Vulnerable Auctions: Why Too Careful Can Be Costly

A lot of people think along these lines - when we are vulnerable it's time to be careful and conservative. Let's take an auction from recent play. 

This is a fairly striking example.

Most people would look at that hand and pass fairly automatically, especially on account of the vulnerability. In actual fact, at the top level players are often preempting hyper aggressively when they are not vulnerable, and the opponents are vulnerable (this situation). As a result it becomes quite important to be a bit more bold entering the auction, or else the opponents simply steal the hand, and we often will lose a vulnerable game bonus. Doubling on this hand, led to a good 4♠ contract that otherwise wouldn't have been reached.

The important features of this hand that made up for the high card points were

1. Having 4 cards in both majors is excellent. 

2. Aces and Kings, also good intermediate cards including three 10's. 

3. No wastage in the opponents suit

Nevertheless, its a very marginal hand where some experts may disagree with doubling

In summary

Being too conservative when vulnerable is actually risky, because you may miss a vulnerable game. Missing vulnerable games are obviously costly. The skill is in identifying useful hands. If your hand is useful, when in doubt it might be better to make a bid that is marginal.

Where to next

• -> Next: Vulnerable Preempting: Risk and Reward
• -> Related: KISS 1: Do Not Double Automatically
• -> Back to Bidding Articles Hub