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 enough 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 the idea of 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 when 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 in which you either luck out or do not. A very undisciplined & silly 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. Defensive bidding is the art of putting pressure on the opponents . 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 for their side. By responder 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 , most experts would choose the forcing pass. This says we do not have duplication of value in hearts , but I lack the 4^th 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 , my 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 evaluations skills to play forcing pass theory properly.