What does 2NT mean?

[ArtK78]

An everyday auction:

 

(1S) - x - (2S) - 2NT

 

1) What is the standard meaning of 2NT?

 

2) How do you play 2NT?

[gwnn]

1) I don't know.

2) I play it as weak 1 suiter, asking for 3♣ and then correcting to the suit. If they compete to 3sp, doubler may bid 4♣ to show desire to play the suit on the 4 level. I have no idea what

1♠-x-2♠-2NT;

p-3♣-p-3♠ and other similar bids should mean.

[the hog]

Either scrambling or lebensohl. Scrambling is probably more difficult, but more useful in the long run.

[Guest Jlall]

Standard, if there is any is probably natural, though I really hate natural. A lot of people would use the logic "you can double with minors, thus 2N is natural."

 

My usual way of playing it is that X=a more balanced hand type that wants to compete (like 3343), and hearts are in play. This double could also be a hand with 4 hearts that plans on bidding hearts next to show a hand like that (flexible in nature with a balanced hand).

 

When I play this way I play 2N shows 2 places to play. If I bid 4H next, I have a 2 suiter with 4 hearts.

 

When I play this way 3S is used as a GF one suiter (partner bids 3N as a priority). This bid creates a forcing pass.

 

My preferred way of playing (that no one will play with me), is that 2N shows 4+ hearts any hand (except a hand with 5 hearts and competitive/inv values which would bid a direct 3H) and X is about the minors (but could include the "balanced" hand type with only 3 hearts). 3S shows a GF hand with 1 minor.

 

A lot of people play lebensohl here, but to me that is the least useful and is largely flawed because the opponents can bid 3S over 2N and really screw up your auction, and there is a fair chance they will do so.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

#1 I would say natural.

#2 Lebensohl like, to differentiate between good

and bad (= comp.) raises to the three level.

We play Reverse Lebensohl, i.e. the weaker

hand bids direct, which reduces the effect of a

disturbing 3S bid by the opponents,

... because the bad raises have a higher frequency.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[MFA]

Prefer lebensohl.

[Free]

I prefer scrambling here: 2 places to play.

[han]

We play it as 2 places to play I believe. We only play lebensohl when forced to bid, think 1S-p-2S-X-p-2NT.

[karlson]

Just to add an option that hasn't been listed, we play it as both minors, with double showing 4 hearts.

[pclayton]

A lot of people play lebensohl here, but to me that is the least useful and is largely flawed because the opponents can bid 3S over 2N and really screw up your auction, and there is a fair chance they will do so.

Can't you say that about most kinds of Lebensohl or G/B?

 

1♣ (1♠) double (2♠) - ?

 

1N - (2♠) - ?

 

I play 2N in the original post as G/B. If they reraise and I have a bad hand, I just pass. To me, this is the advantage of playing of playing G/B. In the example auction, if they reraise:

 

(1♠) - double - (2♠) - 3x

(3♠) - ?

 

the doubler knows the 3x bidder has a constructive hand and can act accordingly. If they shut out our competitive 3x bid, then I don't think we've missed much.

 

If you are saying that 2N is a pure lebensohl bid and have multiple meanings like 'slow-shows' then I would agree that it's not very useful and is subject to jamming.

 

I play double is for the minors, but I don't mind it if pard wants to use it as card showing with a balanced hand and no clear bid.

 

I don't think you can cover all of the possibilities here, although transfers could be employed. .

[skjaeran]

I play 2NT as lebensohl here, but I think scrambling is more useful.

[Guest Jlall]

A lot of people play lebensohl here, but to me that is the least useful and is largely flawed because the opponents can bid 3S over 2N and really screw up your auction, and there is a fair chance they will do so.

Can't you say that about most kinds of Lebensohl or G/B?

Yes, I can and do for competitive auctions. In an auction where there is a significant chance where we have slam ie 1N-2S or 2S X p it's different, I will lose out on being able to show minors or w/e in order to facilitate slam bidding. Those are the only 2 auctions I play some version of leb in though in my partnerships (except one because my partner likes leb), all other auctions I play them as scrambling.

 

In general in a competitive auction where both sides have values I prefer to get to the right partscore than have some kind of game invite available. Not saying this is the "right" way to play, it's just what I think.

[Cascade]

I have no idea what is standard.

 

We play it as natural.

 

There is less need for Lebensohl here compared with say (2♠) X (Pass) ? On this sequence you are forced to bid so it is important to distinguish range.

 

We have a general rule that covers the auction in the OP. Any simple free bid is simply competitive. Good hands will either jump or start with a double or cue-bid.

[jdonn]

Definitely prefer minors or two places to play (I don't think scrambling is an accurate name since that implies you are running or are in trouble.) To me lebensohl seems of limited value here, aiming at the hands where you want to compete but neither play can come in over 2♠. Plus I like to double a little more offshape than I used to, so this helps make it safer.

 

Standard is clearly natural, although on an advanced level it's probably the least common of the three choices.

[whereagles]

Prefer lebenshol because these days people open with 10 hcp and respond with 0. Non-opening side can even have a slam going (lol), so it makes sense to tell good hands from not-so-hot ones.

 

If it were reopening, say,

 

(1♠) pass (2♠) pass

(pass) dbl (pass) 2NT

 

then we probably don't have a game on, so it makes more sense as scrambling. Robson/Segal distinguish scrambling from lebenshol and what I said takes from them.

[CSGibson]

1) Natural? (11-12, double spade stop)

2) I prefer to play good/bad 2NT there, differentiating between a good raise and a competitive raise. This is still more valuable when people raise to 2S on 3 card support and nothing else, which I am finding more common even in my own conservative part of the globe.