Friday, December 08, 2006 6:06 AM

Modified Jacoby 2NT

PITBULLS:

As a compromise to one of my partners who does not like a 3♦ response to Jacoby 2NT as a maximum with a stiff minor , we will make the following change to the system . A direct 3NT response to 2NT is not the “serious 3NT” . The rebid of the major will serve that purpose and demand a Q bid. A direct 3NT will show a maximum with a stiff club & 3♦ now will show a maximum with a stiff diamond. However , this is a compromise only. Later on in the auction, since we have a 5-4 major suit fit , 3NT is a “serious slam try” Q bid.

3NT does not mean a choice of contracts unless the auction dictates that 3NT can not be a serious slam try. Minimum responses shown by both sides so it would be ridiculous that 3NT be a slam try. This means that a rebid of your major serves as a “serious 3NT” when used directly. If you want to find a key control initially , use that bid to demand a Q bid . Therefore , the hand Perry & I held would be bid differently. Perry held ♠AQ1098x ♥x ♦x ♣AQ109x and opened 1♠ . I bid a Jacoby 2NT . Perry now rebids 3♠ which demands a Q bid. I bid 4♣ and Perry now bids KCB and we get to our grand slam very easy.

In IMPS , we can not afford the luxury of changing our entire Q bidding philosophy by having 3NT now all of a sudden meaning a choice of a 3NT contract with a 5-4 major fit. A 3NT bid later in the auction is still a Q bid showing serious slam intentions . We still need this understanding as that defines our Q bids as courtesy bids as opposed to serious slam tries. When we have a 5-4 major suit fit , 3NT is never a choice of contracts no matter what the auction. We do not need 3NT to show duplication of value as retreating to the trump suit shows the same thing. “Fast arrival” is still extinct when one side can have an unlimited hand as in Serious 3NT theory.

We can have 3NT as a choice of contracts built into the 3♣ response showing any minimum. After partner bids 3♦ to find out the nature of the minimum , 3NT can offer a choice of contracts. This decision will mean a 3NT response to 3♦ will show a 5-3-3-2 where 9 tricks might be the maximum trick taking potential on the hand.