Players generally over-sacrifice, often committing the crime of taking two bites of the cherry. Sacrificing does not generally pay because if you are left to play (doubled, of course), your bid will only gain if all these factors occur:

• i) You are cheaper than the value of their game
• ii) They were making their game. Plus (at Duplicate Pairs and Teams):
• iii) The other pair(s) holding their cards have bid (and made) game.

Top players hate to make late sacrifices: the opponents have no sensible option other than to double. Advance sacrifices are much better – because now there is a good chance the opponents will bid on (eg 5 ♠ over 5 ♦ ). And now your sacrifice bid can never lose. It will break even if 5 ♠ makes; and gain handsomely when 5 ♠ is one down.

Exercise: Here are three auctions. Give a mark out of ten for the tactical nous of West’s 5 ♦ bid in the following auctions:

Auction one

Auction two

Auction three

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