Saturday, October 14, 2006 2:53 AM

Hand Evaluation - XYZ Examples

PITBULLS:

4^th suit forcing at the one level is just as bad a treatment as 4^th suit forcing at the two level. XYZ stands for 3 bids at the one level which can only start with a minor due to the rank of the suits. Three bids at the one level should trigger the XYZ treatment which is exactly the Cabay 2 way NMF forcing understandings. This treatment works well for one NT rebids , so extending the bids after 3 bids at the one level is a natural & easy transition.

If you like “recovering the strong jump shift” or “recovering the strong jump preference” from the Goren days , XYZ is compulsory. I play XYZ with BJ Trelford & Kiz Fung so our bidding accuracy has improved immensely with invitational hands & slam bidding. Here is a hand that came up tonight. ♠Kx ♥A10876x ♦KJ ♣xxx which I held with Kiz opening 1♦ . I responded 1♥ , Kiz rebid 1♠ . We have had 3 bids at the one level , so XYZ comes into effect. Like the Cabay treatment , I bid 2♣ which shows all invitational hands so Kiz must bid 2♦. I bid 2♥ invitational & the auction went all pass. Kiz tabled ♠Axxx ♥x ♦KJ109x ♣K10x . 2♥ has a chance to go down so if you invited by bidding 3♥ you suffer the ignominy of going down in 3♥ .

A few hands later it was my turn . I opened ♠K109x ♥x ♦AKJ10x ♣xxx 1♦ , Kiz bid 1♥. I rebid 1♠ so we have had 3 bids at the one level. Kiz bid 2♣ showing all invitational hands so I relayed to 2♦ as ordered. Kiz bid 3♣ which shows an invitational hands in clubs . Kiz could hold 5-5 or the very troublesome 4-6 with 6 clubs and invitational values. I passed 3♣ so +110 our way was a cold top. Why ? because the ugly 4^th suit forcing does not work. If she bid 2♣ playing 4^th suit forcing we would be forced to game. If she chose a convoluted bid , we would be in the wrong spot. Our system got us the top board , plain & simple.

Now lets get back to the first hand & change the heart suit. ♠Kx ♥AKQJxx ♦KJ ♣xxx . The bidding goes the same way. I now bid 3♥ which recovers the Goren strong jump shift response. My intentions are made clear almost immediately. I have shown a strong suit and a good hand with no 4^th suit forcing nonsense.

Experts should not to cling to old & inferior “4 th suit notions “ just because it is standard bidding. With your established partner , scrap 4^th suit forcing ideas at the two level with the godfather 2NT as a new suit & XYZ at the one level. These new ways are a vastly superior way to bid , period.