Friday, September 08, 2006 3:23 PM

1 Minor - 2NT Unlimited

PITBULLS:

In the era of 4NT not being Blackwood with the minors , there is no reason to have the 2NT bid after a minor as a limited bid. 2NT after a minor should say we are forced to game with 13 HCP + and I want to right side the NT. Lets go thru some ranges to describe the HCP strength of the NT hand. The easiest hand type to describe is the 13-17 range. If partner bids 3NT you simply pass. A good 18-19 you can bid 4NT as an invite to bigger and better things. If you have 20-21 HCP you leap to 6NT and if you have even more you can bid 5NT saying bid 6NT with a minimum and 7 NT with a maximum.

Here is a hand from a Spingold where both tables bid the same 2NT bid. 1♦-P-2NT-P and the 2NT bidder held ♠AQx ♥A10x ♦Kxxx ♣AKx Partner bid 3NT and at one table they bid 6NT . At the other table , the 2NT bidder devalued his 4-3-3-3 to 19 HCP and only invited by bidding 4NT. With 33 HCP between the two hands there was only 11 tricks so he won 12 IMPS. Too close for my blood, as I would have just bid 6NT.

There are no good bids to describe these huge flat hands anyway. Leaping to 3NT or 4NT directly just pre-empts partner out of exploring the best game or slam contract so why not start the auction at the 2NT level ? A direct leap to 3NT should show a picture bid of a 4-3-3-3 NT opener range hand. If you are playing 2NT as a game force , may as well play it as unlimited.

If you do not play 2NT unlimited , what are you going to bid with these hands ? You distort your hand anyway with a convoluted 2/1 or inverted minor or a simple response at the one level. You are just stalling as you will have a problem later in the auction anyway. At least right side the NT to the huge hand at the beginning of the auction and at least proceedings have started properly.