Thursday, August 25, 2005 7:09 AM

NT Common Patterns

PITBULLS:

In a previous article , I defined Bidding down to its most primitive form by saying it was “just” taking a trillion Bridge hands described by their 39 patterns and using HCP’s as a guide describe them accurately to partner. Easy stuff for aliens possibly but not for us mere mortals as being human gets in the way L.

INT & 2NT is the cornerstone of your bidding system. Established partnerships at the expert level should have a way of describing the more common patterns two ways invitational & game forcing/slam try after a NT opener & no fit. These hands should also be described after finding a fit. Lets assume the weak hands are described by passing. OK lets investigate & see if your NT structure can handle the variety of hand patterns that can come up with no fit established via Stayman or other systemic bids. I will use our system of course J .

5-5-2-1 6-5-1-1 Two suiters

5-5 in the minors non forcing 5-5 in the minors forcing

1NT-P-3♣ partner passes or corrects 1NT-P-3♦ many sequences after that

5-5 in the majors invitational 5-5 in the majors forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♥-P transfer

2♦-P-2♥*-P * relay 2♠-P-3♥-P

2♠-P-3♥-P

5♠-5 minor invitational 5♠-5 minor forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♥-P transfer

2♦-P-2♥*-P * relay 2♠-P-3 minor

2♠-P-3 minor

1NT-P-2♣-P

2♥-P-2♠*-P * relay

2NT-P-3 minor

5♥-5 minor invitational 5♥-5 minor forcing

1NT-P-2♦-P 1NT-P-2♦-P

2♥-P-2♠*-P * relay 2♥-P-3 minor

2NT-P-3 minor

6-3-3-1 6-3-2-1 7-3-2-1 7-2-2-2 Single Suited hands

Single suited major non forcing Single suited major forcing

1NT-P-2♦/♥ transfer 1NT-P-2♦/♥ transfer

1NT-P-4♦/♥ transfer

Single suited diamonds non forcing Diamonds – forcing

1NT-P-2NT-P 1NT-P-2NT-P

3♦-P-P 3♦-P-3NT/3 Major

Single suited clubs non forcing Clubs - forcing

1NT-P-2♠-P 1NT-P-2♠-P

3♣-P-P-P 3♣-P-3NT/3 Major

4-4-3-2 5-4-2-2 Quasi Two Suiters

Two suits minors invitational Two suits minors forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2NT 2♦-P-3♣ Re-Stayman

Two suits 5♠-4♥-2-2 invite Two suits 5♠-4♥-2-2 forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2 ♥*-P Smolen relay 2♦-P-2♥*-P Smolen relay

2♠-P-2NT 2♠-P-3NT ( Game only )

Two suits 5♥-4♠-2-2 invite Two suits 5♥-4♠-2-2 forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2♠*-P Smolen 2♦-P-2♠*-P Smolen

2NT-P-P 2NT-P-3NT ( Game only )

Two suits 4♠/♥-2-5-2 invite Two suits 4♠/♥-2-5-2 forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2NT 2♦-P-3♣-P Re-Stayman

6-4-2-1 5-4-3-1 Quasi 3 Suiter & Six – fours’s

5-4 Minors invite 5-4 Minors Forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-3♠-P 3-1-5-4 or 3-1-4-5

2♦-P-2NT-P 1NT-P-3♥-P 1-3-5-4 or 1-3-4-5

5♠-4♥-3-1 Game only 5♠-4♥-3-1 Slam Try

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2♥*-P Smolen relay 2♦-P-2♥*-P Smolen Relay

2♠-P-3♠-P ♠’s 3-1 2♠-P-4 Minor ( 3 card suit )

5♥-4♠-3-1 Game only 5♥-4♠-3-1 Slam try

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2♠*-P Smolen 2♦-P-2♠*-P Smolen

2NT-P-3♠-P ♠’s 3-1 2NT-P-4 Minor ( 3 card suit )

4♥/♠ - 5/6 ♣ Invite 4♥/♠ - 5/6 ♣ Forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2NT-P 2♦-P-2♠*-P Smolen

2NT-P-3♣-P

4♥/♠ - 5/6 ♦ Invite 4♥/♠ - 5/6 ♦ Forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-3♦-P 2♦-P-2♠*-P Smolen

2NT-P-3♦

4♠-6♥ Invite 4♠-6♥ Forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♦-P

2♦-P-2♠*-P Smolen 2♥-P-2♠*-P Relay

2NT-P-3♥-P 2NT-P-4♣/♦

4♠-1♥-5-3 Forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-3♥

1♠-4♥-5-3 Forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-3♠-P

4-4-4-1 5-4-4-0 Three suiters

3 suits Invite 3 suits forcing

1NT-P-2♣-P 1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2NT-P 2♦-P-3♣-P Re-Stayman

5♠-4♥-4-0

1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2♥*-P Smolen relay

2♠-P-4 minor

5♥-4♠-4-0

1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-2♠*-P Smolen relay

2NT-P-4 minor

4♠-1♥-4-4 or 1♠-4♥-4-4

1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-3♥-P

1NT-P-2♣-P

2♦-P-3♠-P