2007-09-17 02:26

Hand Evaluation - Free Bids

PITBULLS:

Back in the 1950’s , the concept of a “free bid” was introduced. If you had values or extra values ( if you opened ) , you bid “freely” . In other words , nobody put a gun to your head to bid. Over time , this concept became virtually extinct as Bridge became a bidders game so you bid to show your distribution rather than pass. Competitive doubles replaced the free bid concept to show extra values. Some people bid to show that they paid their card fees & nothing more . Conventions like the “good-bad” 2NT were invented to bring back the concept of “free bids” at the 3 level.

I think the concept of “free bids’ should still exist but at the 4 level & higher. A pass means you do not have anything & a free bid means you do . Wow , what a concept ! We are going to extend this free bid concept a little further & say a free bid into game turns on forcing passes !! There are many clues to determine whether your side owns the auction. The strength of your bidding 2/1 etc , you vul & they not , they have pre-empted nv & you are vul etc. The concept of a free bid into game , should say that your side owns this auction & turn on forcing passes.

A Tormentee held this hand against Tom & I . ♠AQxx ♥AQxxx ♦AJx ♣x , Tom opened 1♣ everyone vul & the Tormentee doubled. I pre-empted to 4♣ & the Tormentee’s partner freely bid game at 4♠. Tom upped the ante to 5♣ so what is your forcing pass decision ? Some would consider this hand worth a pass & pull slam try in that you control every suit in the deck. A 5♦ or 5♥ bid is ambiguous , as it could mean that you were just too strong to overcall originally. We feel your only forcing pass options are bidding 5♠, a pass planning to leave in the double and finally pass & pull. The tormentee’s partner was 6-6 in spades & diamonds so if the spade king was onside +1430 in spades would make.

The Tormentees partner would decline any slam invites as she held ♠J1098xx ♥void ♦K109876 ♣x . With a club void , she would accept the invite & 7 would be a possibility . I feel if both sides were nv , a free bid into game should also turn on forcing passes. What about a free bid nv vrs vul , should that bid turn on forcing passes ? I think since RHO has pre-empted , forcing passes should be turned on this vulnerability also. This applies to this hand only.

The context of the bidding turns on forcing passes. If RHO showed some values & we were on the “terrorist vulnerability” , forcing passes are not turned on . You could be just bidding freely as an advanced sacrifice or generally messing with their auction. On the terrorist vulnerability , you have to very certain you own the auction before forcing passes are turned on.