Friday, January 20, 2006 7:24 PM
Hand
Evaluation – Forcing pass ( Defensive Bidding )
PITBULLS:
Forcing pass theory was designed to impart Bridge discipline on a
partnership. Instead of making singe handed decisions for the partnership , you
transfer the decision to partner with information to make the ultimate
vote. Partnership Bridge in action. You must be
able to distinguish between defensive hands & offensive hands
though. This is a hand evaluation skill. A hand that drives forcing passes home came
up Thursday with Tom & Maurice . Tom opened 1♠ , partner doubled with Maurice bidding 2NT showing a limit
raise or better. This bid does not turn on forcing passes immediately
but does if partner bids game. The opponents are considered as intruders as
your side should own the auction in the forcing pass sense
. Not playing forcing passes , makes high level
auctions a crap shoot . These auctions just become a series of
guesses that you either luck out or do not. A very
undisciplined way of playing the game of Bridge.
Maurice
held ♠AJx ♥A ♦Jxx ♣Jxxxxx which
was the limit raise range for his bid. The vulnerability was equal so
there was no real advantage to playing the hand. I jumped to 4♥ with ♠10xxx ♥Jxxxxx ♦xx ♣x , Tom by
bidding 4♠ turned
on forcing passes ( accepting game opposite a limit raise ) . My partner had ♠x ♥KQxx ♦Axxx ♣Axxx
so he figured the correct strategy was upping the ante to 5♥ in this Bridge poker game . OK forcing pass theory is now
applicable. By responder now bidding 5♠ , he is saying
that partners input is not needed
for the final decision as he is very confident that 5♠ will make. By passing , you think 5♠ will make but you need partner to have some
say in the decision & you will honour his penalty
double decision. A double says the 5
level belongs to the opponents , so let’s just
take our plus. Pass & pull is a slam try .
Standard forcing pass doctrine that is any Bridge players
repertoire.
On
this hand , experts would choose the forcing pass.
This says we do not have duplication of value in hearts
, but I lack the 4th trump which adds to my defense but detracts from the offensive potential
of the hand. I have no assurance that 11 tricks are there but if you have the
correct hand , I may have. Tom with his hand , has an easy decision ♠KQxxx
♥xx ♦KQ109 ♣KQ 15 HCP no aces & a defensive hand , so he
will happily decline partners invitation to bid 5♠. He will double so with a trump lead, I will go two down
for –300. Tom would have made the right decision as 5♠ goes one down. When this board came
down ( responder bid 5♠ directly ) , Tom said this was not the dummy
he was expecting on the auction.
This
is an interesting play & defensive hand. Tom received the heart King lead
from my partner , won on the board by Tom . After long
thought , Tom concluded correctly that the spades were
at least 4-1 so he could not draw trump as we would switch the contract to 5NT
by tapping him with hearts when the first Ace was knocked out. Accordingly , Tom needed to leave the trump on the board as insurance
against the heart tap. He lead a club , partner read
the situation correctly so gave me a club ruff & 1 down. What if Tom
attacked diamonds instead ? I play the diamond 9 so
partner must duck. Tom is not drawing trump for a reason, so partner should
figure out the trump are 4-1 . The contract is doomed again ,
as partner has the option of giving me a ruff in either minor !!
Anyway , this hand is a good example of defensive bidding by
partner that worked out due to an opponent’s unfamiliarity with
forcing pass theory. Forcing pass theory is a way of thinking
high level bidding when your side owns the auction. However , you need hand
evaluation skills to play forcing pass theory properly.