2NT

[Fluffy]

if 2♣ is game forcing then 2NT is the only possible bid by north, and then south has an easy pass as well wich a minimum.

[whereagles]

if 2♣ is game forcing then 2NT is the only possible bid by north, and then south has an easy pass as well wich a minimum.

That seems plausible... IF you don't have 3 hearts.

 

With a shapely and elegant hand like ours, I think you are obliged to overbid, to cater for the case pard has 5 hearts (the case here).

 

Otherwise you run a serious risk of missing out a cold game and be left wondering "what went wrong".

[mikestar]

With my usual opening standards, this hand is worth 2♣ forcing to game and wouldn't be a huge overbid with lighter standards.

 

The three card raise works well on this construction, as does 2♣ invitational+ or XYZ.

 

2NT can't be right here--to likely to miss a 5-3 heart fit, but also may get us to NT with ♣ inadequately stopped. Imagine the club ace opposite a stiff ...

[Free]

I don't like to support immediately with 3♥ if I have 4♠. However, whatever turn the auction takes, my next bid is ♥. So here after 2NT I'd bid 3♥ with the South hand.

[rbforster]

Put me down for another endorsement of XYZ on this sequence. In fact I definitely like XYZ over 1♦ auctions (among other reasons, you can stop in 2♦). I'm less convinced of the merits of XYZ over 1♣ auctions.

[hanp]

Yes it really has very little (no?) downside after a 1D opener.

[JLOL]

lol at no downside. Losing the ability to bid 2D in your gf auctions is completely brutal.

[hanp]

What, not worth capital letters? DIRECTOR!

[Vilgan]

Good hand for XYZ as well.

This.

 

Fairly trivial to bid with XYZ.

 

I think 2♣ and 2NT both have merit. I don't see a problem with 2NT, although its unfortunate we caught partner with a dead min as now they can't bid 3♥ on the way to 3NT.

[Finch]

This isn't a matter of "we should play XYZ" or "fourth suit should be game forcing" or "opener should have raised hearts on the first round", it's the interaction between these that matters.

 

If you are going to

(i) play FSF as game forcing, and

(ii) rebid 1S on a 4351 minimum after 1D - 1H

 

then

 

(iii) you are sometimes going to play in the wrong contract when opener has 3-card heart support.

 

If opener bids 3H on all minimum 4351s, then he is left guessing over the 2NT rebid from partner. 3H works beautifully when responder has five hearts and not too much wasted in clubs, but it would look very stupid if partner bid 2NT on Qxx Qxxx Kx KQxx. So you really need to play 3H here as forcing.

 

Therefore you have three alternatives:

 

i) Play FSF as not game forcing, or play some other responder's rebid method with all the consequential other problems

ii) Raise 1H to 2H on the South hand

iii) Play in the wrong contract sometimes.

 

Note that this example is fairly extreme, because responder had a very pure (suit suitable) club holding as well as five hearts.

(iii) Is not necessarily a 'stupid' option, because most methods end up in the wrong contract sometimes. I like to go with option (ii) - raising 1H to 2H - but this may also end up in the wrong contract.

[jdonn]

i) Play FSF as not game forcing, or play some other responder's rebid method with all the consequential other problems

ii) Raise 1H to 2H on the South hand

iii) Play in the wrong contract sometimes.

Even though you sort of go on to say this, it bears clarification that i ii and iii will all play in the wrong contract sometimes. It's just a matter of which times.

[Fluffy]

and I'll add that you will only play wrong partscores, and only miss a small amount of thin playable games.

[cyc0002002]

I would double 1H to show my 3 cards support

hahaha