Weak NoTrump Escapes

[BebopKid]

I like the weak notrump concept (12 to 14 hcp).

 

Can anyone give advice or recommend the best escape bids when the weak notrump is doubled for penalty?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

natural and hopefully you did run before

they started to double.

... one of the reason to have the option

to bid 2D naturally.

 

If they have started to double you, quite often

pass is best. They still have to convert.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[jtfanclub]

I like the weak notrump concept (12 to 14 hcp).

 

Can anyone give advice or recommend the best escape bids when the weak notrump is doubled for penalty?

No, but here's what I use.

 

Partner of NTer....

 

Pass: Semi-willing to play in 1NTX. Usually in the 6-9 hcp range.

XX: Demand bid- bid a 4 card major if you have it, bid your longer minor otherwise. May be runout, may also be inv+ and looking for Stayman.

All suits: Natural and not forcing- should be passed unless a super-accept.

2NT: Unusual- pick a minor.

3 of a suit: Strongly invitational.

XX followed by new suit at 3 level: GF.

 

NTer:

XX- start of a runout, standard up the line (NOT majors first)

New suit: NF

[mr1303]

It is my firm belief that pass = to play. It could be a 4333 or similar hand with nowhere to go, or a reasonable hand that reckons you could make, or a rock crusher that would have bid 3NT. Let the opponents find out. Any system that forces you to decide between running or playing 1NTxx isn't worth it.

 

Over that, I play xx = a 5 card or longer suit that you want to play in, and 2 of anything shows that suit and a higher ranking suit, at least 4-4. I've never had any difficulties with this method, and it's easy to remember as well.

[gwnn]

I play what mr1303 plays with the caveat that pass is always a good hand and 2♣ could be 4333. Not exactly elegant, but even simpler. Also weaker opps will just stop doubling.

[pbleighton]

I play my strong NT defense as my weak NT runout, with XX having the meaning of X, and Pass as to play, which for me is either a good hand, 4333, or 4432 with both minors (I play Meckwell where both minors is 2NT, so 4432 looks better in 1NT, if you play DONT you can run with this shape).

 

Using one structure for two purposes cuts down on memory ;)

 

Peter

[Free]

I used to play pass as forcing a RDbl, but because many world class players advise to be able to play 1NTx, we switched to the following:

 

pass = willing to play 1NTx, but opener is still allowed to bid a good 5 card suit

RDbl = sos, bid something. Usually no 5 card suit, unless 5-5

2X = 5+ card suit, signoff

 

We haven't made other agreements, since they come up way too rarely...

 

One more remark: this is only against strong doubles. If opp's double is artificial, we play system on.

[Double !]

Ask this question to 20 accomplished bridge players, and I suspect that you'll get 21 different answers. In most cases it will be those person's preferred methods, as well as methods that they've played and worked on for a while in established partnerships with success for them.

Is there any one best escape method? I doubt it. There are many escape methods that are written up in one place or another (e.g. Meckwell, DONT, BROZEL, System On, etc.) and I suspect there are a number of homegrown methods. You might also wish to peruse convention cards of top-flight (pro) players to see what methods they use.

My suggestion to you is to select one that seems to be consistent with you and your partner's style and comfort level (and memory capacity), and to then work on it with your partner(s), discussing how to handle various situations. IMO, not knowing what a bid means or asks you to do is much more of an issue than whether or not some expert plays that particular escape method.

 

DHL

[ralph23]

THere is an Internet web site with just about every conceivable escape method (and some inconceivable methods) defined there. Sorry I don't have the link but I have visited the site. It is really rather exhaustive.

 

If you google around on "weak notrump escapes" or the like, you may find it.

 

PS ditto on Double!'s comment. My suggestion fwiw is just have a relatively simple method that's easy on the memory and answers the basic questions:

 

1 Are NT systems (Stayman, transfers etc.) still on?

1a If so, to what extent?

1b If not, are responder's 2-level suit bids natural bail-outs? If they aren't, what are they?

 

2 What does Pass by responder mean?

 

3 What does redouble by Responder mean?

 

4 Who is John Galt, anyhow?

Edited August 27, 2007 by ralph23

[Cascade]

I have three solutions:

 

1. For many years I have played

 

Pass to play

XX forces 2♣ then I show a single-suited hand

2♣/♦/♥ are that suit and a higher suit

 

2. In another partnership - actually with a 12-15 1NT

 

Pass to play

XX also to play

2-any to play

 

3. Now I am experimenting with

 

Pass to play

XX strong

2♣ scramble unsuitable for other action

2♦/♥/♠ natural

[pclayton]

I like the weak notrump concept (12 to 14 hcp).

 

Can anyone give advice or recommend the best escape bids when the weak notrump is doubled for penalty?

No, but here's what I use.

 

Partner of NTer....

 

Pass: Semi-willing to play in 1NTX. Usually in the 6-9 hcp range.

XX: Demand bid- bid a 4 card major if you have it, bid your longer minor otherwise. May be runout, may also be inv+ and looking for Stayman.

All suits: Natural and not forcing- should be passed unless a super-accept.

2NT: Unusual- pick a minor.

3 of a suit: Strongly invitational.

XX followed by new suit at 3 level: GF.

 

NTer:

XX- start of a runout, standard up the line (NOT majors first)

New suit: NF

This is what I use and it works well.

 

Pass should not force a xx, but unfortunately that is the backbone of many escape systems.

[cherdano]

2. In another partnership - actually with a 12-15 1NT

 

Pass to play

XX also to play

2-any to play

There is also pass=to play, XX=to play, 2x = to play, or a short suit planing an SOS XX if they double (with two higher suits)

[Echognome]

3. Now I am experimenting with

 

Pass to play

XX strong

2♣ scramble unsuitable for other action

2♦/♥/♠ natural

This is the one I like. Furthermore, this is what Meckwell were playing at least according to when he Meckstroth wrote his book. It's simple, but I found effective. It also let's opener run with a decent minor suit (which many escape methods do not).

[the hog]

You might like to try SWINE. Sebesfi and Woods 1NT Extraction

This was invented by Impact's partner. (Impact posts here occasionally when he is bored with lawyering.) Btw I disagree strongly that pass should not force a xx.

 

1NT (X)

Pass

Responder's pass forces opener to redouble.

Opener's Redouble is to play or bids the cheaper of touching suits

 

Redouble

Responder shows a single suited holding, and forces opener to rebid 2 Clubs

 

 

2C

Responder shows a 2-suited holding in Clubs and Hearts

 

2D

Responder shows a 2-suited holding in Diamonds and Spades

 

 

2H

Responder shows moderate values, a natural bid, and prepared to reach the Three Level

 

 

2S

Responder shows moderate values, a natural bid, and prepared to reach the Three Level

 

 

2 NT

Game-forcing, artificial, showing a strong, unbalanced holding, possibly a Two-Suiter

 

 

3 ///

Preemptive in nature

[Winstonm]

I think the best escape mechanism is a modified DONT.

 

Rebouble=1 suiter

2C=clubs + 1 higher

2D=diamonds + 1 higher

2H=majors

[rbforster]

There's also Twisted SWINE, which includes some nice descriptions of when to psych your short suit with a 3-suiter (and then XX for rescue), etc.

 

You might like to try SWINE.

I thought SWINE sounded great until I realized it doesn't seem to have a bid for Clubs+Spades (unless P-XX-2♣ is either ♣+♦ or ♣+♠, which leaves opener guessing when clubs is his 2nd longest of clubs, diamonds, and spades).

 

Fundamentally you won't be able to show all possible single suiters and 2 suiters. For example, there are 4 hands with clubs you might want to show, ie clubs, possibly with each of the other suits or alone. There are only 3 different ways to get to 2♣:

 

1N-(X)-2♣ direct bid

1N-(X)-P-XX-2♣ indirect bid, after pass forces XX

1N-(X)-XX-2♣-P XX forces 2♣, to play

 

You just have to pick where you want your ambiguity. One common treatment is to give up showing both minors at the 2 level and use 2NT for that as "unusual". Then you've got enough ways to show all the hands. Alternatively, you can use SWINE and have some uncertainty as to exactly which is partner's second suit in one case.

 

When I learned weak NTs, we used this runout, similar to Brozel and SWINE (less so).

• Direct suit bids show two suits including hearts and the suit bid (2♥=majors, 2♠=nat, 2N=minors)
  
• Pass forces XX. Pass with a good hand, or bid showing two suits - spades and the suit bid
  
• XX forces 2♣ pass or bid your single suiter
  

[Cascade]

There's also Twisted SWINE, which includes some nice descriptions of when to psych your short suit with a 3-suiter (and then XX for rescue), etc.

Its not a psyche if you have a mechanism to escape. Its a two-way bid that needs to be disclosed in advance.

[skjaeran]

With my regular partner I use Nilsland:

pass forced xx => pass=to play, 2♣=♣+M, 2♦=♦♠, 2♥=♥♠, 2♠=4♦6♣, 2NT=6♦4♣

xx=puppet to 2♣, showing a 1-suiter

2♣=both minors

2♦=♦♥

2M=natural constructive

2NT=GF 2-suiter

[awm]

In several regular partnerships I play suction runouts:

 

Pass = always weak, either one-suited with clubs or various balanced hands not 4-4 in majors

Redouble = business

2♣ = diamonds or both majors (at least 4-4)

2♦ = hearts or 5-5 in the blacks

2♥ = spades or 5-5 in the minors

2♠ = 6+ clubs or 5-5 in the reds

2NT = 5-5 in two non-touching suits

 

After responder's pass, opener bids 2♣ with three or more clubs, redoubles with only two clubs, or bids a good five card suit if he has one. Responder can now bid (or pass) 2♣ with a club signoff, or bid 2♦ over 2♣ to show diamonds and a major, or bid a suit to play over redouble holding a balanced or two-suited hand (note that if responder has 4♣+another, the other suit will be the better fit, whereas if responder has 4♦ then a 4-3 diamond fit is guaranteed as we don't open 1NT with 2-2 minors).

 

There is some disadvantage here that opponents can double the suction suit, but in practice it hasn't come up much, and right-siding the contract has been pretty advantageous. The immediate redouble sets up a forcing auction, which is also nice if opponents decide to run.