Flannery - 2NT response

[brisny65]

If I open 2♦ Flannery, should my partner have 11(invitational) or 15(game force) to respond 2NT?

[Guest Jlall]

I have played flannery with 2 people. One plays 3M as FORCING and responder replies over that (first step medium hand, then over ask bal/low shortness/high shortness... second step max bal, third step max low short, fourth step max high short, fifth step worst possible hand).

 

This means with inv hands you can bid 2N and perhaps evaluate better by knowing more about partners shape. You can also bid 2N with a GF hand without a fit. This scheme also solves the issue of "how do i set trumps in certain awkward flannery auctions?".

 

With the second partner we played 3M as invitational and 2N as GF. over 2D-2N-3S we agreed 4C=hearts and 4D=spades to solve the above issue. Over the 3m bids we could bid 3M forcing and over the 3H bid 3S=spades and 4m=hearts and a cue.

 

Both schemes have disadvantages and advantages but I think the point is you need to make 2N GF and 3M inv or 3M GF and 2N inv, and not have any inv+ type of sequences.

[kenberg]

It's been a while since I played Flannery.

 

The way I played it, and it seems logical, is that a partner with invitational values (or more) often begins with 2NT. Presumably opener then gives shape information, after which responder can bid a passable 3M if he chooses. After 3M, as I played it at least, opener can pass or raise.

 

Flannery is usually something like 11-15 which is fairly wide. Responder may want so risk a game opposite some shapes and not others. 2N as invitational allows for this.

 

I suppose some might play it as forcing but I have never seen it done. I have Flannery's book on Flannery, and he says the 2NT bid may be on as little as 10 points. Sounds right.

[jdonn]

When I was in Los Angeles where Flannery was popular, it was standard that 2NT was invitational or better.