Main
Detail specifications 48AA - Level 2 ★
Competitive bidding
Competitive bidding. When to continue bidding
The main decision criteria :
The main decision criteria :
- Your hand distribution is a crucial factor :
- Holding a strong balanced hand, give preference to a punitive double
- With an interesting distribution, reassess your hand and continue bidding accordingly...
- The Law of Total Tricks (LoTT), written by Jean-René Vernes : the number of tricks a pair can make matches the number of trump cards both partners hold
- Vulnerability : undertricks are very costy when you are vulnerable....
- Your low honors are not worth the same if you are playing or defending :
- When you are the declarer, your low honors will be more fruitful in long suits
- When you are defending, they have a greater value in short suits
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Problem 27275 Advantageous vulnerability... the perfect hand to continue bidding !
The vulnerability criterion
Pay attention to the vulnerability when you choose to either pass, continue bidding or double.
Pay attention to the vulnerability when you choose to either pass, continue bidding or double.
- Green vs Red
- If they make a game, your opponents will score 600 or 620
- 1 trick down gives them 100, 2 down 300, and 3... 500
- It is worth a try, but don't get 4 tricks down.. you would give your opponents 800, more than a successful game
- Red vs Green, different situation!
- One trick down is 200, 2 are 500 , which is more than a successful game
- When Red vs Green, be careful and wise in your bidding
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Exercise 4♥ is not enough ! Be agressive, shoot : 5♥...10 trump cards in your line, and you have an Ace and a void. Don't be shy... It's going to be tough for your opponents. Difficult to bid 5♠ with so little information.
The Law of Total Tricks (LoTT) written by jean-René Vernes :
When both pairs have approximately the same HCP count, the number of tricks one can make matches the number of trump cards both partners hold. It's a statistical law...which one can verify most of the time... but not at all times !
When both pairs have approximately the same HCP count, the number of tricks one can make matches the number of trump cards both partners hold. It's a statistical law...which one can verify most of the time... but not at all times !
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Exercise 27264 : A good example for the LoTT : each pair has approximately 20 HCP. NS may safely bid 3♠ (9 tricks contract).
Penalty double
When you have more HCP than your opponents, but can't be sure of a game, give preference to a penalty double, overall if you are Green vs Red.
In conclusion
In case of reasonable doubt, continue bidding :
When you have more HCP than your opponents, but can't be sure of a game, give preference to a penalty double, overall if you are Green vs Red.
In conclusion
In case of reasonable doubt, continue bidding :
- your opponents may make bidding mistakes, too
- When a game is possible in both lines, you'll avoid big score gaps
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Problem 20261 With this hand, no Ace, no support, no information on another possible fit, give preference to a penalty double.2 undertricks will be worth more than a game...which may actually fail, in this case.
FR version