Saturday, September 23, 2006 12:12 PM

Intruders in your Auction

PITBULLS:

Whenever you have forced to game a 2♣ opener , a strong jump shift , a 2NT rebid , a reverse , a game forcing Q bid , the opponents are not competing for the contract , they are intruders. Any competitive doubles you may have in your system no longer exist as forcing pass theory takes over.

A Tormentee reversed and I showed a good hand and they bid at the 4 level vulnerable. You obviously own this auction so you default to forcing pass theory. The auction of 4♦-P-P-P is of course impossible. This is the basis of forcing pass theory. A passed out auction just will never happen. Since a passed out auction is not allowed , you define meanings to pass , bidding & doubling which are not standard. The opponents become part of your auction whether you like it or not. They simply can not be ignored as they have just turned on forcing pass theory for your side.

Some people have understandings when the opponents interfere with their Jacoby 2NT or inverted minors. The only treatment I have is even though those bids are limit raise or better , forcing passes are turned on immediately. I have no understanding after a Jacoby 2NT that a pass or a double shows a singleton. A double is simply penalty , a pass gives partner the opportunity to double , A Q bid of their suit is a singleton and a bid of the trump suit shows a minimum. A jump if there is room shows a 2^nd suit. A 3NT bid would be a serious slam try.

If their interference occurs after an inverted minor , the penalty double is chosen with care as you have bidding NT as an option. The meaning of the double should probably vary with the vulnerability. If we are vul and they are not , the double should be of the thrump variety ( especially with a 3 level pre-empt ) asking partner to bid NT with a stopper. On all other vulnerabilities , the double is penalty and you have chosen not to bid NT with a fit. This means serious trouble for them . In these types of game forcing auctions, returning to the trump suit as always signals a minimum.

A 2/1 turns on forcing passes immediately and a 2/1 in competition turns on forcing passes when game is reached or intended to be bid. There are no such things as artificial doubles or support doubles if they intrude in our 2/1 auctions. Simple forcing pass theory applies throughout the auction. We play the hand somewhere in game or they play it doubled . There is no in between.

The pro’s prey on the average player as they do not handle interference well. You must know the difference between offensive and defensive hand types , you must realize they are playing the vulnerability and you must know forcing pass theory. Sometimes I like looking at the game of Bridge from the top down. All Bridge auctions are defined into two categories. Those auctions owned by your side and those auctions not owned by your side. Of the latter , they own the auction or nobody does so you are competing for the contract.

Recognizing forcing pass auctions is a Bridge basic. A Tormentee was playing with Perry and I opened 1♥ nv vrs vul . Perry balanced with 2♥ and I bid 3♥ and BJ up the ante to 4♥. Perry now bid 4♠ which I doubled alerted as asking permission to sacrifice but with defense. The Tormentee had a stiff spade so he wanted no part of 4♠X so he bid 4NT and Perry bid 5♦. This got passed around to BJ who bid 5♥ . Perry passed and around to the Tormentee. The first question is who owns this auction ? The side that bid game vulnerable single handed or the side that passed at the one level and is now sacrificing at the 5 level. Perry was making a forcing pass showing a heart control and a desire to bid 6♦. The Tormentee looked at his own hand and decided he did not have enough to beat 5♥ so he passed. This decision cost his side 12 IMPS as 5♦ was cold. I should go down –500 in 5♥ doubled.