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1NT - Other Sequences
Here we cover some of the more
obscure and unusual 1NT sequences. 17th May, 2006 Board 7 Both Vul
Here, of course, 4NT is invitational to 6NT, it’s not Ace-asking (for that use Gerber). Should South accept the invitation to 6NT? We’d say that it was marginal at best … 16 HCP's, but that J♠ may well be worthless, and the hand has no Tens. Looking at the South hand, bidding 6NT seems a bit of a stretch.
But, there is an alternative! Partner is unlikely to have a 4-card major on this auction, otherwise he would probably have used Stayman. This gives him 7 cards (or more) in the minors. If Partner did not see fit to seek a major fit, perhaps we, with our marginal hand, should try for a minor fit. There is a gadget in these 1NT-4NT auctions that would work well on this particular deal. After 1NT-4NT, if Opener has an accepting hand (especially if it’s marginal, as here), the players can bid 4-card suits at the 5-level, and 5-card suits at the 6-level, in an attempt to seek out an 8-card fit. With that agreement, on the actual deal, the auction would be: Opener Responder 1NT 4NT 5♣ 6♦ Pass
Opener’s 5♣ bid says “I accept and I have a 4-card Club suit”. Responder’s 6♦ says “I have 5 Diamonds”. A nice auction to what turns out to be the right spot, it's the Spade ruff in South's hand which makes it a good slam.
2nd February, 2011 E-W Vul
How do you handle those game-going hands with 5-5 in the majors? Some use one of the direct three-level bids to show this specific hand-type, but most would start with 2♥ transferring to Spades. What next? 3♥ is the obvious choice, and the question is “Does this show a 5-card suit?” We suggest that the answer is “Yes!” If West were game-going with 5-4 or 4-5 in the majors he could always use the auctions 1NT 2♣, 2♦ 3♥ or 1NT 2♣, 2♦ 3♠ (whether they are Smolen or natural), so it follows that 1NT 2♥, 2♠ 3♥ can be used to show the 5-5 hand. With that agreement in place, if East now chooses 3NT then West has no reason to bid again (he has already shown his 5-5).
4th February, 2009 Both Vul
Let’s assume that you play Texas Transfers as well as the Jacoby variety. Let’s next assume that you are all set to make your Texas bid when RHO jumps into the auction with some bid or the other. Is Texas still on? Yes, up to a point, and that point is usually considered to be 3♣. But, if the opponents bid 3♦ or higher, then Texas is off. On the actual deal, suppose that South (feebly) bids only 2♥. Now, West can bid 4♥ as Texas, getting the contract played from the right side.
4th February, 2009 N-S Vul
West has shown 20-21, so we suppose that East’s 11 is just about enough to try for slam, that 5-card suit and the ♠T9 must count for something. So the plan is to transfer to Spades and then bid 4NT, a slam-invitational sequence, showing 5 Spades.
Here are two similar auctions where Responder’s 4NT is invitational: 1NT 2♥ 2NT 3♥ 2♠ 4NT 3♠ 4NT Both sequences show 5 Spades and invite slam. That’s all very well, but suppose that Responder has longer Spades and really does want to use Blackwood, with Spades as the “agreed” trump suit.. The standard solution is to use Texas and then bid 4NT, as in: 1NT 4♥ 2NT 4♥ 4♠ 4NT 4♠ 4NT
While we are on the subject, how about these two auctions? 1NT 2♥ 2NT 3♥ 2♠ 4♣ 3♠ 4♣ Some pairs play the first auction as a splinter, but there’s much to be said for using 4♣ as a cheap way of invoking Roman Key Card. You could also use 4♣ as Roman Key Card in the second auction, but that is less appealing, what is Responder supposed to do with a good Heart-Club two-suiter?
3rd December, 2008 N-S Vul
How do you play 4♣ here? Some use it as a splinter, showing slam interest and Club shortness, but there’s a lot to be said for 4♣ here to be a cheap version of Roman Key Card Blackwood.
OK, if you don’t like the idea of 4♣ being Roman Key Card, then how do you invoke Roman Key Card after a transfer sequence? Consider these two auctions: 1NT 1NT 2♦ 2♥ 4♦ 4♥ 4NT … 4NT … Yes, in the first auction 4NT is natural and invitational, typically a 5-3-3-2 kind of hand with around 16-17 HCP’s. But bidding 4NT after that second (Texas) sequence is Roman Key Card.
18th June, 2008 Board 22 E-W Vul
How vexing! We have the values for game, but which game? 3NT is a possibility, but we’d hate the opponents to rattle off 5 or 6 Hearts on the go. Then again, we’d hate to go zooming past 3NT to 5♣ or 5♦ when 3NT with a couple of overtricks is cold. And let us not neglect to mention that 4♠ could be the contract that hits the jackpot. Yes, playing in the 4-3 fit with a ruff in the short hand might well outscore all other contracts. And, as if all of that “Which game?” agonizing were not enough, there is also the possibility of slam. What’s a poor West supposed to do here?
As is our wont, we have a gadget for you. It doesn’t completely solve the problem, and this is not even the perfect hand for said gadget, but here goes anyway. The gadget uses a 3♥ bid here thusly: - Precisely 3 Spades - Shortness in Hearts - 5-4 or 4-5 in the minors - Values for game We don’t know if this gadget has an official name, we generally refer to it as “that 3-1-4-5 thing”, or that “1-3-4-5 thing” if the shortness happens to be in Spades. The main purpose of the gadget is to find the 4-3 fit in the other major when 3NT proves unplayable, and, failing that, a 5♣ or 5♦ contract. Of course, the fact that the singleton here is the King is far from ideal, but no doubt West could not resist using his new toy and was willing to overlook that defect.
Slam is difficult to reach on these cards. West will be discouraged by the singleton King, and can hardly expect East to have the perfect maximum. But getting to 4♠ will be a most profitable next best thing.
Playing normal methods (whatever that means!), South would no doubt bid 3NT … she has the values for game and will be praying that the Heart suit does not prove to be fatal. If yours is a partnership where the auctions 1NT 3♥ and 1NT 3♠ come up infrequently, then perhaps you would like to consider this alternative treatment: 1NT 3♥ and 1NT 3♠ show game-going values, shortness in the bid major, 3 cards in the other major and 5-4 in the minors.
The objectives of the convention are: - warn Partner of the potential danger in the short major; - suggest a (potential) 4-3 fit in the other major (with ruffs in the danger suit coming in the short hand!); - suggest a minor suit game if No Trump and the other major prove untenable.
We love this treatment, it copes well with hands which have no good treatment otherwise. So, as South, with the featured hand, we bid our favorite convention if it’s available, otherwise we grit our teeth and bid 3NT.
14th March, 2007 Board 2 N-S Vul
Here’s an awkward hand-type opposite a 1NT opening bid. We probably want to be in game, but which one? The possibilities are: - 3NT, but obviously we have concerns about the Spade suit. - If Partner does not have a suitable Spade holding, then perhaps 5 of a minor is the best contract - If Partner has a 4-card Heart suit, there’s a good chance that the 4-3 Heart fit is the place to be, after all, the ruffs in the Spades will be coming in the short suit, which will make it easier to retain trump control.
There’s a gadget that some players use to handle this specific hand-type, whereby 3♠ here shows precisely: - 3 Hearts - 1 Spade - 4-5 in the minors (either way around) - Game-going values And, of course, 3♥ would show the same hand-type with the majors reversed.
Our actual hand fits the description quite well, though we are certainly minimum, and we wish that our Hearts were a tad better than Jxx. Anyway, there we have it, a useful new gadget when we are 3-1 or 1-3 in the majors opposite a 1NT opening.
13th June, 2007 Board 21 N-S Vul
Partner has overcalled 1NT, showing 15-17 or 15-18, take your pick. We have 8 HCP’s and we are generally led to believe that a decent 8 up to a decent 9 is invitational strength. So, is this 8-count an invitational hand? No, of course not, this 8-count is good enough to go to game directly. Let’s look at the plusses of this scrumptious 8-count: - We have two Aces (and we all know that Aces are undervalued in the 4-3-2-1 scheme of things). - We have three Tens, no less, which add up to zero HCP’s for a whole bunch of playing strength. In fact, on the actual layout, all three of those Tens contribute to the play of the hand and yet they are not even a blip on the HCP radar. - We have a 6-card suit!
Some 8-counts are not worthy of even an invitation, but this one is worthy of a direct jump to game.
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