Monday, August
15, 2005 1:58 AM
Hand
Evaluation – 2NT
Patterning Out
PITBULLS:
My partner & I won a number of IMPS
on boards where we played in a 4-3 major suit fit when it looked like 3NT was not the place to play it. He had ♠K10x
♥x ♦10987x ♣AKQx , opened 1♦ . I responded a
spade so what is you rebid ? I feel partner made the
best bid of 2♠. Why bid 2♣ ? You are not strong enough to “pattern out” & encourage partner. If
you rebid 2♣ with partner leaping to 3NT , do
you now pull to 4♠ ? This can be very wrong , if there is duplication of value in hearts. 3NT was
played at the other table so we won 10 IMPs for our 4♠ Moysean
making . Rhonda Foster & Gerry McCully
at the other table did not support
spades & when the leap to 3NT was made they were trapped in that contract.
We
play 2NT by responder
as a “new suit” forcing one round.
This bid is also called the “godfather 2NT” or an invitation you cannot refuse.
This is an excellent addition to natural
bidding that allows the opener to
pattern out before 3NT is reached. This allows you to investigate
properly at the 3 level rather than the 4 level. I held ♠AK9x
♥xx ♦Axxx ♣Qxx , partner opened 1♥ . I responded 1♠ , he bid 2♣ . I bid 2NT forcing one round &
partner patterned out by bidding
3♠. I had horrible diamond spots so with partner showing
a singleton diamond encourage me
to bid 4♠ for another pickup. Partner held ♠Jxx ♥AKxxx ♦x ♣Axxx
& 3NT is a hopeless contract . I made 4♠ by ruffing a number of diamonds. Which
contract would you rather be in with a diamond lead ?
A natural system has an advantage over a forcing club system by the ability to “pattern out” .
The 2NT forcing by responder as a new suit
is built for this . Partner can pattern out so nice
minor suit slams can be reached after the 2NT bid. Partner opens a diamond , you respond a spade. Partner bids 2♣ so you
have ♠Jxxx ♥AQx ♦KJx ♣Kxx . In standard methods
you leapt to 3NT so partner passes with ♠x ♥Kxx ♦AQxxx ♣AQJ10.
With the
new suit forcing bid , partner “patterns out” to show
extra by bidding 3♥ so +1370 is reached
in diamonds. A leap to 3NT , of course pre-empts partner & constructive
bidding is halted.
Jumping
to 3NT pre-empts partner so
“patterning out “ at the 4 level is risky so not recommended.
If partner leaps to 3NT,
it usually ends all contracts.
With the 2NT by responder
as the new suit concept , a leap to 3NT can be a
“picture” bid showing exactly a 15-17 NT
opener range & quantitative bidding or pulling the 3NT to a
minor from a position of strength can dictate the final contract. A leap to 3NT
with the opponents in the auction can be just a shot.
Playing
2NT forcing one round
prevents the ugly 4th suit
forcing auction where the NT gets wrong
sided. The 2NT forcing allows natural
bidding in a natural system ,
hence the advantage over artificiality.
The range of a two level bid by opener is too wide (12-17 HCP) so leaping to 3NT by
responder kills slam &
alternative games exploration.
Since
we play 4th suit forcing to game , we need a 2NT bid forcing one round to cover hands that fall through
the cracks. My partner held such a hand recently. ♠Q1098x ♥A ♦K109xx ♣Jx . I opened 1♥ , a 1♠ response
& 2♣ by opener so now what ? You cannot bid 2♦ as that is 4th
suit forcing to game. This is a
misfit auction so that’s the last bid you
want to make. You improvise with 2NT forcing one round & partner bids 3♠
followed by 4♠. If you bid 2♦ which grossly
overstates your values , you end up in 6♠ nicely
played for 1 down. I hate
4th suit forcing & the “godfather 2NT” really
helps clarify responders bidding.