2-Over-1: The Forcing 1NT… Part Four

Don’t Use 1 NT Forcing If …

If you are a passed hand, a 1 NT response is not forcing:

West                              East
♠ 8 7                              ♠ A Q 9 6 4
♥ A Q 6                         ♥ 10 5 4
♦ Q 9 8 7 6                     ♦ J 10
♣ 10 9 8                        ♣ K J 7

West              North              East               South
Pass               Pass                1♠                  Pass
1 NT              Pass                Pass               Pass

2-Over-1: The Forcing 1NT… Part Three

Don’t Use 1 NT Forcing if …

If opener bids 1♥, then responder, holding 4+ spades, should bid 1♠:

South
♠ Q 9 8 2            North            South
♥ 7 6                  1♥                  ??
♦ A K J 10
♣ 9 8 6

2-Over-1: The Forcing 1NT… Part Two

How To Use 1 NT Forcing

Use it only after a major opening bid. 1 NT is not forcing after a minor opening:

1.                                                     2.
North         South                           North            South
1♥             1 NT                             1♦                1 NT
 *                                                  *
*North must make                          *North may pass with a
  another bid.                                   balanced minimum hand.

2-Over-1: The Forcing 1 NT…Part One

While you weren’t looking, Standard American became a dinosaur. 4-card major openings were replaced with 
5-cards; 1 NT can now be opened holding a 5-card major and a worthless doubleton; weak 2’s replaced strong 2’s, and on and on. But the loudest crash is the fall of the non-forcing 1 NT response to a major and its kissing cousin, 2-over-1 (2/1) as forcing only one round. Now, 1 NT is forcing and 2/1 is forcing to game.

Double Their Artificial Bids - Use Your Enemy! Part 2

You must be in the right position for this to work:

3. You

♠ 5 4                LHO           Partner          RHO           You

♥ 8 7 5             2♣               Pass              2♦                Pass

♦ J 9 6                              

♣ A Q J 9 4

               

You want a club lead, but are in the wrong position to ask for it. If you double, you’d be indicating a diamond suit. And if you bid 3♣, you’re asking for trouble!

Double Their Artificial Bids - Use Your Enemy! Part 1

Here is one area of bidding that the average bridge player totally ignores. What a waste!
Here is your new toy in a nutshell:

When an opponent makes an artificial bid, double that bid to show you have length and strength in that suit.

Third Hand Play - Part Two

2. When third hand has touching honors, he plays his cheapest honor.

Yes, third hand plays high, but not always the highest card. With a suit headed by the A K, follow with the King; With K Q, follow with the Queen, with Q J, follow with the Jack, with J 10, the 10.

So when third hand plays an honor, he says, “I do not have the honor immediately below.”

                                              Dummy
                                               ♥ 7 5
                        You                                     Partner  
                  ♥ J 8 6 4 2               ❏           ♥ 10 played
                                            
                                           Declarer 
                                          ♥A played

The bid is 3 NT. You led the ♥4. Dummy plays the ♥5, partner the ♥10 and declarer wins the ♥A.
What do you know? Everything!

Partner has no honor - he would have played high. He can’t even have the ♥ 9 - with ♥ 10 9 he would have followed with the ♥ 9. Declarer has ♥ A K Q 9.  Stay away from this suit!