The opening bid of Two in any other suit is forcing for one round, and shows a hand containing not fewer than eight poker playing tricks and at least one powerful suit.

The hand at the foot of the page is best opened with Two Spades. If it is opened with One Spade there is no satisfactory way of coping with a response of Two Hearts.

A strong two-suited poker hand also qualifies for an opening bid of Two. The higher-ranking poker suit is bid first.

A one-suited hand may also be opened with a Two bid. This hand should be opened with a bid of Two Spades, and Three Spades should be bid over any response made partner.

As well as an opening bid of Two clubs there are several other bids that are forcing to poker game. The most frequent is a jump bid in a new suit.

The situation is typical. East’s bid of Two Hearts sets up a forcing situation. It is true that a bid of One Heart by East cannot be passed by West, but it is better for East to get the poker hand off his chest, and by bidding Two Hearts he makes certain that the bidding will not be dropped until a game level is reached.

It is much the same if the opener makes a jump in a new suit over his partner’s responses:

In this situation (or a similar one) West’s bid of Three Clubs is a racing poker game force and East cannot pass it.
In many cases a forcing situation is set up by reason of the logic behind the bidding.