	NORTH J9654 J98 Q AKJ3
QT63 AK74 Q9862		A AK752 JT62 T54
	KQT8732 4 9853 7

Dealer: North Vul: EW MP Scoring

West

5
Pass

North
1
Pass
Pass

East
2
Pass
Pass

South
4
5

Forcing Auction?

What constitutes a forcing auction?
Whatever the meaning of South's 4

, West's Vulnerable vs Not-Vulnerable 5

should establish a forcing auction for East - West, shouldn't it?
Perhaps it's easier to have just one standard for a forcing auction, regardless of vulnerability than it is to suggest that:
Vul vs Not Vul IS a forcing auction
Not Vul vs Vul is NOT a forcing auction
and the other two equal vulnerability situations: Vul vs Vul, and None Vul, might be in dispute.

Certainly vulnerability is to be considered, but to introduce such standards for many pairs is a bit much.

How would your partnership decide on the Forcing or Not issue here?

West was flabberghasted when East passed out 5.
West's PASS over 5 suggested 1st round control of spade (alternatively 4+ small spades) PLUS interest in a heart slam. Was a heart slam so impossible?
If East's A had been the A and East had additionally held the two points more that the K traded for the J would have been, 6 was THE place to be, and why not then 7?

With 4 points in spades on defence, East should have doubled.

If East West had, however, been Not Vul vs. Vulnerable North South, perhaps a weak sacrificial 5 more commends itself on the basis of probability of occurence and weighting of Matchpoint scorings.