Take Your Game to the Next Level
with PBB Webinars, Videos and Lessons
Question: Is 2♥ (a change of suit), a one round force, showing 11-12 points and 6 hearts?
East South West North
Pass Pass 1♠ 2♣
2♥
Answer: Passed Hand Bidding is a totally different world and causes much confusion!
- A new suit by responder as a passed hand is NOT forcing.
- It shows the same number of cards as by the non-passed hand.
- A minor may be bid as a the two level by responder with as few as four cards (sometimes 3 cards);
- A major bid at the two level by responder shows at least a five-card suit.
- Since the new suit is not forcing, the bid denies support for partner’s suit. There is no delayed raise by a passed hand (since partner can pass your bid)!
The theory behind this guideline is that partner has opened in third chair and may be opening “lite” because you are a passed hand. The third chair lite opening is a strategy bid used to block the fourth chair from opening its “big hand.” Opening lite in third chair also helps your side “buy” the contract by getting in the bidding first. To this end, as the responder of a potential lite third-seat opener, you do not want to force partner to have to bid again if they opened lite.
