[jtfanclub]

inquiry, on May 25 2007, 08:45 AM, said:

First, 2♠ as fourth suit forcing is sort of silly, for a couple of reasons.

I'm sure it's just because I play Match Points more than IMPs, but I'm used to 2♠ on this auction as forcing, extras, but DENIES a spade stop. 2NT is forcing, extras, but PROMISES a spade stop (none of this QJxx stuff either). And furthermore, I bid these before showing support for one of his suits.

The logic to me is obvious. For one thing, it rightsides 3NT, if that's where we end up. More importantly, that's the suit that partner is most likely to need to know about, so if I show the extras and then bid 4 of his suit, he knows whether to go on or not....we don't want to try for slam missing the first two tricks of the fourth suit, after all, even if we have 33 hcp between us. And lastly, it leaves us lots of space to explore, while (say) a 3♦ bid only cuts out two bids, but they might be two that we need.

Of course, that also means that after 1♣-1♥-2♦, a bid of 2♥, 3♣, and 3♦ is not forcing, since if I had extras I'd go through 2♠ or 2[NT]. I just don't see a need for either 2♠ or 2NT being weak. If we have a misfit, I don't want to play it in 2NT, and if we don't have a misfit, I don't want to play it in 2NT. If I have a weak hand, why not just bid where I want to play? If that's a 4-3 fit, so be it.

That's how I learned it, and if it's wrong, well, I'm sure you guys will be happy to correct me. But it certainly doesn't seem 'silly' to me.