Inverted Minors

[TWO4BRIDGE]

How do you play them over a DBL ?

 

1m - ( p ) - 2m = GF

 

1m - ( DBL ) - 2m = ??

 

And I assume this one is still a preemptive raise:

1m - ( DBL ) - 3m

[helene_t]

2n=truscott. 2c = 6-10 3c=0-5

[Vampyr]

If you play a single raise as GF, what do you do with invitational hands?

[TWO4BRIDGE]

If you play a single raise as GF, what do you do with invitational hands?

Criss-Cross :

1C - 2D! or

1D - 3C!

[awm]

Inverted minors should be off in competition (including after double). Several reasons for this:

 

1. The double shows values, so partner is less likely to have a strong hand than without competition.

2. The double means we are less likely to have a major fit, so more likely to want to raise.

3. Since opponents are in the auction, showing a (four-card) fit for partner becomes more important.

 

Most people use 2NT as an artificial raise of some sort. Elianna and I play that 2NT is either a weak or GF raise (with 3m being invitational) for right-siding reasons; more standard is to play 2NT as limit-plus and 3♦ weak.

[biggerclub]

Inverted minors should be off in competition (including after double). Several reasons for this:

 

1. The double shows values, so partner is less likely to have a strong hand than without competition.

2. The double means we are less likely to have a major fit, so more likely to want to raise.

3. Since opponents are in the auction, showing a (four-card) fit for partner becomes more important.

 

Most people use 2NT as an artificial raise of some sort. Elianna and I play that 2NT is either a weak or GF raise (with 3m being invitational) for right-siding reasons; more standard is to play 2NT as limit-plus and 3♦ weak.

 

I really find this unsatisfactory . . . mainly because there are hands where I want to bid a more natural 10/11-12-ish 2NT and not start with XX. But I have not really found a fully satisfactory solution despite a fair amount of experimentation. If the X always guaranteed significant length and strength in the majors perhaps cue-bidding a major might resolve some of my issues. However, too many times we have a MAJ suit fit despite the X.

 

Perhaps limited openings would help some. I know I never felt handcuffed like this playing Precision. Of course the 1♣ opening said nothing at all about ♣s and 1♦ said not much more about ♦s in that system.

 

All I know now is that for standard, 5 card majors, 1 minor openings . . . I would like to be able to show each of a suit-oriented GF, a NT oriented INV and a suit oriented INV and using the single raise to show 6-9 and the double raise to show less than that (with more trumps) prevents me from doing that.

[gszes]

Inverted minors 1m p 2m are normally played as invitational plus since it

pretty easy to morph into game forcing with later bidding. Playing some form of

2n for invitational hands eliminates one of the biggest advantages of inverted

minors which is the search for the proper strain/level while the bidding is still

low.

 

I have never felt compelled to bid 2m to show a weak hand with support though

the bid does indeed have some utility at unfavorable especially (where bidding 3m

has increased danger). If I were to make 1 change it would be to save 1m dbl 2m

for hands with 10 1/2 + and support (forcing to at least 2n or x the opps).

 

This change would allow me to save xx for hands that were far more likely to want

to x the opps rather than merely marking time to raise openers m. This treatment is

not standard though and for the time being one has to xx to show hands with power

and support in openers minor.