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2NT Auctions
This section covers 2NT auctions in general, including those which begin 2♣ 2♦ 2NT. Standard methods include Stayman (sometimes Puppet) and Transfers, and 2NT 3♠ is often used as an artificial minor-oriented bid.
7th July, 2010 Both Vul
What is your plan? - Open 1♣? The trouble with that is that 1♣ might get passed out when 3NT is cold. - Open 2NT? No, this may be only a 20-count, but it is too good for a 20-21 2NT, look at all those lovely Aces and the long Clubs! - Open 2♣ and rebid 2NT? A common range for this is 22-23, and we suppose that this is a better idea than merely opening 2NT. - Open 2♣ and rebid 3♣? That’s a simple and natural approach, but this hand has too many losers (five, no less) for that, don’t you think?
Some will disagree, but we rather like the “2♣ then 2NT” plan.
5th January, 2011 N-S Vul
East can see slam in the cards if West has some kind of a Club fit. What are your methods in this situation? Assuming that you are using Jacoby Transfers, then 3♠ can be used to investigate minor suit slams. Here is one method, it’s a bit complicated, but a winner when this type of hand comes up. For a fuller explanation, please follow the link. Here are the basics: - 2NT 3♠ is a relay to 3NT - After 2NT 3♠, 3NT Responder now proceeds to describe the nature of his minor suit slam try, as follows … 4♣ is a Club one-suiter 4♦ is a Diamond one-suiter 4♥ is a minor two-suiter with Heart shortness 4♠ is a minor two-suiter with Spade shortness After Responder has described the nature of his minor suit slam try, Opener decides whether or not to cooperate: - If Opener wants to discourage slam then he bids 4NT - If Opener wants to encourage slam then he will respond as if to Roman Key Card (with the proviso that 4NT is omitted from the responses, that bid is already in use for slam discouragement). That being so, the auction would go: 2NT 3♠, 3NT 4♣, 5♣, 6♣ Pass. That 5♣ bid showed two Key Cards and the ♣Q (normally the 4th step would be 4NT but, as we said, that bid has another purpose). 6♣ is a fine contract which makes, but 6NT goes down on a Spade lead.
4th May, 2011 N-S Vul
East had an awkward choice of opening bid, and we would say he had two reasonable plans, neither of them perfect: - Open 2NT: Not ideal with a singleton Heart, of course, but at least it is a singleton honor. Even so, an acceptable choice. - Open 1♦, planning to rebid 2♠: Normally, this shows longer Diamonds than Spades, typically 4-5 or 4-6. But AKQx is a close approximation to a 5-card suit, so we rather like this plan. Doesn’t it risk getting the partnership into a 4-3 Diamond fit? Not really. If Partner has three small then he’s unlikely to insist on the suit, and if he has even as little as Jxx then the suit will be playable.
7th September, 2011 N-S Vul
First, what do you think about North’s opening 2NT? If N-S play 20-21 for their 2NT openings then North might well be tempted to open 2♣, planning to rebid 2NT (showing 22-23). After all, North’s high cards are in Aces and Kings, and she does have a couple of Tens to boot. A close choice, we’d say.
Next, a recap on “super-accepts” when the opening bid is 1NT. TWG has given repeated plugs for this method: - 2NT is a good super-accept - 3♥ is a medium super-accept - 2♥ is permissible with 4 Hearts when the hand is poor (typically square and/or quacky)
Can these methods also be used when the opening bid is 2NT? We don’t see why not, and would bid 3NT here to show our really good hand.
5th October, 2011 None Vul
Should East pass 2NT? No, of course not, he has an Ace and is 5-4 in the majors, he’ll want to go to game, even if it may quite often end up going down. So, East is bidding, and how things will unfold will depend on the E-W methods: - If E-W play regular Stayman then this is an easy hand. East will trot out Stayman and West, as it happens, will bid 3♦ (no 4-card major). Now East will bid 3♠ (or 3♥ if he plays Smolen here), and E-W will have no trouble reaching 4♠. - If E-W play Puppet Stayman then there is a problem. If East bids 3♣, then West will bid 3NT (no 4- or 5-card major) and East has to guess whether to pass, or whether to bid 4♠, hoping for three Spades in Partner’s hand. Alternatively, East can forget about Stayman and try a transfer, but that is a gamble that there is no 4-4 Heart fit. Yes, whatever East does, there is a guess involved.
Super-scientists have found the perfect solution to this Puppet Stayman dilemma! It goes like this (after 2NT 3♣): - 3NT shows five Hearts - 3♥ shows no 4- and no 5-card major - Other responses are the same. With this in your arsenal the guessing is eliminated! After 2NT 3♣, West rebids 3♥, and now East can bid 3♠, showing 5-4 in the majors and offering West a choice of game. It’s known as “The Switch”, and after your sometimes forgetful partnership has had a couple of disasters with this, it will become known as “The Dreaded Switch”. Or, hopefully, not.
7th December, 2011 N-S Vul
East’s sequence shows 22-23 (some like 22-24), and let us assume that E-W are playing straight Stayman (in other words, not Puppet). West has failed to unearth a major suit fit and would now like to invite slam in No Trump. Is 4NT available for that? Or would 4NT be Roman Key Card for Spades? Obviously you need both options at your disposal, and here is one way to achieve that (after 2♣ 2♦, 2NT 3♣, 3♠ or after 2NT 3♣, 3♠) is: - 4NT is natural and slam-invitational (no Spade fit) - 4♣ is natural - 4♥ (the other major) is Roman Key Card for Spades - Similarly, after 2♣ 2♦, 2NT 3♣ 3♥, a bid of 4♠ is Roman Key Card in Hearts.
And for those who play Puppet? - If Opener shows a 5-card major then you can use the same methods as above. - If Opener shows a 4-card major, then if a fit is unraveled 4NT is available for Roman Key Card … and if there is no major fit then 4NT is natural and slam-invitational.
7th December, 2011 Both Vul
Rather than passing in first seat, some West players might prefer an imperfect Weak Two, or a light 1♦, with that hand. You choose. Assuming that West does indeed pass, East will open 2NT and West will be thinking slam. Many partnerships have zero methods for bidding minor suit slams after a 2NT opening, here’s one suggestion: - 3♠ is a relay to 3NT and shows minor suit slam interest (either one or both minors) - After 2NT 3♠, 3NT, Responder bids 4 of his long minor (if one-suited) or 4 of his short major (if two-suited) - If Opener does not have a good hand for a minor suit slam then he bids 4NT, otherwise he cooperates by making another bid. And what would the “another bid” be? One method is for Opener to respond Key Cards (with the proviso that 4NT is excluded from the responses). Yes, it’s all a bit complicated, we admit that. Just for the record, these methods would result in this auction: Pass, 2NT 3♠, 3NT 4♦, 5♣ 6♦ (or 6NT).
Anyway, whatever the methods, or lack thereof, we expect most E-W pairs to reach 6♦ or 6NT, both of which are extremely unlucky. There is extreme duplication in Clubs and the Diamond finesse fails. Just an unlucky hand for E-W.
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