SACRIFICE bidding is an exciting part of duplicate bridge.
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It is where a partnership bids to a contract that is expected to fail, but where the penalty is less than the opposition would score if they were allowed to play in their contract of choice.
Unfortunately, sacrificing is easy to get wrong.
Vulnerability plays a big part in the strategy. When vulnerability is unfavourable, (where our side is vulnerable and the opponents are not), the opponents will happily double as the penalties for failing contracts are higher.
And overbidding is less expensive for them as each undertrick scores against them only 50 points.
As a failing sacrifice score, doubled, increases rapidly for each successive undertrick (200, 500, 800), we need to keep our undertricks to less than one, doubled, or we will have a very poor score.
That is a narrow margin for error.
Their game contract will yield them only 400 or 420, so they would love to pick up a juicy 500 or 800 points. It is “courageous” bidding to sacrifice at these odds.
Where vulnerability is the same, the sacrificing pair can only afford to fail by two tricks doubled, to do well against an opposition's successful game game contract.
But when a pair has favourable vulnerability (the opposition is vulnerable and our pair is not), we can fail by three tricks doubled, against a game contract and still have a very good score.
We could lose 500 points, against them making 600 or 620 points. The odds have become almost irresistible.
Where vulnerability is favourable and a fit with partner has been found, the bidding can be more aggressive.
The weaker the sacrificing hands are, the more likely it is the opponents have a vulnerable game.
Say we have: Spades 72; Hearts 5; Diamonds; KT43; Clubs Q86532.
Although it does not meet any of the normal guidelines for overcalling, at favourable vulnerability it is worth bidding to make 11 tricks if an eight-card club fit exists. The sacrifice will usually be profitable.
“Fortune follows the brave, but only at favourable vulnerability.”