NT Escape Structure

[relknes]

There are a ton of different schemes for escaping after partner opens 1N and RHO doubles. Does the following convention already exist, and is it playable? I couldn't find any references to it, which makes me think it might be fundamentally inferior to SWINE etc.

 

1N - (x):

P = forces redouble. Either wants to play 1Nxx or has 2 suits with spades.

xx = two suits without spades. Opener bids 2♣ with club tolerance or 2♦ if they prefer both hearts and diamonds to clubs.

2x = weak 5+, to play

[jallerton]

Yes, this is an escape mechanism called Houdini. The downside is that it gives up the possibility of playing in 1NTx. but yes it's playable, technically slightly better than the most commonly played version in the UK (where hands with a 5-card suit start with pass and 4/4 hands just bid the lower 4-card suit immediately).

 

A slightly variation (improvement) on Houdini is to play:

 

P forces XX (to play in 1NTxx or ♠+ another, as you have described above)

XX as a puppet to 2♣: to play in 2♣ or both red suits or 4♠+5♥

2♦+= natural, to play

[nigel_k]

This a pretty good method, better than most I think. It's not clear what you bid with both minors in jallerton's variation.

 

I play something like this except that XX is two suits with spades and P then pull XX is two suits without spades. So opener bids 2♠ immediately when there is a 4-4 spade fit which can make things hard for them.

[Finch]

This a pretty good method, better than most I think. It's not clear what you bid with both minors in jallerton's variation.

 

He missed one call: responder's immediate 2C bid is clubs and a red suit.

[Zelandakh]

I think the best of these helvic variants is that the immediate calls show spades as this can sometimes have a mild preemptive effect - a method known as Spelvic. There is also a trick you can use to cover the otherwise awkward 4333 hands by using an artificial redouble. My variation in full:

 

1NT - (X)

==

P = forces XX, to play there or 1. ♣+ a red suit; 2. ♥+♠ with longer ♥; 3. 3=(4-3)=3; 4. 2-suited GF freak

XX = one-suited or 3=3=3=4

2♣ = ♣+♠ or 4=3=3=3

2♦ = ♦+♠

2♥ = ♥+♠ with equal/longer ♠

2♠ = one-suited with good (raisable) spades

2NT = both minors, at least 5-5

higher calls = nat preempt

 

The 4333 trick works out very simply in practise. You pretend your hand has an extra club and if the auction ever comes back to you in 2♣X you redouble.

 

Finally, I would point you towards David Stevenson's bridge page, where you can find a fairly complete list of runout systems.

[whereagles]

I'm firmly convinced that any structure should have

 

1NT dbl pass

 

as penalty or weak ONE SUITED. Reason: this allows

 

1NT dbl pass 2x

dbl

 

as a mandatory take-out with short x: if responder is weak he pulls and there will be an 8+ card fit + ruffing values in the short hand. It also allows

 

1NT dbl pass 2x

pass pass dbl

 

for take-out as well. The idea is to keep competing with the right shapes.

[mikestar13]

Personally, I don't care for P forces XX methods: sometimes 1NTx is our best/least bad contract, why make it impossible to get there?

 

My preference:

 

2 suit=escaping, 5+ cards in suit.

P=I don't have a 5 card suit, run or pass according to judgement.

XX (by UPH)=this is our hand, swing the aXe or pass it to me.

XX (by PH)=no 5-card suit but I have 4 spades.

2NT (by UPH)=strong, too distributional to look for penalties

 

After 1NT-(X)-P-P:

 

2 suit=running with 5 cards.

XX=no 5 card suit, let's get out of here.

P=let's try our luck.

 

When showing 4 card suits we go up the line excepting when responder makes a passed hand redouble showing 4 spades--then supporting spades is first priority, obviously..

 

The idea here is that when we are scrambling with no five card suit, let them bid if possible. The XX=spades wrinkle by a passed hand is just a grace note: a passed hand can't hold a power XX, so this use is free.

[yunling]

In a relatively weak field I think it is better to leave pass as to play :unsure:

 

So it's something like

P=to play, opener can pull with a 5 card suit

XX=relay to 2♣, 1-suited, or some GF freak hands

2♣/♦/♥=2-suited, with a high ranking suit

2♠=1-suited

[Vampyr]

In a relatively weak field I think it is better to leave pass as to play

 

In any field.

[P_Marlowe]

In any field.

Lets just say, ... this is a point where the war is still ongoing,

for whats it worth, we also can only play 1NTxx.