The Misadventures of Rex and Jay #5650

[kenrexford]

Are you saying that opener can't ever have a move after 2NT-3♥; 3♠-4♠, or are you talking only about hands where he has primary spade support?

Yes, IMO. Opener should super-accept with hands that would move. With tweener hands, he does not hang partner who might have a hand like this

 

What would opener do over 3♥ with a slam-suitable hand containing a doubleton spade, such as Ax AQx Axx AK109x?

That precise hand is way too strong to open 2NT, for starters. That's almost a Kokish hand.

 

Lighten it up, though, to ♠Ax ♥AQx ♦Axxx ♣AK109. Nope -- that's still too good by my calculations.

 

Um...

 

♠Kx ♥AQx ♦Axxx ♣AKxx?

 

That works. Better yet is

 

♠Qx ♥AKx ♦Axxx ♣AKxx

 

That's a real toughie. I think I'd hang partner and apologize later, to be honest.

[gnasher]

♠Qx ♥AKx ♦Axxx ♣AKxx

 

That's a real toughie. I think I'd hang partner and apologize later, to be honest.

An alternative would be to play 2NT-3♥-3♠-4♠ the same way as everyone else has said that they play it. It seems to me that being able to find a slam with a perfectly-fitting combined 25-count is less valuable than allowing responder to show a one-suited slam try without going past game. That would also be more consistent with your stated desire to avoid the five-level when it is unsafe.

 

You can, in fact, do better by playing 2NT-4m as a transfer to the linked major, showing a one-suited slam try. Signoffs in 4M go via the three-level transfer. Now with a hand that has slam interest only opposite a superaccept, but wants to play in the major opposite a non-superaccept, you can start with a three-level transfer without overstating your hand. Opposite the 1-suited slam try, opener has room to show or deny interest below the game level.

 

This has the further advantage, apparently valuable to some players, that with a weakish 5-5 you don't have to plan two rounds of the auction before responding to 2NT - you can transfer to the major and then decide what game you want to play in.

[kenrexford]

♠Qx ♥AKx ♦Axxx ♣AKxx

 

That's a real toughie.  I think I'd hang partner and apologize later, to be honest.

An alternative would be to play 2NT-3♥-3♠-4♠ the same way as everyone else has said that they play it. It seems to me that being able to find a slam with a perfectly-fitting combined 25-count is less valuable than allowing responder to show a one-suited slam try without going past game. That would also be more consistent with your stated desire to avoid the five-level when it is unsafe.

 

You can, in fact, do better by playing 2NT-4m as a transfer to the linked major, showing a one-suited slam try. Signoffs in 4M go via the three-level transfer. Now with a hand that has slam interest only opposite a superaccept, but wants to play in the major opposite a non-superaccept, you can start with a three-level transfer without overstating your hand. Opposite the 1-suited slam try, opener has room to show or deny interest below the game level.

 

This has the further advantage, apparently valuable to some players, that with a weakish 5-5 you don't have to plan two rounds of the auction before responding to 2NT - you can transfer to the major and then decide what game you want to play in.

I was thinking that same thing, that over 2NT perhaps Texas should be the stronger action. Interesting.

[han]

We don't play Texas. If opener doesn't superaccept over the transfer then responder can bid 4S to play or 4H with slam interest. With both majors we bid differently.

 

This is quite in line with Ken's thinking (that responder should be able to sign off unless opener superaccepts) so I thought I'd mention it.