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What should I Bid? - Best enquiry for June 2003

The best submission in June came from Judith May.

And my hand at South : 

Bidding:	West	North	East	South
	--	--	P	P
	P	1S	2D	3C
	P	P	P	--

Comments:
I bid 3C to show a stronger hand than 3S (limit raise) would have done. Partner says a passed hand cannot make a forcing bid.
This is a new one to me! How do we best reach game?

And Peter's Reply:

Hi Judith,
Unless you have a specific agreement to the contrary, general practice is that a passed hand can't force opener to bid again. Logically, this relates to the idea that responder, lacking sufficient values to open the bidding, can't know whether game or better is within reach.
This does not preclude making bids that are effectively forcing because of their artificial nature e.g. bidding the opponent's suit to show a value raise in partner's suit.
Your comment that you were attempting to start the description of a hand that was "better than a limit raise" is interesting. Typically, a limit raise shows a hand just below opening strength. Thus, if your judgment is that your actual hand was better than a limit raise, my judgment is that I would open the bidding on the hand! In other words, as a passed hand you can't hold a hand that is better than a limit raise.
As to general methods, I suggest you investigate using some or all of the following as a passed hand :
1) Bidding 2C - artificially -(Drury/Reverse Drury) over 1M to show a limit raise with subsequent rebids by opener geered to allow both reaching game or escaping at the two level when opener is light in third seat.
2) Making fit-showing jumps to describe a suit plus support simultaneously.
3) Bidding the opponents suit in competitive auctions to show a value raise
to distinguish from raises that are based more on trump holdings.
You will notice that some of these methods require opener to bid a second
time. They do not put responder in control of the final destination of the
auction. That is opener's responsibility.
Regards
Peter Fordham

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