1C-(1S)-2H-(2S)

[Siegmund]

1C is standard. We open many shapely 11-counts, and a few less shapely ones.

 

2H is forcing one round, 10+ points and 5+ hearts.

 

Is this a Good/Bad 2NT situation?

 

We have explicitly agreed that after 1D-(1S)-2C-(2S), showing the same values, Good/Bad is on. (With some reluctance, on my partner's part.) But somehow this one feels different. I don't know why.

 

Any thoughts?

[aguahombre]

If it is a GB situation, IMO, it should only be about the club suit. With heart support we can bid 3H merely competitively, and 4H if we want to be in game there opposite 10 or 11.

 

But we do need to distinguish between a hand with extras and long clubs, versus a weaker one with long clubs.

 

This leaves a double of the spade raise for something like 2-1-4-6.

[whereagles]

In my opinion yes, this is a good-bad situation. You can play it for clubs only, but you can extend it to hearts as well, e.g.

 

2NT + 3♥ = min

straight 3♥ = extras

straight 4♥ = picture bid (good min, hcp all in hearts/clubs)

[gwnn]

2NT=good 3♥ bid

3♥=bad 3♥ bid

 

is also an option. I don't like clubs as much as aguahombre.

[gnasher]

Of what's been suggested so far, I prefer gwnn's suggestion. If you bid 2NT with a hand that might or might not have heart support, and the next hand bids 3♠ or 4♠, how will partner have any idea what to do?

 

As I may have mentioned once or twice before, transfers are better than any of these methods. For example:

2NT = clubs, competitive or game-forcing

3♣ = diamonds (game-forcing in this auction, but not after a 1♦ opening)

3♦ = heart support, competitive or game-forcing

3♥ = heart support, exactly invitational

3♠ = whatever you like

 

You might prefer to play 3♦ as invitational+ and 3♥ as competitive. Regardless of the details, this gives you two heart raises, a way to compete with clubs, a way to game-force with clubs, and a way to show diamonds. All of this and you're not vulnerable to preemption - if you have a game-force, you transfer and then double; if you're just competitive, you transfer and then don't double.

[han]

Some strong Dutch pairs play what gwnn suggested, I think it is a good agreement. You can extend it to many similar auctions where we have bid hearts and they bid 2S, for example

 

1C - (Dbl) - 1H - (2S)

 

or

 

1C - (1S) - Dbl - (2S)

 

You could also play some sort of transfer lebensohl here:

 

2NT = clubs any strength or weak with diamonds.

3C = diamonds, at least invitational strength.

3D = hearts, at least invitational.

3H = hearts, minimal.

 

To honor gwnn I will from now on refer to this as Romanian lebensohl.

[gwnn]

Some strong Dutch pairs play what gwnn suggested, I think it is a good agreement. You can extend it to many similar auctions where we have bid hearts and they bid 2S, for example

 

1C - (Dbl) - 1H - (2S)

 

or

 

1C - (1S) - Dbl - (2S)

 

You could also play some sort of transfer lebensohl here:

 

2NT = clubs any strength or weak with diamonds.

3C = diamonds, at least invitational strength.

3D = hearts, at least invitational.

3H = hearts, minimal.

 

To honor gwnn I will from now on refer to this as Romanian lebensohl.

I suggested 2NT=good 3♥ bid (when we bid hearts and they got to 2♠) a year or two ago, finally people listen.

[Siegmund]

Some reason I always forget about transfers as a possibility in auctions like this.

 

Will have to run that idea by a couple of partners, who may or may not believe in it.

[aguahombre]

Of what's been suggested so far, I prefer gwnn's suggestion. If you bid 2NT with a hand that might or might not have heart support, and the next hand bids 3♠ or 4♠, how will partner have any idea what to do?

Perhaps Gwnn's suggestion is best, but no one thus far has suggested that GB in this context leave doubt about the strain. The difference is Gwnn prefers 3 ways to show support for responder's heart suit, where I choose only two and allocate 2NT to the club suit.

 

This seems to give partner a better idea of what to do when the opponents bid more and we have a club fit, and pretty much the same idea of what to do if we have a heart fit.

[gwnn]

Perhaps Gwnn's suggestion is best, but no one thus far has suggested that GB in this context leave doubt about the strain. The difference is Gwnn prefers 3 ways to show support for responder's heart suit, where I choose only two and allocate 2NT to the club suit.

 

This seems to give partner a better idea of what to do when the opponents bid more and we have a club fit, and pretty much the same idea of what to do if we have a heart fit.

No one except whereagles.

[whereagles]

My idea is muddier because of systemic reasons. (As in, I want mnemonics, not a headache lol.)

[JLOGIC]

Some reason I always forget about transfers as a possibility in auctions like this.

 

Will have to run that idea by a couple of partners, who may or may not believe in it.

 

Stick around the forums and you will see every thread go something like:

 

2N=good raise (

 

Then Gnasher will say:

 

If you play that, you might as well play transfers!

 

:P

[Siegmund]

The embarrassing part is I already do occasionally play an experimental system with a whole lot of transfers at opener's rebid in uncontested auctions (1S-1NTF-2C=bal or diamonds, 2D=hearts, 2H=clubs for instance), and wish the ACBL allowed me to play transfer responses after 1x-1y and not just after double, and yet somehow I never think of it as an option in competitive auctions.