Saturday, July 01, 2006 12:25 AM

Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( Game Forces )

PITBULLS:

Bidding recognition of your own auction & the opponent’s auction is a hand evaluation skill. I have noticed that some tormentees have trouble understanding the ramifications of the forcing to game switch being turned on. Here are some understandings that come about if & when either partner forces to game. The first understanding is that in any game forcing auction with a minor agreed , returning to that suit at the 4 level is KCB . You do not need Kickback or 4NT in a forcing to game auction as a simple return to the suit at the 4 level by either partner is understood to be KCB.

The principle of “fast arrival” is still alive and well in many game forcing auctions. One Tormentee held ♠xxx ♥xx ♦Qxxxx ♣KJx and partner opened 2♣ and subsequently bid diamonds. The tormentee leapt to 5♦ but 7♦ made. Since partner forced to game with the 2♣ opener , fast arrival is in effect. A leap to game pre-empts partner from further slam investigation so it is the weakest bid you can make. In effect we are saying , I am forced to game anyway so I may as well get it over with. The bid should show this hand ♠xxx ♥xx ♦xxxxx ♣xxx .

Once the forcing to game switch is made, for example , by partner rebidding 2NT , reversing or a strong jump shift , forcing passes are turned on if there are intruders entering our auction. If they enter our auction , they are not competing. They are in a place they do not belong. Forcing pass theory with penalty doubles apply , so D.S.I.P. competitive double theory is not even a consideration.

Look for the keys or switches that force to game and forcing passes come right along with them . I was playing with a partner who missed the forcing to game switch so made a fatally wrong decision. I opened 1♣, LHO overcalled 1♠ and partner doubles. I Q bid 2♠ so we are forced to game somewhere. What else has happened with my forcing to game Q bid ? The opponents are now considered intruders so forcing pass theory applies. He held ♠J ♥Kxxx ♦QJxx ♣KQxx so he doubled the opponents 4♠ bid to show general strength as they were vulnerable & we were not. This was a 30 IMP swing as we lost 15 instead of winning 15 IMPS. 6♣ doubled makes as does 4♠X with overtricks. This hand is strong enough for the “pass & pull” aspect of forcing pass theory. If partner doubles , you now pull to 5♣ so partner will accept your invite & bid 6♣. They opponents may double but 6♣ is unbeatable.

Goren had it all wrong with some forcing to game bids. . Standard bidding advocates the more strength you have , the higher you jump the bidding. This understanding drove people to forcing club systems as you pre-empted the auction & partner to show strength. This is totally backwards. My partners & I play one of a major - a forcing NT response followed by 2NT by opener as a game force ( 18 -19). This way, we can explore alternative contracts or slams at the three level instead of the 4 level. One of a minor - a 1NT response followed by a 2NT bid is 18-19 a virtual game force unless partner bails out to 3 of a minor. This leaves jump to games in a major or NT as a clearly defined “picture bids”. We have a 3♣ jump shift as “multi purpose” so that we do not have to leap to game with a strong hand. 1♦-P-1♠-P 4♠ is a weak distributional hand with 4 trump and not strong enough to splinter . We play jump shift reverses following the same theory. The more you bid and the higher the auction , the more distribution you have , not strength. This concept should be a guideline for all bidding including opening 8 card suits.