Favorite NT Defense

[mtvesuvius]

Very simple this time:

 

What's your favorite defense against a Strong 1NT opening? Why? Does this change at IMPs or Matchpoints?

 

(Perhaps tommorow I'll make another poll for the Weak NT)

[mike777]

Modified Dont.....close to many other conventions...very close

 

x=long minor or both majors

2c=club and higher

2d=d and higher

2h=h

2s=spades

[petergreat]

Cappelletti.

 

I like the part where it can bid both 5-5 and one-suit hands accurately, and at the same time retain the penalty double.

[skjaeran]

I've got two favourites: Multi-Landy and Amundsen

 

The latter has similarities with Suction:

x = penalty

2♣ = ♦ OR both majors

♦♦ = ♥ OR spades and a minor (I prefer 4♠+longer minor)

2♥ = ♥ + minor (I prefer 4♥+longer minor)

2♠ = natural

2NT = both minors OR very strong 2-suiter

[hotShot]

Lionel

[Free]

I prefer Woolsey, since imo it offers better options to fight the part score battle, and even get you to sharp games.

 

Modified Dont.....close to many other conventions...very close

 

x=long minor or both majors

2c=club and higher

2d=d and higher

2h=h

2s=spades

Isn't that just Meckwell?

[sireenb]

I like Astro with X as equivalent+. It gets the 4-5 card Major suit into the picture quickly and the NT opener ends up on lead most of the time.

[mike777]

I prefer Woolsey, since imo it offers better options to fight the part score battle, and even get you to sharp games.

 

Modified Dont.....close to many other conventions...very close

 

x=long minor or both majors

2c=club and higher

2d=d and higher

2h=h

2s=spades

Isn't that just Meckwell?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meckwell_convention

 

As far as I know...the answer is NO.

 

 

But I did say very close

[hrothgar]

Lionel

Ditto

[h2osmom]

Aren't mulit landy and woolsey the same?

[P_Marlowe]

Lionel, but destructive

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[MarkDean]

I am very amused that natural is not a choice.

 

I like natural with double being the majors against strong nt, and landy vs weak nt.

 

I have had particaularly good luck with 2♦ natural. It often gets them to wrongside the contract, and partner leads my suit on the go through the strong hand.

 

And 2♣ natural I also enjoy, but mostly because people look at partner and wait for the alert....and then ask...and then look confused by partner's answer. Our Spingold opponents actually looked at our card before the match and had a lenghty discussion about what they played over it.

[A2003]

Click here:

Various Defenses to 1NT

 

MONK is not listed there:

 

MONK= Major oriented NT killer

2♣= Both majors

2♦= One 5 card major + side 4+minor

2♥= 6+cards♥

2♠= 6+cards♠

Dbl= 5 card major (5332) OR strong hand OR one long suit minor

 

* 2♣ shows both majors, 5=4 or 5=5 or better. 2♣ is far preferable to 2♦ for this purpose, since partner can bid 2♦ (or double a 2♦ by opener's partner) to show no preference, equal major suit lengths. If he has a preference he bids it. This ensures the partnership will find the best fit when overcaller is 5=4 (when partner is 3=3 he bids 2♦).

 

* 2♦ shows a 5-card major with a side 4+ minor. Responses are somewhat similar to Multi 2♦ responses. The partnership uses pass or correct principles, and will usually respond 2♥ which is pass or correct to 2♠. 2♠ is pass or correct (and shows heart interest). 2NT asks for minor-suit, 3♥ is preemptive in BOTH majors. Other bids are natural.

 

* 2♥ and 2♠ are natural, and show 6+ cards.

 

That leaves hands with long minors, very strong hands, and 5332 major-suit hands. MONK uses Double to show one of those hands. Partner will usually bid 2♣ pass or correct, and overcaller will normally pass with clubs, bid 2♦ with diamonds, or bid 2♥/♠ with 5332 pattern. With a suitably strong hand, partner can convert the double to penalties. If overcaller has a very strong hand, he shows it by bidding 2NT or his suit at the 3-level. If responder bids before advancer, then any subsequent double by overcaller shows the strong hand.

[Phil]

I am very amused that natural is not a choice.

 

I like natural with double being the majors against strong nt, and landy vs weak nt.

 

I have had particaularly good luck with 2♦ natural. It often gets them to wrongside the contract, and partner leads my suit on the go through the strong hand.

 

And 2♣ natural I also enjoy, but mostly because people look at partner and wait for the alert....and then ask...and then look confused by partner's answer. Our Spingold opponents actually looked at our card before the match and had a lenghty discussion about what they played over it.

This is what I teach to intermediates. Its a good way to wean them off of penalty doubles.

 

I like Woolsey.

 

Aren't mulit landy and woolsey the same?

 

No, the double is penalty with multi-landy.

 

I've never seen MONK before, but it sounds like a strange cross between meckwell and woolsey, and I really don't like the double. It sounds very concocted.

[CSGibson]

suction.

[Double !]

I personally like transfer overcalls. I don't like defenses that show an unspecified 1-suited hand because the bidding could wind up at the 3-level before I get to show my suit. I want partner to know my suit asap so he/she can co-operate in the bidding.

 

 

DHL

[kenrexford]

Whatever allows me to show four spades and a longer minor. There are a few methods that allow this, and I have no particular preference for any of them that strongly overrides any other. I just find that all methods which allow me to show 4 spades and a longer minor are usually good.

 

I also like, against weak NT, "leaping ripstra," meaning that 3♣ and 3♦ are three-suited takeout calls with that minor and both majors. It almost never comes up, but I like saying that I play leaping ripstra.

[gnasher]

"Modified IMO":

 

dbl = 1-suited in hearts, or 5 hearts + 4 of a pointed suit

2C = 1-suited in spades, or 5 spades + 4 of a round suit

2D = 5S + 4D or 5H + 4C

2M = 4M + 5m

 

After double or 2C, step one (2C or 2D respectively) asks intervenor to bid his second suit or to rebid the major with a one-suiter. Step two (2D or 2H respectively) is to play opposite that suit, but not interested in the other possible side suit.

 

The idea is reduce the risk of having your 5-card major preempted by responder's competitive action. It's intended as a reasonably constructive method, so will probably not be favoured by most readers of this forum.

[JLOL]

Whatever I play I think that 2C must show the majors. I like Landy better than almost everything.

[peachy]

Against strong NT, some method where Dbl is *not penalty* and I can show various two-suiters.

Against weak NT, some method where Dbl is *penalty*

[miguelm]

I've voted for multi-landy, which the convention I use with most of the people I play with.

 

 

With my regular partner, we change it a bit. If they are playing strong 1NT, we use the Double as 5m+4M. If weak, then the Double is penalty oriented.

 

The fourth seat reverses the meaning of the double.

If strong 1NT, Double is now penalty oriented, and if weak shows a 5m+4M hand.

[fromageGB]

Vertigo, as it enables you to distinguish between 6, 5 and 4 card majors, so you can bid 4 card major and 5+minor, or the other way round, and distinguish between 45 majors and 54. Also because you can often play in 2 minor if you have no major fit.

[awm]

My favorite is still Meyerson (it's even in Wikipedia).

 

Double = two-suited hand with a major and a minor (either longer)

2♣ = majors

Else natural

 

The double is by no means penalty, but it shows some values and can be converted by partner holding an opening hand (yes this happens, and is usually good). This also gives partner the option to introduce his own major when he has a long suit.

 

In most cases we reach the same contract as woolsey, except that we have a natural 2♦ bid available (woolsey can't bid diamonds at the two-level) and we tend to fare better in competitive auctions (easier to compete when partner has unknown two-suiter than unknown one-suiter). This convention is also ACBL general chart for times when that matters.

[jdonn]

I don't believe you that you reach the same contract as woolsey most times. For better or worse, you probably don't reach any of the 5-2 major suit fits. But that is not to say it's a plus or minus one way or the other.

 

Btw how do you avoid a 4-2 fit when advancer has a doubleton in a major and a minor, like 2425?

[Gerben42]

My favorite is still Meyerson (it's even in Wikipedia).

 

So who wrote it in Wikipedia? Elianna? :)

 

Maybe I'll ask my partner to put condensed xfers in too.