Fuente: Mr Bridge
It is your turn to bid and it seems that, no matter how many times you bid your hand, partner does not get the message! The problem is that he is thinking the same thing. Suppose the auction goes like this:
If you are North-South, do you smile inwardly? Do you wonder whether East-West will stop before the seven level? Do you think they are having a sensible auction? Before you laugh too much, consider whether this could actually be your auction, when you and your partner do not have a fit.
This auction is the classic fight with a one suiter. You are East and hold:
Partner opens 1
and you respond 2
. After partner rebids 2, what do you do? At this point, partner could have a five-card suit, maybe not a great one at that. It is clear to bid 3. This is not forcing but partner can go on with a very suitable hand. He might hold, for example, a hand with A-x and other top cards. Now a pot at 3NT might be right. All too often, partner bids 3NT when holding a hand like:
If partner has this hand, it is 100% clear to pass after you have bid 3. To bid 3NT shows a distrust of your bidding and a desire to go for a penalty. Note that, on that pair of hands, 3 will make and 3NT will certainly go down and may go several down. At least nobody has doubled — yet. If you keep bidding your suit and it breaks badly, then eventually you will find that the doubling starts.
North has been guilty of bidding his diamonds too many times. He should have bid 3 over 3
— he had already denied having three spades by bidding 3. Likewise, South is just insulting his partner with his 4 bid. He has only two five-card suits yet he insists in playing in one of them, despite the message from North that there is no fit. At the end of the carnage, South is likely to go at least three down. What should you not do when partner pre-empts? It is frequently a mistake to fight. Partner opens 3 and you hold:
Are you tempted to bid? If so. what? A poor player will bid 3NT. If you find partner with the A, the Q is onside and the lead is kind, you might make it, but the odds are much against this. If you pass 3 and let partner play, it may well go down but you will have escaped before the doubling starts. The worst form of fighting comes from the player who wants to announce his hand twice. We have all come across this type. You hold these West cards:
You have bid 2NT to show the minors and heard partner jump to 4. If you bid again, you may have to find a new partner! You have shown 5-5 in the minors, which is just what you have. Partner knows this, yet has bid 4. He will have at least seven of them and it will be a good suit. Not only do you have one, but you have an ace as well. It is rarely right to keep bidding with a misfit. A good rule is to be a touch conservative when you diagnose a misfit and, if you overrule your partner, it should be only with a good suit. If partner knows your distribution and continues to bid, respect his decision.
