A Big 2-Suiter

[32519]

[hv=pc=n&s=saq98632hadakqj2c&n=s4hqt9842d9865c93&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=1n(12-14%20HCP)2n(Alerted%20by%20North)p3dp7dppp]266|200[/hv]

The 2NT bid from South was alerted by North as -

1. Both minors, OR

2. Any big 2-suited hand

 

East led a club, trumped in dummy. Declarer then played ♠A and a small ♠ trumped in hand. When the ♠K fell doubleton, declarer claimed for +1440.

[Jinksy]

Well it is a pity for you that YOU have to invent a convention like this.

 

I'm not normally credited with the Unusual 2N, but thanks.

 

Others who discuss sequences with their partners already play 2NT as any big 2 suiter.

 

I'm sure some of them do. I don't believe for a second it's universal, and neither do you. So let's focus on the interesting case when we're not playing it.

 

Just a question - personally I don't necessarily see anyone running after a double, and after you have cashed your Ds, what are you going to do?

 

I'm going to lead a D, then look at the table, the state of the match, and make a decision. Yes, if it gets that far I'll have done badly in expectation. I still do not believe the chances of the X being passed out are much higher than 10%.*

 

Let’s look at the actual hand, which I believe you advocate doing whenever it helps your cause: responder has at least 6Cs and at most 6 points, so he’ll pull. I now have a suit to cue, so I can keep doing so until advancer admits to having a D side suit, after which I can bid 7.

 

If by some miracle he doesn't pull, P will, which makes life harder, but no more so than it was before I Xed.

 

 

* Actually, I’m struggling to think of any lie of cards where an X is odds-on to be passed out. Someone at the table has 5Cs. If responder has them that should be an auto-pull, if P has them I’d expect him to pull unless he has decent values (in which case, as responder, even with a 4333, given a 0-2 count I’d expect him to wriggle out of desperation), if opener has them and receives a non-forcing pass (if his P had a natural XX available), he’s likely to bid them unless they’re particularly weak – in which case chances are P will be getting in with them to return a S.

 

Much the same goes for the H suit unless it's exactly 444 in the other hands.

[the hog]

I'm not normally credited with the Unusual 2N, but thanks.

 

 

 

I'm sure some of them do. I don't believe for a second it's universal, and neither do you. So let's focus on the interesting case when we're not playing it.

 

 

 

I'm going to lead a D, then look at the table, the state of the match, and make a decision. Yes, if it gets that far I'll have done badly in expectation. I still do not believe the chances of the X being passed out are much higher than 10%.*

 

Let’s look at the actual hand, which I believe you advocate doing whenever it helps your cause: responder has at least 6Cs and at most 6 points, so he’ll pull. I now have a suit to cue, so I can keep doing so until responder admits to having a D side suit, after which I can bid 7.

 

If by some miracle he doesn't pull, P will, which makes life harder, but no more so than it was before I Xed.

 

 

* Actually, I’m struggling to think of any lie of cards where an X is odds-on to be passed out. Someone at the table has 5Cs. If responder has them that should be an auto-pull, if P has them I’d expect him to pull unless he has decent values (in which case, as responder, even with a 4333, given a 0-2 count I’d expect him to wriggle out of desperation), if opener has them and receives a non-forcing pass (if his P had a natural XX available), he’s likely to bid them unless they’re particularly weak – in which case chances are P will be getting in with them to return a S.

 

Much the same goes for the H suit unless it's exactly 444 in the other hands.

 

Here we have a problem. You do not know what an UNT is.

 

" I don't believe for a second it's universal, and neither do you. So let's focus on the interesting case when we're not playing it." This would not be the case as this is a sequence I have discussed with my partners of course. If you haven't I would suggest you don't play seriously.

 

"Let’s look at the actual hand, which I believe you advocate doing whenever it helps your cause: responder has at least 6Cs and at most 6 points, so he’ll pull. I now have a suit to cue, so I can keep doing so until responder admits to having a D side suit, after which I can bid 7. "

I suggest you look at the hand again while playing the Barcarole from Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffman"

[Jinksy]

"Let’s look at the actual hand, which I believe you advocate doing whenever it helps your cause: responder has at least 6Cs and at most 6 points, so he’ll pull. I now have a suit to cue, so I can keep doing so until responder admits to having a D side suit, after which I can bid 7. "

I suggest you look at the hand again while playing the Barcarole from Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffman"

 

Can you give an actual argument, just in case I don't have the access to divine revelation you enjoy?