣AQ10xx , partner opens 1♠ so you bid 1NT . LHO bids 2♦ , RHO bids 3♦ . What do you do ? You are not being talked out of anything here as partners pass is a dog or a diamond penalty double. On this auction I just pass , hope we beat it as we have nothing more than a partial our way. If partner doubled 2♦ , they bid 3♦ , a double by me is D.S.I.P. showing cards so throws the decision back to partner. We may find our 4-4 heart fit that way or just pass & lead a trump.

I held this hand playing with Tom . ♠AKxxx ♥Axxx ♦void ♣AKxx , opened 1♠ &d Tom bid 1NT with young Chris bidding 3♦ . I made a D.S.I.P. double , Tom bid 4♥ . I bid 6♥ so Tom chalked up 1430 . We were the only pair in slam with all sorts of diamond contracts doubled . Without a D.S.I.P. double I would have to make a 4♦ Q bid so LHO jams with 5♦. What does my Q bid mean opposite a forcing 1NT bid ? One thing it does do is remove an option ( converting for penalty ) from the partnership . What if LHO made an undisciplined pre-empt & Tom had a trump stack in diamonds ? The set would offset any slam as they were vulnerable. A 3 suiter is a defensive hand so if partner converts that is happiness. Tom knew I had diamond shortness with my D.S.I.P. double so probably a 3 suiter. Change my hand to ♠AKxxx ♥xx ♦KQ109 ♣Ax , Tom would re-open with a double ♠xx ♥AKxx ♦xx ♣QJxxx or something similar so I could convert..

The D.S.I.P. double allows getting the overcaller in the sandwich position to play it doubled from both sides of the table . This is a huge advantage over traditional methods. In a misfit auction , go for the throat first & your contract second. It works !!