[pclayton]

Which of these sequences is forcing on responder? Playing 2/1 and responder is unpassed:

1♠ - 1N
2♥ - 2N
3♥?

1♠ - 1N
2♥ - 2N
3 minor?

1♠ - 1N
2 minor - 2N
3 same minor?

1♠ - 1N
2♠ - 2N
3 minor?

1♠ - 1N
2 minor - 2N
3♠?

[fred]

1♠ - 1N
2♥ - 2N
3♥?

Not forcing in standard 2/1. Here is a good non-standard convention for this auction.

3C forces opener to bid 3D. Then:

- 3H=forcing 5-5
- 3S=forcing 6-4
- 3NT=good hand with short diamonds

3D=good hand with short clubs
3H=weak 5-5
3S=weak 6-4

1♠ - 1N
2♥ - 2N
3 minor?

Forcing to game in standard 2/1.

1♠ - 1N
2 minor - 2N
3 same minor?

Non-forcing. As in the first auction, there are good conventions you can play here as well, but the details are more complicated and vary depending on which suits have been bid.

1♠ - 1N
2♠ - 2N
3 minor?

Non-forcing in standard 2/1.

1♠ - 1N
2 minor - 2N
3♠?

Forcing in standard 2/1.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[pclayton]

fred, on Jan 2 2006, 10:37 AM, said:

1♠ - 1N
2♥ - 2N
3♥?

Not forcing in standard 2/1. Here is a good non-standard convention for this auction.

3C forces opener to bid 3D. Then:

- 3H=forcing 5-5
- 3S=forcing 6-4
- 3NT=good hand with short diamonds

3D=good hand with short clubs
3H=weak 5-5
3S=weak 6-4

1♠ - 1N
2♥ - 2N
3 minor?

Forcing to game in standard 2/1.

1♠ - 1N
2 minor - 2N
3 same minor?

Non-forcing. As in the first auction, there are good conventions you can play here as well, but the details are more complicated and vary depending on which suits have been bid.

1♠ - 1N
2♠ - 2N
3 minor?

Non-forcing in standard 2/1.

1♠ - 1N
2 minor - 2N
3♠?

Forcing in standard 2/1.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

Thanks Fred.

My understanding of forcing / non-forcing rebids is the same as yours.

I was playing against Chris Larsen and Melih when I passed 1♠ - 1N - 2♥ - 2N - 3♥. My hand was actually: xx, QTx, QTxx, AQxx.

Pard held a weak 5-5 (as expected). Chris thought 3♥ should be forcing; thus the reason for this post.

I like the 3♣ puppet idea becuase it also clarifies the 2♥ rebid. I had always thought that the weak / strong 6-4 with spades and hearts was treated the same as a major / minor; that is - rebid the 6 bagger with a weaker hand, and make a 2-step sequence (rebid the minor followed by the major) with the stronger hand.

I've had problems with the following sequence however: 1♠ - 1N - 2♠ (holding 4 hearts and a weaker opener) and responder passes with an apparent misfit holding 4, 5 or MORE hearts missing a much better heart partial or game .

Playing your 3♣ puppet, it appears opener can mark time with any hand with 4+ hearts which seems very effiecient.

[fred]

pclayton, on Jan 2 2006, 06:50 PM, said:

Playing your 3♣ puppet, it appears opener can mark time with any hand with 4+ hearts which seems very effiecient.

You can (and usually would), but "any" is an overbid. For example:

KQJ109x
xxxx
AJ
x

My judgment suggests that you should never bid hearts with this hand.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[mcphee]

I believe the convention Fred refers to is the Mitteman Adjunct

[P_Marlowe]

1) non forcing, opener is 5-5
with bal. min.
Responder is semi bal. with 10-12,
if eresponders hand fits, he can bid
4H, 4S or show preference with 3S
2) Forcing, opener has enough for
game, but believes 3 NT is not best,
opener is 5-4-3-?
3) non forcing, similar to a)
4) non forcing, opener is 6-4, responder can
bid 4S if his hand fits, probably opener has
a good spade suit
5) No idea, probably forcing, but this makes
no sense, if opner wants to play 4S he can bid it
2 of the minor was passable?

Marlowe