Response to nt with 5/5Majors

[jillybean]

[hv=d=s&v=e&s=sqt642hk8754dq8c6]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

West North East South

 

 -     -     -     Pass

 Pass  2NT   Pass  

 

Hi, I had this hand tonight and was not sure how to bid it.

Is there a standard (SAYC) method to show 5/5M after 1NT or 2NT opening ?

 

Transfer then bid other suit shows 5/4, I run out room trying to rebid a major.

 

tyia,

jillybean

[han]

Assuming that partner always has a 3-card major, there are three possible ways to bid this:

 

1) 2NT-3D-3H-3S, and then, over 3NT bid 4S. Partner's 3NT denies 3 hearts, so partner must have 3 spades.

 

 

2) 2NT-3C-3D-3H-3NT-4S. Assuming you don't play puppet Stayman or smolen (where 3H would show 5 spades), partner's 3NT denies 3 hearts again. So you can infer that partner has 3 spades as in (1)

 

3) 2NT-3H-3S-4H. This should show 5-5 imo. with 5 spades and 4 hearts you'd start with 3C, Stayman. I'd guess that this is in SAYC, but not 100% certain.

 

 

After 1NT there are also several ways to show 5-5. The most common way is to start with stayman and follow with 3H/3S, showing 5 in that major and 4 in the other, forcing. If partner bids 3NT then you infer that partner has exactly 3 cards in the other major, and you can bid 4S/4H. Many experienced players reverse the meanings of 3H and 3S here, showing 5 cards in the other major (Smolen). This is a good convention, as it often makes the 1NT opener declarer. I don't know if this is part of SAYC (I would guess not).

[han]

As there are different ways to show these hands, you could assign a special meaning to one or two of them. For instance, you could agree that the auction (3) shows some slam interest. I would only recommend that for an experienced regular partnership.

[Fluffy]

Hannie said nearly all, another popular treatment is that 3♠ shows 5♠ and 4♥, if you play this convention you obviously bid 3♠ and if partner bids 3NT then you know you belong to 4♥.

[pbleighton]

If you play "4 way transfers", then in response to 1NT:

2C - Stayman

2D/2H- xfer to majors

2S/2NT - xfer to minors - bid the minor with 4 or 3 to an honor, bid one less (i.e 1NT-2S-2NT) if you don't have support.

3C - 5-5 in minors, weak

3D - 5-5 in minors, strong

3H - 5-5 in majors, weak

3S - 5-5 in majors, strong

 

Playing this way, invitational hands with no 4 card major go through 2NT.

 

Peter

[Free]

after 1NT I use Smolen:

 

1NT - 2♣ (stayman)

2♦ - 3M (GF 5+OM, 4+M)

...

 

If partner doesn't accept to play in your shown 5 card M (the OM), then you transfer at 4-level, so:

...

3NT - ?

 

4♦ = transfer ♥

4♥ = transfer ♠

This way you can show all 5-4, 5-5 and 6-4 Major distributions :(

 

After 2NT, I use a special kind of Puppet-stayman (modified response scheme) which also contains Smolen continuations:

 

2NT - 3♣

3♦ (no or both M) - ?

 

3♥ = relay, either no interest in a 4 card Major or Smolen response with 5+♠ & 4+♥

---> 3♠ shows interest when it's Smolen

---> 3NT denies support

3♠ = pure Smolen, 5+♥, 4+♠

 

Ofcourse again with transfers at 4-level.

[ArcLight]

Use Jacoby over 2NT to show 5-5 in the majors, and a game force (with no slam interest)

 

pard - you

2NT - 3♥

3♠ - 4♥

 

pard - you

1NT - 2♥

2♠ - 4♥ (not a splinter)

 

In both cases, pard can then bid 4♠ if they prefer ♠ to ♥.

[the hog]

pard - you

1NT - 2♥

2♠ - 4♥ (not a splinter)

 

This is a splinter ArcLight. To show 5/5 in a gf hand bid

1N 2H

2S 3H

3N 4H

[helene_t]

Ron said (no sorry Ron, it was ArcLight):

1NT - 2♥

2♠ - 4♥ (not a splinter)

I disagree, I think this is a splinter.

 

Hannie notices that bidding spades first (via transfer) and then hearts or vice versa both would be interpretted as 5-5. I agree. I think spades first and then hearts should show slam interest because it leaves one extra step op bidding space for cuebidding. (Playing pubbet stayman you only have those two options, at least as Pubbet Stayman is played in the Netherlands ("Niemeijer")).

 

Some American players (I think I read it in Hardy's book) play 3♥ as response to 1NT as invitational with 5-5 majors.

Edited January 17, 2005 by helene_t

[badderzboy]

If I remember right - LTPB2 (download for ACBL & maybe BBO) covers this quite nicely for various hand types - It may be worth checking it out there?

 

Steve

[ArcLight]

What I wrote comes straight from Mike Lawrences "CONVENTIONS" CD (well worth buying).

 

pard - you

1NT - 2♥

2♠ - 4♥ (not a splinter)

 

This shows a 5-5 game force. (no slam interest)

 

 

<Ron suggested>

1NT 2♥

2♠ 3♥

 

According to the methods suggested in the CONVENTIONS disk, this is a strong 5-5 hand with some slam interest.

 

Mike Lawrence specificially suggests that in the sequence:

pard - you

1NT - 2♥

2♠ - 4♥ (not a splinter)

 

The 4♥ not be treated as a splinter. If you do so, and want to use Rons suggestion, then you will have no way to distinguish between good hands and slamish hands.

[the hog]

Point taken, but now you have lost the ability to show this:

AQJxxx

x

Axx

Qxx

 

opposite

 

Kxx

Jxxx

KQx

AKx

as opposed to

Kxx

KQx

Jxxx

AKx

[keylime]

I bid 3♣ with this hand. If partner does not pinpoint a major, I use as a follow up this sequence:

 

2NT - 3C

3D - 4C (5-5, better hearts than spades)

4D (5-5, better spades than hearts).

 

This gets partner to rightside the contract. Notice that Gerber gets tossed, but when do you use Gerber?

[ArcLight]

>Point taken, but now you have lost the ability to show this:

AQJxxx

x

Axx

Qxx

 

 

In Mike Lawrences CONVENTIONS, you would indeed lose the ability to show the major suit splinter. But not a minor suit splinter.

After pards accepting the transfer, a bid of 4 of a minor is a splinter.

 

He wrote that if you dont use his suggestioon, then to show 5-5 in the majors you transfer to spades, then bid 3♥.

[Fluffy]

I bid 3♣ with this hand. If partner does not pinpoint a major, I use as a follow up this sequence:

 

2NT - 3C

3D - 4C (5-5, better hearts than spades)

4D (5-5, better spades than hearts).

 

This gets partner to rightside the contract. Notice that Gerber gets tossed, but when do you use Gerber?

I don't think this is a good convention, you sacrifice 4M-5+m hands just to play on the right hand and on the major with better honnors?

[whereagles]

When I learned bidding, it was like this:

 

1NT..2H

2S.....4H = 55 major, to play in game.

 

1NT..2H

2S.....3H

3NT...4H = 55 major, slam try (slow arrival).

 

By the way, with a 55 there is no "invitational" bid. You either bid game or sign-off in the best major.

[hotShot]

You can choose one of the following ways:

 

1) using transfer

1NT - 2♥ (transfer)

2♠ - 3 o r4♥ depending on strength

 

Now partner can pick the fit.

 

2) using Stayman

1NT - 2♣ (stayman)

if partner has a 4 card Major no problem

2♦ - 2♥/2♠ (now showing at least 5-4)

partner will usually not pass (unless you play very weak Stayman)

then rebid the other suit

 

3) Agree on bids at 3 level, that shows weak/strong 5-5 Major hands.