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If you missed our second free open lesson in our new video series, Learn with BBO, here's the recording of the lesson. The topic was Fourth Suit Forcing, with special guest Joan Butts, from Australia. This was a video commentary lesson, with the audience asking questions after each board.
If you missed lesson 1 click here to see the replay.
Answer: bid the fourth suit! 1♦ p 1♥p 2♣ p 2♠ - it’s called Fourth Suit Forcing, and is an artificial tool that allows us to take the bidding more slowly when we have a game-going hand, and saves us from leaping to a contract, and guessing the best spot (usually the wrong spot!). Fourth suit forcing is designed to make responder’s bidding easier, when:
Some play fourth suit as forcing for one round only, but it’s better used as game forcing. If you play it as a one-round force only, it’s hard to know which later bids are forcing and which are not. Playing it as game-forcing makes it simpler, and partner will not drop you below game under any circumstance! If fourth suit is forcing to game, then you need to find another non-forcing bid if you have a hand that’s less than a game force. Often this is 2NT to show 11, 12 points e.g. 1♦p 1♥p 2♣ p 2NT (= 11,12 points with a stopper in spades).
Fourth suit forcing would occur when the responder has bid a suit and the opener shows a second suit, typically:
If the responder has values in the fourth suit, no trumps is often best. So, bidding the fourth suit is not promising length in that suit. The bid is artificial, and says: “game- forcing”. After that, there is no rush, because partner can never pass a bid lower than game! However, if the responder already knows which game to play, bidding the fourth suit is not necessary. To use fourth suit is to investigate more when we need to investigate!
After hearing fourth suit, opener does not know what kind of hand their partner has. That will be revealed in the next round. So, opener should try to describe more about their own hand, eg support responder’s suit with three cards (there can’t be more than three, because with four-card support they would have raised in the first round), or bid no trumps with a stopper in the fourth suit or rebid one of their own suits with extra length.
The fourth suit bidder could easily have a hand where they want to play in no trumps, but perhaps has no stopper in the fourth suit:
| West | East |
1 1  | 1 2  |
The responder may have:
East
♠ KJx
♥ AKxx
♦ 10xx
♣ Kxxx
If opener bids no trumps over 2♦, fourth suit, in the above auction, they promise a diamond stopper, and suggest that it's ok to play no trumps. If opener has no diamond stopper, we should probably try another game when the responder has these cards.
But the reason for responder’s use of fourth suit forcing may also be that they are looking for something else, eg support for their own suit:
| West | East |
| 1 1 | 1 2 |
The responder may have:
East
♠ Kxxx
♥ AQ10xx
♦ Ax
♣ 10xx
The reason for bidding fourth suit here is to check out if partner has three hearts, in which case 4♥ on a 5-3 fit probably is better than 3NT as we may have only one diamond stopper. If the opener over 2♦ doesn’t show heart support, East can try 3NT.
The responder may also use fourth suit forcing and then rebid their own suit to show a six- card suit. If the responder bids 1♥ or 1♠ and then later simply rebids the suit, the bid is not forcing:
1♦ 1♠
2♣ 2♠ = not forcing, partner can pass
1♦ 1♠
2♣ 2♥ (4th suit forcing)
2NT 3♠ = natural, forcing to game. Usually a six card suit.
Joan Butts is a well-known bridge personality who's represented Australia and taught thousands of people to play. She owns a bridge club and has a passion for bridge education.
In 2011, Joan was appointed the Australian Bridge Federation’s National Teaching Coordinator. In this capacity she trains teachers, introducing them to the latest methods in bridge education, and creating and running professional development programmes.
what a great demonstration of 4th Suit Forcing! We can only hope opps don't interfere.
This was very informative; my only problem was that the hands were not synchronized with her voice. Will look up her web site , loved her teaching, very clear and easy to follow except video non synchronizing. Pleasant personality and diction excelling.
Thanks Caroline! Appreciate it. BBO are trying to sort the delay. I have a very big library of lessons on my website. Please enjoy!
There is a slight lag between the display of the hands and Joan's audio. So much so that when referring to the switch in hands, the video is not synchronized to allow you to follow what is being said.
Yes. BBO is trying to fix this and I'll do more talking and less clicking on cards for the next two lessons.
I agree that moving around the N/S hands was taxing on my brain. I'd rather see both hands at once than go through those mental gymnastics. There is enough to absorb without that distraction. Otherwise, I think Joan's teaching is delightful. I'm looking forward to other lessons.
yes sorry, but I thought they were showing as North and South - we've tested another way, but too complicated. I won't switch hands for the next two lessons.
The moving around of the NS hands made it a bit confusing
I liked the notes provided by Joan in this article. Previously i had only heard about 4th suit forcing but now i can use it with confidence
great!