Partner decides not to relay

[Kungsgeten]

After out Swedish club (12-14 NT or most 17+ hands) we play responder's 1NT and 2♣ as minor suit transfers: 8+ hcp with 5+ cards in the minor above (1NT can be 4 clubs and 5+ diamonds if 12+ hcp), if 5332 then 8--11 or 16+ hcp, if having a 4 card major then 12+ hcp. Opener accepts the transfer with the 12--14 NT. A strong opener can bid 2m + 1 as a relay (not full pattern resolution), or bid a suit of his own (where 2NT replaces the relay bid).

 

After partner bids a suit of his own, we don't really have any explicit agreements, so I was wondering how some of you play in similar situations? I guess most of you relayers play full shape relays, and thus may choose to relay with more types of hands. As an example, yesterday we had an action that started like this:

 

1♣--1NT; (1NT shows (4)5+ clubs and 8+ hcp)

2♠ (2♠ is natural, 17+, choosing not to relay)

 

Let's dissect responder's rebids:

 

2NT = ? (some sort of waiting bid?)

3♣ = ? (should probably show 6+ clubs)

3♦ = ? (if natural, should it show extras, and if so should diamonds be longer than clubs?)

3♥ = ? (natural 12+ seems good)

3♠ = ?

3NT = ?

4♣ = ?

4♦♥ = ? (splinter seems the obvious choice)

4♠ = ?

4NT = ?

[nullve]

After partner bids a suit of his own, we don't really have any explicit agreements, so I was wondering how some of you play in similar situations?

I've learned the hard way (although mostly in a 2/1 context) that I'd need to discuss which natural 3m bids, if any, are raisable with minimum. (Presumably a natural 3m bid is raisable with minimum iff it promises sufficient extras, i.e enough to warrant bypassing 3N opposite support.)

[straube]

You're kind of high, but you're in a similar position to a strong club auction. You could use their alpha responses. Can adjust these if you like...

 

http://www.bridgehands.com/A/Alpha_Cuebid.htm

 

Nice to stay out of opener's way unless you have something good to offer.