Thursday Tips 10
Another one that does not come from a Thursday, but from Tuesday 26/08/2025. Very much worth discussion. What is YOUR understanding of ‘fourth suit forcing”? Whatever it is, I would wager that is different to mine, and that you have no clear understanding with your partner about it. But let’s see.
Board 5. Dealer N NS Vul
| ||||||||||
|
| |||||||||
|
AK42
AQ3
AT62
82This is how basic bidding would start the auction: 1D from North, 1H from South, 1S from North. Most would agree so far. But now most of the Souths whom I asked ‘what next’ chose 1NT, seemingly because a) they did not have ‘enough points’ to go to the next level, or b) they did not want to bid 2C because it was ‘fourth suit forcing’. I’m now going to give the reader some statistics from play of this deal at X-Clubs:
- 4H by South making five (the Deep Finesse result) scored 95% for NS 4H making only four scored 80% for NS
- 3NT minus one (also the Deep Finesse result) 15% for NS
- 3NT making (beatable according to DF) 70% for NS
- 1NT by NS making three scored about average
For what it’s worth, my tip for today is: try and sort out with your regular partner what ‘fourth suit forcing’ is and how and when you apply it. With my regular partner I don’t play ‘fourth suit forcing’ at the one or two level. The only time we play a two level forcing bid by responder is when it is a ‘responder’s reverse’. If we have a good enough hand to force to game, we jump shift to a minor, which, rather than guarantee at least four cards in that minor, does guarantee five cards in the first bid suit, or three card suport in responder’s major suit. But of course if you’re an expert that is far too simple for you.
Here, for the record, is the simple way one NS pair bid the hands: 1D-1H-1S-2C-3H-4H. Seems simple enough to me, and by the way even if you have had 4SF drummed into you, unless you play it as game forcing at the two level, then 2C is still the best bid. For what it’s worth. But you don’t have to listen to an old fogey.
