1

D24 THE FOURTH SUIT

DEFINITION

After your side has bid 3 different suits. you will often want to make a forcing call rather than to play in the fourth suit as a natural bid. In the Acol system, therefore, the bid of the fourth suit normally says;

'I'm not sure where we are going partner, please bid out your hand further, I have at least 11 points for you. I am not necessarily showing 4 cards in this suit.'

Let us say you hold as South;

ª K 10 3

¨ 10 9 4

§ A J

Let's say your partner opens 1§, you bid 1© and partner bids 1ª.

What are you going to bid on this hand? You have game values, but what game do you play?

a) You have no diamond stop, so 3NT would be a guess,

b) 4© would be unsound and bids of 2© or even 3© would not be forcing,

c) 4ª might be possible, but partner probably has only a 4 card suit,

d) 5§ seems a long way away.

You just don't know, so the answer is to bid 2¨, the fourth suit. Ask partner what to do?

HOW FAR IS THE FOURTH SUIT FORCING?

If the fourth suit is bid at the 2 level or below. e.g. 1¨ 1ª 2§ 2© then the auction is forced for at least one round. Bids of 2NT or a repeat of opener's first suit may be passed.

If the fourth suit is bid at the 3 level, e.g. 1ª 2¨ 2© 3§, the bid is forcing to game. You will need the points to do this, 13 points after a simple rebid or 10 points after a reverse rebid by opener.

RESPONDING TO THE FOURTH SUIT BID.

You are being asked for additional information. This might be any of the following;

a) A stopper in the fourth suit so you bid NT, (assuming 11 points opposite),

b) Secondary support for partners first bid suit,( i.e. 3 small cards or doubleton honour) so you return to partner's first suit,

c) Extra length in you own suits so you bid one of your own suits again,

d) 4 cards in the fourth suit in which case you raise the fourth suit when partner might have 4 cards or more himself.

Note that if you do decide to bid no trumps after a fourth suit bid at the 2 level with the appropriate stopper in that suit , your response of 2NT would be a normal limit bid showing a very modest opener of some 12 or 13 points only. With 14 or more points, bid 3NT.

Similarly, if you decide to repeat your own suit or support partner's suit, these bids are also limit bids. Again, if your opening bid is better than minimum, you can show this by a jump bid.

(note for expert partnerships only, the raise of the 4th suit when partner cannot be 3 suited says to partner 'I don't know where we are going either, you bid something sensible!)

So back to the original problem.

Opener North may have one of the following types of hand for his bid to date after the fourth suit has been bid in the sequence

NorthSouth

1§ 1©

1ª 2¨

???

a	b	c	d
ª A Q 4 2 © 10 ¨ A Q 6 § K 10 9 8 3	ªA Q 4 2 © 6 ¨ Q 2 § K Q 10 9 8 7	ª A Q J 2 © 9 8 7 ¨ 4 § K Q 1 0 9 8	ª A Q 4 2 © K ¨ J 7 3 2 § K Q 10 9
Bid 3NT. You stop diamonds and have at least 26 points	Bid 3 §. Extra length in clubs and no diamond stopper	Bid 2© Secondary 3 card support for partner's first bid suit.	Bid 3¨ Primary 4 card support for the fourth suit

ª K 10 3

¨ 10 9 4

§ A J

Recommended Bidding Sequence using the North hands a) to d). You deal and open 1 § and the bidding should proceed as follows.