DONT

[123600]

What adjustments if any are needed using DONT against a weak 1NT open. Are there other conventions more suitable against a weak 1NT TKS

[helene_t]

You could agree only to use the convention with decent hands, so that partner can still make a constructive move with say 10+ points. Discuss if a suit bid by responder, other than the next suit (say 2♦-2♠) promises values, and work out the follow ups to a 2nt response. You might for example play

2♦-2nt

3♣*

as a minimum with four diamonds and fivecard majors.

 

That said, DONT is not very good against weak NT as you don't have the penalty double. You might run into players that psyche a weak nt with 0 points in 3rd seat once you have told them that you don't have a penalty double in your system.

[MrAce]

What adjustments if any are needed using DONT against a weak 1NT open. Are there other conventions more suitable against a weak 1NT TKS

 

DONT comes from "Disturb opponents NT". It takes its main advantage from the fact that our side is VERY unlikely to make game when they open 1 NT (15+).

So it focuses on finding an 8 card fit at 2 level and play there.

When they open weak NT, they change this dynamic entirely. You are no longer safe ignoring the games for your side. As Helene said, DONT does not have a solution to do the both tasks (A-Find a fit at 2 level, which allows you to bid over their NT with almost nothing and B-be able to show strength and find games if there is one)

[rmnka447]

Both previous comments are excellent.

 

As a diehard weak NT player with some modicum of tournament success, let me shed a little light on competing against the weak NT.

 

This may sound a bit iconoclastic, but you have to have more to compete than you do over a strong NT. A weak NT leaves more total points in play around the table and responder to the weak NTer often is in position to make some juicy penalty doubles. (Yep, we still play 1NT - 2 ♥ (natural)- Dbl as penalty. Anachronistic to be sure, but still very profitable.)

 

Another reason is that if you make constructive bids, it allows for the possibility of finding potential games which as Mr. Ace mentions are more of a possibility over weak NTs. One of the advantages we continue to see is that the fog after opening a weak NT makes it difficult for the opponents to find game. Indeed, one of the most difficult games they have trouble getting to is 3 NT.

 

That leads to the third item, the "penalty" double. The idea that you'd set weak NTs for big sets is more myth than fact. Any weak NT pair that is reasonably adroit at running from 1 NTx will avoid all but a very few of them. (I can recall less than a half dozen in 40+ years of playing weak NTs.) But I think the big reason to have "penalty" doubles is value showing giving the competing side a chance to realize that values for game may exist.

 

That's my two cents anyway.

[Tramticket]

I agree with the above comments.

 

Are there other conventions more suitable against a weak 1NT

 

Since you want to keep game in the picture, it follows that you should be choosing a convention that allows you to compete effectively in the majors - single suited or two-suited with both majors. [When you compete against a strong NT you are keen to get into the bidding with either a major or a minor and your methods do not need to emphasise majors].

 

There are many options are available for competing against a weak NT. Landy is simple and allows you to show the majors naturally with 2♣ to show both majors. Multi-Landy builds on this and is the system that I play with my main regular partner. There are many others and most work pretty well - I have played Astro / Asptro and like both of these. The choice is yours, but I suggest your system against a weak NT should include a penalty double and bids to easily show single-suited and two-suited majors.

[P_Marlowe]

What adjustments if any are needed using DONT against a weak 1NT open. Are there other conventions more suitable against a weak 1NT TKS

Multi Landy Works Reasonably well against weak NT.

If playing against strong NT, you could use Woolsey, which basically is the same

as Multi Landy, except the meaning of Double.

 

Multi Landy uses Double as penalty, or rather as strength showing, which limits

the strength of the other bids.

Woolsey uses the bid to show hands with a 5+m4M distribution, which cant be shown

with Multi Landy.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

 

 

PS: Against a weak NT, double should show a certain amount of values, i.e. it should be

possible to convert the double, but it is not 100% necessary to play double as strictly

penalty. So if you want to keep DONT for simplicity reasons, than the least you should do,

let the double show min. opening strength.

Finnally: If you regular have to face a psych strong NT opening green in 3rd position,

you would like to have a penalty double against a strong NT.

[Vampyr]

Both previous comments are excellent.

 

As a diehard weak NT player with some modicum of tournament success, let me shed a little light on competing against the weak NT.

 

This may sound a bit iconoclastic, but you have to have more to compete than you do over a strong NT.

 

Iconoclastic? I don’t think so. People who are familiar with Weak NT will know that you should have values to compete over it, and others may not have thought much about it. I doubt there are more than a handful of humans on this Earth who actually believe that you can or should compete over a Weak NT with the same rubbish they would compete over a Strong NT with.

[helene_t]

I doubt there are more than a handful of humansadvanced bridge players on this Earth who actually believe that you can or should compete over a Weak NT with the same rubbish they would compete over a Strong NT with.

F.Y.P.

Lots of club players think you need better hands to bid over a strong NT than a weak NT.