Phone A Friend

Both sides vulnerable, you are the dealer.
♠ 10 3 ♥ A K 9 8 3 ♦ J 9 8 ♣ A 10 2

You	LHO	Partner	RHO
1 ♥	Pass	2 ♦	4 ♠
?

Partner's 2 ♦ bid is natural and forcing to game (2/1 Game Force). What now?

ANSWER: Phone a friend; Pass. This leaves it for partner to decide. You thus create a "forcing pass" auction, partner must either bid or double at her turn.

A minimum opening bid, marginal support for partner's diamonds, two fast spade losers... you have no particular reason to think that your side can make eleven tricks. And with at most three defensive tricks, doubling does not appeal either. Fortunately, partner has another bid coming. She could have a wide range of hands for her 2 ♦ bid. If the right action is not clear from your side of the table, force partner to decide.

THE PRINCIPLE: When your side is in a game-forcing auction, or has bid game freely, the opponents do not get to buy the contract undoubled. Either your side bids one more, or you double the opponents' contract. If you have a clear preference for bidding or doubling, go ahead and do so; otherwise let partner make the decision. Your Pass -- a "forcing pass" -- forces partner to either bid or double at her turn. If partner is bidding another suit, your pass implies at least some tolerance for that suit.

MORE PRINCIPLE: "Pass and pull" shows extra values. That is, if you Pass now and then bid on after partner's penalty double -- "pulling" the double -- you indicate that your hand is even stronger than needed to simply bid.

When partner makes a forcing pass: Pass is just as forcing as if she had bid a new suit as responder, or made a jump-shift rebid as opener, or cue-bid the opponents' suit. She is counting on you to either bid or double. She is fine with your decision either way; just do not Pass and let the opponents steal the hand undoubled.

Forcing pass auctions as described here are considered standard bidding; these bids and passes should not be Alerted. 

Want to read more? Here are two previous posts about forcing passes.

-- Ray 

Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)