Leaping Michaels

[dickiegera]

In playing with my favorite partner we play that if opponent opens 2 of a Major that a direct cuebid asks partner to bid 3NT if they have that major stopped.

 

The question is what should a cuebid of 2D mean. I believe that it has to be for the MAJORS however some are trying to tell us that it should also ask partner to bid 3NT.

 

I know that everything is partnership agreement however I believe that logically a 3D cuebid should be for Majors. How else could one ask for majors?

3D could be weaker than a 4D cuebid ----both for the majors?

 

Opinions?

[gwnn]

majors is a better agreement i think. it is also 'expert standard'

[aguahombre]

Wish I could find the thread a few months ago which covered a lot of very good posters' very good answers to this very good question. I think Ken and Cascade were involved, but memory fades at my age.

[ONEferBRID]

Over a Weak-2M use Leaping Michaels as you said... where (2M) - 3M! is a stop-ask.

 

But it is also good to keep ( 2D) - 3D! as a stop-ask.... if for nothing else but consistency.

So, then have the agreement to use Roman Jumps for the other "leaping" 2-suited bids .

Roman Jumps show the bid suit and the next higher:

 

Thus, the strong 2-suited overcalls of a weak-2D are:

4C = C/H

3H = H/S

3S = S/C

 

4D = 4 4 1 4 or better ( a Diam void )

 

4H = to play

4S = to play

4NT = Blackwood

 

and 3D = stop-ask

[shevek]

Prefer 3♦ over 2♦ as majors.

 

Then what are 4♣ & 4♦?

 

I prefer these to show clubs & the corresponding major, so 4♣ = clubs & hearts, 4♦ = clubs & spades.

[Codo]

I prefer it as stopper ask.

 

With majors I can double, bid them directly or via 4 Diamond.

 

But what can I do with a balanced hand with no stopper or with a running minor and no stopper? Overload the double?

 

I guess it is enough to have 3 ways to show majors....

[shevek]

I prefer it as stopper ask.

 

With majors I can double, bid them directly or via 4 Diamond.

 

But what can I do with a balanced hand with no stopper or with a running minor and no stopper? Overload the double?

Only one running minor you can have, so won't happen often enough, as compared to (2♥) 3♥.

Good to be able to Michaels & pass 3♥ or 3♠.

[aguahombre]

one other point about stopper asks. There are very few times where that is all you want to know (1s) 3s would be one. Other times, other situations, partner will probably know whether he has a stopper or not and bid accordingly.

[andy_h]

Majors. With average values you certainly don't want to bid 2♠ with that first incase you can't come back in safely and nor do you want to directly force to game with 4♦ and you most certainly don't want to start off with a double as you have 5-5 (!!) majors and definitely do not want to hear partner bidding clubs. Having 3♦ as stopper ask comes up too infrequently and I think it's a bad treatment if the 3♦ stopper ask can contain a running major.

[olliebol]

Play that after 2♣/♦ the cue bid shows the other minor and a major.

 

( response in a major is nonforcing and convertible, after 2 minor 3 minor 4 minor 4♥ also convertible)

 

The jump cue shows both majors.

 

(after 2♣ 4♣ pass 4♦=ask about better quality ♠ or longer♠

[helene_t]

Majors may be expert standard but I think I prefer it to be a stopper ask.

 

In NL most opps play 2♣=diamonds or strong, then you can have it both ways: 2♦=majors, 3♦=stopper ask.

[Jlall]

Majors, I even think (2H)-3H should be played as michaels when playing leaping michaels.

[jdonn]

I think the stopper ask is hovering somewhere between "very uncommon" and "almost useless". It has merit, but in my opinion not very much. Way more useful as Michaels IMO even when playing leaping Michaels, as you can force to a different level, set up or not set up a forcing pass, bypass 3NT or not, etc.

[awm]

I like stopper ask.

 

Suppose RHO opens 2♦ weak and I have a really good hand with primary clubs. This is not all that rare of a hand type. Yet without the stopper-ask, the options are a big underbid of 3♣ (likely to miss a game), jumping to 5♣ (when 3NT could easily be the best game), doubling on a very off-shape hand (in my experience this does not work out very well since partner tries hard to play the hand in a major), or blasting 3NT from the wrong side. All of these options are really quite bad.

 

Certainly the "majors" hand is more common than the big hand with clubs. However, there are lots of ways to bid the majors hand including 2♠ (when you're not that strong you do usually get a chance to bid again and name the hearts) or double (occasionally partner hangs you in clubs, but not that often) or overbid with 4♦.