Quasi 3 Suited Hands

Wednesday, September 11, 2002

PITBULLS:

Over 1NT openers , minor suit transfers are a great tool . This article from the net also solves a number of other sticky situations over a 1NT opener .

These methods give you an excellent structure over 1NT for the tough hands .

FOUR SUIT TRANSFERS

Let's start with quasi 3 suited hands with two minors. Playing transfers and Stayman, how would you handle this hand when partner opens 1NT?

ª KJ8 © 7 ¨ K1096 § AJ954

You obviously cannot start with a transfer, having no 6 card minor suit. So, let's say you start with Stayman. Partner responds 2©. Now I guess you give up and settle for 3NT? Unfortunately partner's hand is:

ª A3 © 10853 ¨ AQ5 § KQ72

The opponents cash the first five heart tricks. One down! Unlucky -- hearts could have been 4-4 and the opponent did well to lead one after the Stayman response. Will teammates commiserate? They come back hopeful of gaining a swing on the board as their opponents stopped in 5§+1 with slam cold. Do you think they will be impressed that their -600 is 12 IMPs out rather than 13 in the plus column?

You are hardly better placed if partner bids 2¨ in response to Stayman. You'll be sure that a minor suit game or perhaps a slam is the right contract, but how on earth do you get there?

Now how about this one:

Once again, partner opens 1NT. You could start by transferring to diamonds with only a 5 card suit, but then what? Do you really want to give up on 3NT by bidding 4§ next? Why should partner have a minor suit fit? Why shouldn't he have good spades? The answer of course, is that he might have anything. 3NT may easily be the right spot, but so too might 5§, 5¨, 6§, 6¨ or even 4©. You just don’t know, and you have to guess.

Since you have all of the 3 level bids available, you could do worse than use them to address the problems presented by these 3 suited hands. The following works, although you can just as easily devise your own ways to handle the problem. These are the immediate responses to the 1NT opening:

3ª shows at least 5-4 in the minors with less than 4ª and at most one heart

After the 3©/3ª responses, opener will usually be able to set the suit immediately, since responder's suits are already known. The reason you do not jump in the singleton major is that the opponents can double for a lead. Also since you open 1NT with a 5 card major , a direct raise of the major fragment is to play ! ( 5-3 fit )

Since partners minor is known and you know whether there is duplication of value or not you will bid 3NT with wastage regardless if you have a minor fit. With a minor fit and no wastage , slam is on the horizon. A minor bid at the 4 level should be KCB for that minor.