Penalty Doubles and Environmental Factors 6-10 in Contract Bridge

Tweet

Penalty Doubles in Competition –Too close to call? Day 5

Click here to view Part 1 of the video commentary

Free Membership – Click here for Part 2 of the video commentary

Premium/ULTRA – lick here for Part 3 of the video commentary

In our last lesson we covered Bridge “Environmental Factors” #1 through #5.  Let’s continue with another five topics:

6. Working honors.  While you see us toss around this football all the time, it bears repeating that we’d prefer to have top honors in our long suit as opposed to side suits.  Then again, if when we are not blessed with working honors perhaps it’s time to consider punting – doubling the opponents for penalty.

7. Direct/passout seat.  Generally, when a player makes a bid in direct seat it shows more values than in the passout seat, i.e., competing to win the auction in the balancing seat, “borrowing a King” from partner, that sort of thing. 

8. Passed hand bidding.  Once we’ve passed the bidding, most of the time we’ve limited our hand and should use extra caution when bidding at or above the 3 level.  On a really good day partner may not have overcalled with opening values but poor shape.  Just try not to push your luck too much, or as leading Masterpoint professional would say, “Partner, if you’re hoping I’ll have the perfect hand, sorry but most of the time I won’t!”

9. We overcall.  When you or your partner overcalls at the 1 level, the hand may be as low as 8 points using modern competitive bidding styles (especially with favorable vulnerability).  Dial in a bit more caution when your side has overcalled the opponents.

10. Primary/secondary honors.  No surprises here, offensive tricks (Aces, Kings, shortness) help propel a partnership to game while side suit Queens, Jacks, and 10s may enjoy defensive tricks.  [Read more…]