Friday,
October 29, 2004 2:34 AM
Hand Evaluation - Forcing NT ( 2NT
raise )
PITBULLS:
Playing
strong NT’s & specifically
opening 1NT with a 5
card major
, has a profound effect on your bidding system .
If partner responds 1NT to a major
or even a minor ,
a bid of 2NT should be forcing not
invitational. Think about it . Most balanced hands 15-17 would have
already been opened 1NT with a 5
card major . This makes the 2NT raise an idle bid as the true invitational hands do
not exist !! This means the 2NT invitational range has to
be 17-19 as you would have opened 2NT with 20 or even a very good 19. This
makes the jump to 3NT extinct when partner responds 1NT over a major or a minor. Use the jump to 3NT to
show a picture bid maybe with a xx in the unbid major 18 -19 HCP.
Take
a hand tonight with the Bartons . Lucille opened 1♥ with ♠Axx ♥AQ1098 ♦AQ ♣Qxx
, Lee responded 1NT with ♠x ♥xx ♦Jxxxxxx ♣AJ10
. Lucille jumped to 3NT so all pass. Spade lead by Maurice so we beat 3NT
two tricks . Meanwhile , 6♦ makes with 2 of 3
finesses. I think a 3NT bid just pre-empts
the forcing NT bidder from
describing his “real” hand . My partners & I play relays over a 2NT rebid
, Maurice & I transfers. If I wanted to sign off in 3♦
, I would bid 3♣
so he would relay to 3♦ which I could pass.
With a 7 card diamond suit & a stiff spade I would try a direct 3♦ which shows some values. Partner could bid 3♠ , I would leap to 5♦ so that contract of
course easily makes. 2NT forcing
is an example of the useful space principle
in action. It prevents describing your hand at the 4 level & past 3NT
, two no no’s in Bridge.
Try
another auction which occurs quite frequently. This is of course missing your 4♥ game & playing 3NT . The culprit in these auctions is the leap to 3NT by the opening bidder. You hold ♠Axxxx ♥AKx ♦Axx ♣Kx , open 1♠
with partner responding 1NT with ♠x ♥Jxxxxx ♦KQx ♣J10x
. Partner leaps to 3NT so now what ??. Do you try
4♥ , risk hitting partner
with xx of hearts ? 3NT is the correct contract if that is the
case. Certainly easier if partner bids 2NT , which is virtually forcing to game. Playing our relays , I would bid 3♣, partner would take the relay
to 3♦. I would bid 3♥ to play but partner
would bid 4♥ as he is rich in
controls with 18 HCP’s & nice hearts..
After a forcing 1NT ,a leap to 3NT should be extinct
or a picture bid so as not to pre-empt partner from the right game. Fast
arrival to game should be weak or
a picture bid throughout your system.
Bidding
a forcing 2NT helps with the limit raise fit hands
also. 1♠ with ♠AKxxx ♥Axx ♦Kxx ♣Ax
, partner bids 1NT with ♠QJx
♥Jx ♦AQxxx ♣xxx
as you
plan to make a limit raise in spades. Partner bids 2NT so if you have a weak
spade hand you would relay
first. You according bid 3♠ which shows the limit raise hand as natural
bidding is strong when you have a relay.
Partner bids 4♣ , you comply with 4♦ which is all partner
needs to hear. Partner bids 6♠ so you have 12 tricks for +1430.
Making a strong jump shift with 5-4-3-1 hand with 4♦’s is lame bidding as 3NT is still usually the goal. Let’s have the understanding that these 5-4-3-1 “diamond strong jump shift hands” can be included in our 2NT rebid. This allows responder to investigate game or slam at a lower level. If partner has a good hand , she bids it naturally so we get to our best spot. If responder has a weak hand or wants to investigate a diamond slam , she is going to use the 3 club query. If opener now bids anything but NT , she shows a stiff with the 5-4-3-1 strong jump shift ♦ hand. This , of course, only applies when opener raises to 2NT. If opener bids 3NT over the query , this shows that the 2NT bid was really a flat 18-19 HCP’s.
This
understanding allows you to get to the best game if no stopper in the singleton suit. ♠AKxxx ♥x ♦AKxx ♣Axx so you open 1♠ ,
partner bids 1NT . You bid
2NT so partner relays to 3♣ with ♠x ♥xxx ♦QJxxx ♣Kxxx. Partner bids 3♥ so you leap to 5♦ on your known 6-3
fit. You can get to 5-3 heart games with this sequence also or in rare cases your
rightful diamond slam. If you have a hand that might produce slam opposite a strong jump shift in diamonds, bid 3♣
as a checkback after partner’s 2NT bid. This bid is systemic asking partner to describe her 2NT rebid. 3NT
says it is 5-3-3-2. A suit bid is a stiff with a diamond SJS & 3 of the
opening major shows a 5-4-2-2 with diamonds. These sequences clarify the 3♦ strong jump shift as
showing 5 of them , lighter with more distributional
values.