DavidV52

Well, being a beginner, I'd have to say 'no'. Perhaps another poster can provide guidance.

I am going through the ACBL book, Bidding in the 21st Century, and I am puzzled by a suggested response. Let's say I have 6-9 total points and partner opens a major suit, but I don't have support for the opening bid, and I don't have a new 4-card suit to bid at the 1-level. The book suggests bidding 1NT, and the examples show bidding it without stoppers in the other suits. Given the same situation, but an opening bid in a minor suit by partner, the book recommends a 1NT response only with stoppers. What puzzles me is the suggestion to bid 1NT without stoppers in response to a major suit. My understanding is that a 1NT bid is not forcing (as a new suit would be), so it seems to me that I could get left in a 1NT contract without stoppers. So, my question boils down to: Am I reading correctly that I should bid 1NT in response to a major suit opening bid, even without stoppers, as described above? Thanks for your help.

Thanks for the help! After reading the rersponses, I found some additional discussion of the Jacoby 2NT on p3 of the ACBL SAYC System Booklet (2006). And thanks also for the welcome to the forums. It looks like a great learning resource. I hope to be able to contribute before too long!

My partner and I are both rather new to modern bidding. We saw a bridge problem where S has a 13-point hand with good spades, and N has 12 points and both 4-card majors, with about equal honors in both majors. S opens 1S. As N, I would respond 3S, but the problem shows a 2NT response, without explanation. So I figure it must be commonly-understood, but I haven't seen it in the class I am taking. Why would I bid 2NT, rather than 3S? What is my partner telling me, and why is 2NT a better bid than 3S? Thanks for your help.