Friday, April 25, 2003 6:36 AM

2/1 In Competition

PITBULLS:

2/1 in competition is a game force unless your suit is rebid . It is not the Standard American one round force showing 10 + points . You lose far too many subtle forcing auctions playing that way and you need to jump around or Q bid too much to force . In competitive auctions it is advantageous to get into the auction with your suit even if you do not have 10 + points . AKJxxx , AKQJ10x of any suit is a 2/1 in competition . Just remember to rebid it instead of supporting partner so that she gets the message that you have nothing else . What if you do have a game force and a nice suit ? Well obviously you must make another noise as you can not rebid your suit as the auction will come to a grinding halt . Do not make negative doubles with one suiters – just bid it initially and back pedal ! Playing weak jump shifts in competition rather than the over used splinter help clarify your 2/1 bids. As a passed hand , a jump in competiton is also a fit showing jump rather than a splinter.

The opening bidder only has to adjust her normal 2/1 thinking slightly with this treatment. A raise of the 2/1 suit is non forcing if a minor and forcing if a major !! You must Q bid to show support and turn on the game force with minors !

	1♠
1♦		2♥
3♥		?
	P

With a major raise you are committed to game and a simple raise is forcing . With serious 3NT understandings a lack of a Q bid will tell partner that your 2/1 was just based on a suit. However if the 2/1 was a minor i.e. clubs , 3♣ is not forcing and could end the auction. . A 2NT rebid is not forcing and if the 2/1 bidder rebids her suit over 2NT, it is not forcing.

	1♠
1♦		2♣
3♣		?
	P

What about the notion of the 2/1 bidder “owing you bids” . The only bid she has to make if the opener is soft pedaling with 19 HCP and no fit for partner is a rebid of her suit to say that she has nothing but her suit . She is not obliged to bid again after that unless you Q bid . A secondary Q bid just turns on the game force , it does not show support for the 2/1 suit . The direct Q bid shows the support.

2/1 forcing to game has many nice understandings . Do not throw them away playing just 10 + in competition . Negative doubles work well with 10 HCP hands without a suit or a NT bid works well so you do not have to regress to Charles Goren and wonder what is forcing and what is not ? Does she owe me another bid ? Does she have a scattered 10 HCP or a nice 14 + HCP and wants to maybe investigate slam ?. If you do have a decent suit just bid it and use your escape hatch of rebidding it . This is similar to negative free bid theory but good suits only. Otherwise 2/1 is a game force in competition. HCP’s are only important in NT contracts so having a 2/1 showing 10 HCP’s seems ridiculous to me. 2/1 in competition is either a good suit or a game force not the silly 10 HCP treatment. Try it , you will like it J

Having these understandings has an effect on forcing pass theory. You do not base forcing pass theory depending on exceptions. Not getting to game by rebidding your suit in competition is rare and an exception to the rule. A 2/1 in competition turns on forcing passes. If we double them and they make it due to one of our exceptions , we say “lose 4” and go onto the next hand. Forcing passes , in these auctions , are just too good a tool not to have it for most of the hands.

I held xxx xx AKx A109xx and opened 1♣ vul . The opponents overcalled 1♠ and Tom bid 2♦ . RHO bid 2♥ so I bid 3♦. They bid 4♥ so by virtue of a 2/1 forcing passes are on. Tom held Axx x Qxxxxx KQx and although he has only 11 HCP he makes a forcing pass. I feel his forcing pass must be based on shortness in their suit and points in the minors so I take the push to 5♦. With friendly breaks ( 3-2 in club and 3-1 in diamonds ) we make 6♦ for +620. 4♥X goes one down and with a 4-1 club break they make –790. What if Tom took the single handed push to 5♦ and hit me with Kx KQx J10x AJ109x . Instead of picking up 500 or 800 we lost 200. Forcing passes work great because you get partner involved in the decision making.