Friday, January 17, 2003 1:03 AM

Hand Evaluation – Systemic ( Passed Hand )

PITBULLS:

There is a good generalization that when partner is a passed hand , all normal systemic bids are off . In other words , 1NT forcing , Jacoby 2NT , relays , inverted minors , splinters , weak jump shifts & 2/1 showing a strong hand are all off . You can not force to game as a passed hand period .

Let us review a few things . Playing true inverted minors as a passed hand is silly . Use 1 of a minor 3 of a minor as pre-emptive not a limit raise. 1 minor – 2 minor should show the limit raise . Forcing NT by a passed hand is very silly. You can bid naturally & go to the 2 level with suitable hands so there is no need to force one round with 1NT . Weak jump shifts could have been opened with a weak 2 already , so you should play them as strong jump shifts (fit showing jumps) .

Since you open 4 card majors in 3^rd & 4^th , you do not need a jump to 3 of a major to show a simple raise with 4 trump. Just bid a simple raise with those hands a la Goren since partner may have a 4 card major. Fit showing jumps apply with the majors , so splinters are not in our vocabulary. A jump raise in partners major is pre-emptive . The 2♦ part of 2-way NMF or XYZ should not exist as a passed hand . The invitational sequences of 2 way NMF ( club relay) still should exist as a passed hand.

Play Drury as a passed hand with a major opener. This is reverse Drury where the major rebid is the dog. A nice innovation that we play is Kokish game tries imbedded with Drury. A 2♦ rebid asks partner where she would accept a game try a la Kokish. Some people build 2NT Jacoby into their Drury , that also works well.

One of a major - 2NT as a passed hand should not exist . Drury replaces the flat Jacoby 2NT hands. Why punish partner for making a 3^rd seat lead director ? Bid 1NT so if partner can not make a bid there will be no game . You may catch a careless balancer that way also . 1 of a minor - 2NT should be pretty close to an opener . 1NT can be pretty healthy as a passed hand also . If you are non vul , a toy you can play as passed hand is a direct response of 2NT to a major opener shows clubs or the minors !! This bid is to get around your Drury bid.

There is an excellent argument that splinters should not exist as a passed hand in any form . The Vinnies have reserved a 2♦ rebid after Drury to ask for a stiff . Now jumps a the two level after a minor or 3 level after a major can be fit showing instead of splinters or a “flower bid” at a higher level . Part of fit showing jump theory is using NT to identify stiffs anyway.

Passed hand bidding should be thoroughly hashed out by an established partnership .