Monday, September 04, 2006 12:46 PM

2C - Treatments

PITBULLS:

One of the weaknesses of opening 2♣ and rebidding some number of NT , you “bury” 5 or 6 card minors. These suits quite often make a huge difference in hand evaluations. My partners have partially solved this problem by playing 2♦ as strong and natural and when we rebid 2NT , partner knows about the length in diamonds. What about the club suit though ? Paul Soloway has come with an idea that solves the club suit problem. If you have a hand in the 25-27 range you uses the Kokish style relays. 2♣-P-2♦-P

2♥-P-2♠-P

2NT because you went the long route before you bid 2NT , you show the 25-27 hand.

In Soloways opinion , this leaves the 3NT jump to show a 2NT rebid with a 5 or 6 card club suit.

This bid right sides both the NT contract and the club contract. This can not be bad. Soloway held this hand ♠Kxx ♥AJ ♦Ax ♣AKQJ108 and opened 2♣. His partner bid 2♦ and he bid 3NT. Partner invited by bidding 4NT and Soloway leapt to 6♣ which was cold for +1370.

If Soloway rebid 3♣ over 2♦, he denies a balanced hand which can have interesting applications also. By rebidding 3NT he gets rid of partners annoying transfers , Stayman or minor suit slam tries. The bid says I have clubs partner with a balanced hand , but I could not open 2♣ natural as it is an artificial strong bid. I like it.