Applying pressure

As my regular readers will know, I'm a fan of so-called pressure bids, that's to say wide-ranging preempts opposite a passed hand. I'm also a non-fan of making tram-ticket overcalls opposite a passed hand. Still unconvinced? That's good. I don't need you doing it to me at the table!

But here's an illustrative tale from a team game on BBO (sorry, I don't know how to make this show only one hand):

Dealer: S Vul: Both	North ♠ KQJ32 ♥ 3 ♦ T985 ♣ T42
West ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣		East ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣
	South ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣
Bidding:	South West North p 1C ?	HTML Bridge Hand Layout Creator

What to do? Surely this is worth in intervention with such an obvious lead-directing situation. But partner is a passed hand so, especially vulnerable, this counts as tram tickets. It's just not good enough for an overcall. What about 2♠? Well, gee, this could go for 800 or worse? Yes it could. But it almost never does.

Let's see what happened at the other table. My counterpart couldn't resist a 1♠ bid. East bid 2♥ and West bid 3NT. South, in the pass-out seat felt sure that, on a spade lead, this was going down. So he doubled. The defense wasn't perfect and my teammates were +950.

Now let's rewind to my turn over 1♣. With some trepidation, I bid 2♠. The next two players passed and I started worrying that the next call would be double. But no, West rebid his clubs (3♣). Note the effect of the pressure bid. The opponents have been talked out of their cold 3NT. The damage wrought by the 2♠ call has already been done! Despite having the chance to get out for -110 or -130 on a deal where presumably the opponents belong in game, partner now bid 3♠! I detest that type of action. If partner has preempted, then preempt as high as you're willing to go at your first opportunity. Fortunately, nobody doubled and I managed to drift off three (perfect play would be down two) for -300.

So, even with partner kicking an own goal, we still won 12 IMPs! Even if they double and I play it no better (I might take a bit more care in a doubled contract) we'd still be up by 4 IMPs :)

Here's the whole layout. As you can see, my opponents weren't the best, but the 2♠ call did give them a serious problem.

Dealer: S Vul: Both	North ♠ KQJ32 ♥ 3 ♦ T985 ♣ T42
West ♠ AT9 ♥ KJ ♦ Q7 ♣ AKQ875		East ♠ 75 ♥ T7542 ♦ AJ62 ♣ J6
	South ♠ 864 ♥ AQ986 ♦ K43 ♣ 93
Bidding:	South West North East p 1C 2S p p 3C p p 3S p p p	HTML Bridge Hand Layout Creator