When to super-accept

[awm]

Assume you open 1NT and partner bids 2♦ transfer to hearts. Likely the notrump range doesn't matter all that much, but assume it's something reasonably strong like 15-17 or 14-16. Obviously this is a matter of partnership style, so I'm asking what your preferred style is.

[rogerclee]

I prefer to only super accept with very good hands and 4+ trumps.

[maggieb]

I prefer to only super accept with very good hands and 4+ trumps.

same

[655321]

I have a strong preference for the style where opener must superaccept every time they have 4 card support (and never with only 3 cards). The only exception I sometimes play is that after a 4th seat 1NT, when both opponents have already passed, the superaccept is not quite mandatory.

 

I don't have any preferred methods of superaccepting (whether to show doubletons, or suits without values, or suits with values, etc).

[mike777]

Assume you open 1NT and partner bids 2♦ transfer to hearts. Likely the notrump range doesn't matter all that much, but assume it's something reasonably strong like 15-17 or 14-16. Obviously this is a matter of partnership style, so I'm asking what your preferred style is.

Agree this is a neverending debate but a good one. :)

 

 

I will basically super accept with 4 card support...minimum and no useful doubleton.....I have bid to show this........

 

This is due to LOTT(Marty Bergen..Barry Crane) and 9 trumps influence.

 

edit

 

Perhaps I should add this is in 14-16 context..so one more reason to want to shut out opponents.......

 

..Note this is in keeping with make one bid and get out with minimum hand type bidding....closer to Barry Crane than Al Roth. Both styles have plus and minus.

[Cascade]

Especially vulnerable i have been -200 and -300 too many times so I only super-accept with good maximums and four trumps.

[gwnn]

Like a third of all hands with from the subset "maximum, 4 cards, but not 4333" - only the very good ones. It may have Ax or Jx in a suit.

[dicklont]

I super accept only with four trumps and maximum values.

 

Some partnerships in my club can super accept in two manners.

1NT - 2♦ - 3♥ shows four trumps

1NT - 2♦ - 2♠/3♣/3♦ shows four trumps, maximum hand and the A and/or K in the suit

 

This makes sense to me.

[mike777]

ok I guess I am only one who super accepts with minimum or non max.........btw I never seem to have max....only mini or nonmax......but ok....

 

you other guys are great you always have max...as oppossed to mini or nonmax(average)......but ok.....

 

1) non max

2) average

3) max

[Gerben42]

Any time I have four trumps and not 4333

 

I have different bids for min. and max. The question if one should have other bids than 3M and 2NT for these to show some feature is a different question altogether. My opinion is not to bother.

[Flameous]

With 15-17 I want to have a good hand with 4 trumps to accept. Doesn't have to be max points but good controls. NV I play 10-12NT and then I super accept with any 4 card support in order to pre-empt opps.

[helene_t]

As a Larry Cohen zealot, I used to superaccept everytime I had four trumps. I have become a little more conservative lately. Factors that could cause me not to superaccept with a minimum:

- Fourth seat opening

- Our suit is spades

- Good defense against spades

- Soft values

[jdonn]

Remember even if you have 9 trumps the opponents don't know it and have to worry you have as few as 7, so there is a lot less reason to demand the three level with 9 trumps as on auctions starting with a suit. The point of superaccepting is not competitive, it's to reach a game you could miss if you bid 2, so only superaccept if you feel that is likely to happen.

[helene_t]

Right, it is actually quite rare that opps balance after a completed transfer.

[Edmunte1]

I superaccept also with good minimum hands with lots of controls.

[PrecisionL]

Super accept only with AKxx or KQxx in trumps AND maximum (Aces and Kings) AND a doubleton (for the extra trick).

[kenrexford]

I'd occasionally super-accept by bidding 2NT with HHx in trumps and primes outside.

 

I do not randomly super-accept with a "tactical mini-maximum." However, I will super-accept with a primed minimum if I have a tactically-relevant doubleton. The classic example is 2434/2443, where I expect a likelihood of spade intervention. Or, with a doubleton in a shown suit (RHO doubles the transfer and I have xx in diamonds).

[Finch]

ok I guess I am only one who super accepts with minimum or non max.........btw I never seem to have max....only mini or nonmax......but ok....

 

you other guys are great you always have max...as oppossed to mini or nonmax(average)......but ok.....

 

1) non max

2) average

3) max

Once we know of a 9-card fit, it's quite hard to have a minimum.

 

I would say I super-accept with 4 trumps and a non-minimum, but (playing 15-17 NT), none of these is a minimum:

 

AKxx

AJxx

Kxx

xx

 

Kx

QJxx

AK109x

Jx

 

Axx

Kxxx

Axx

Axx

 

 

I would have no idea if I had a 'tactical mini-maximum'

 

The NT range is relevant, as others have said, if I have opened a mini I super-accept on most hands with four trumps, particularly in hearts (in that position I play that jumping to 3H shows minimum HCP, other breaks show a good hand).

[kenrexford]

I would have no idea if I had a 'tactical mini-maximum'

A tactical mini-maximum is much different from a tactically unsound maxi-minimum, of course.

[mikeh]

I super accept only with a near max with 4 trump... I agree with Frances that some 15s become near maxs.. so this isn't a walter the walrus exercise.

 

As for superaccepting with all 4 card hands... this has a number of drawbacks, including:

 

1. You now need a way to distinguish super-accepts... and whatever method you use will sometimes give more help to the defence than to partner. If you don't distinguish, then partner is left guessing, not only on game decisions but also on slam decisions.

 

2. You will get too high on too many hands.. going -100 against 110 is simply throwing imps away for little reason... when you can make game on your minimum, partner will often (usually?) be able to bid again.

 

3. The opps don't always balance, and, as Josh points out, they can't know your total trump length after you complete the transfer at the 2-level... unless, of course, you always super accept with 4... and if you do, then I assume that you alert the simple acceptance... 'denies 4 trump'

[fromageGB]

I'm the oddball here. I can't really see that whether you have a max or a min makes any difference, as the 1NT range is pretty tight and partner may be any strength. Or does your partner have an agreed minimum to make a transfer?

 

Mine seem to have zero points upwards, usually nearer to zero than the upwards. I gave up super accept after looking at travellers to find that we went one more off than anyone else in the room.

 

The idea of preempting the opponents doesn't make much sense. They have both already elected to pass. The only reason for someone to come into the bidding later would be if they thought we had a good fit with length. Are they more likely to protect when we have a possible (and statistically probable) 7 card fit, or to protect one level higher when we have a guaranteed minimum of a 9 card fit? The latter, surely.

 

So as my answer is the oddball one and everyone likes to super accept, my I ask why?

[jdonn]

So as my answer is the oddball one and everyone likes to super accept, my I ask why?

Because some hands become so good when partner transfers to the right suit, that they are now worth more than a 1NT opening bid in support of that suit and just bidding 2 risks missing game. AJT KQxx AKxx xx you are telling me when partner transfers to hearts you don't think you could miss game very easily by bidding 2♥? He won't pass with xxx Axxxx xx xxx? That he might pass a superaccept as well with that hand only further proves the point...

[fromageGB]

Thanks, but I'm not convinced. If he goes on to a winning game with xxx Axxxx xx xxx, will he not go on to the losing game with xxx Axxxx xxx xx ?

 

This is perhaps more useful in IMP scoring than matchpoints, I guess, and a variation on the Dicklont idea could be to superaccept by bidding the useless doubleton.

[pclayton]

Thanks, but I'm not convinced. If he goes on to a winning game with xxx Axxxx xx xxx, will he not go on to the losing game with xxx Axxxx xxx xx ?

 

This is perhaps more useful in IMP scoring than matchpoints, I guess, and a variation on the Dicklont idea could be to superaccept by bidding the useless doubleton.

I don't think Josh's example is very convincing, but there's plenty of hands in the 5-7 point range that will gladly bid game over a super-accept but pass 2♥.

 

For Fromage's point to be valid, there needs to be hands that don't get overboard in 4M when pard super-accepts with a minimum.

[kenrexford]

So as my answer is the oddball one and everyone likes to super accept, my I ask why?

Because some hands become so good when partner transfers to the right suit, that they are now worth more than a 1NT opening bid in support of that suit and just bidding 2 risks missing game. AJT KQxx AKxx xx you are telling me when partner transfers to hearts you don't think you could miss game very easily by bidding 2♥? He won't pass with xxx Axxxx xx xxx? That he might pass a superaccept as well with that hand only further proves the point...

Also, partner is entitled to have game-forcing values. I'm sure his possible interest in slam may be helped along if he knows that you have four-card support and good controls rather than Quacks. It is also a lot easier for partner when trumps are set.

 

The flip-side of the game-invite scenario is that Responder can more often safely pass at the two-level with tweener hands.