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.