[Jurek S]

Didn't notice 14-16 NT, drop all Ts from my previoust post.
Strongly disagree with 3♥ bid. Why not 2NT ? or even 3NT io 4♦ ? He should know that ♦ AK is wrong for slam.

[han]

I sometimes open 1NT with a stiff honor. Still, if I as responder am 6-4 in the majors I'm going to play in one of those suits. Stayman followed by Texas is one option. Transfer followed by a spliter is another good option.

I don't think that the hands with a stiff honor in a major are so common that you need to rebuild your structure. Having said that, if you are happy playing your NT structure, don't change it.

[mikeh]

Echognome, on Sep 19 2005, 07:48 AM, said:

We "smolen" with 64 hands.  With 54 we transfer and bid the second suit.  Not sure of the various merits of playing it one way or another, but that is why I didn't use stayman.

I see no reason why smolen has to be limited to either 6-4 or 5-4.

If partner uses stayman and, over my 2♦ response, bids 3 of a major, my explanation, if asked is:

'shows 4 or more cards in (suit bid) and longer in the other major, and game force or better values'

With 5-4, respect opener's choice of denomination.

With 6-4, retransfer into the 6 card suit over 3N

With 6-5, retransfer into the 5 card suit over 3N

You will always reach the 5-3 or 6-3 or 6-2 fits. And the ability to transfer usually keeps the auction open for responder to establish the trump suit and still have another bid, should slam be on the horizon. The only exception is on the 5=6 hands: over 3N you have to bid 4♥ to show the 5=6, and partner, with 2=2 in the majors, will pass. However this is an unlikely parlay: partner will rarely be 2=2 in the majors for 1N, and you will rarely be 5=6 with slam interest.

A side benefit is that you can use sequences such as 1N  2♦  2♥  2♠ for other purposes.

Walsh Relays, for example, use this as a puppet to 2N, preparing to show a single suited minor slam try, using the 3-level to show good or not-so-good suits. There are other methods as well

[han]

Mikeh, I think Matt is going to pass 3NT with 6-4 hands too. This is unplayable if you can be either 5-4 or 6-4.

[inquiry]

The ACBL rules on opening 1NT with a singleton are:

If your notrump opening shows a balanced hand, you may occasionally pick up a hand with a singleton, which you may want to treat as balanced. You may use your bridge judgment to open or overcall a notrump with a singleton, provided that:

1. It is a rare occurrence (no more than 1% of the time) and,

2. Partner expects you to have at least two cards in each suit and,

3. You and your partner have no agreements which enable you to discover that partner has a singleton.


The rare occurance means feel free to do so. IT is not clear if this is 1% of the time you open/overcall 1NT, or if this 1% of all hands. Either way, it is rare enough that this is not a problem.

It is #3 that your explaination of why 6=4 smolen has problems. Your treatment is designed to avoid the 6-1 fit, and as such is illegal in ACBL. Not sure what the EBL says on this subject.

[SoTired]

I play the 1N 2D 2H 2S auction shows 5h,4s, invitational. I need that since I play the 1N 2C 2D 2H = weak with both majors.
With 54 and game+, I bid 2C and bid smolen over a 2D response. If I got the 2H response, I would be in 6H going down also.

What's wrong with that? You have a 9-card heart fit and 30-32 hcp with proper controls. The only way to avoid 6H would be this auction:

1N 2C
2H 3S
3N 4D
4H pass
Where:
3S = anonymous splinter
3N = where?
4D = diam
4H = whoops, that is where all my strength is
pass = won't push the issue

[han]

Ben, just wondering, since when do you care what the ACBL rules are?

[inquiry]

Hannie, on Sep 19 2005, 02:33 PM, said:

Ben, just wondering, since when do you care what the ACBL rules are?

Oh, I don't, not really. Of course, that means you can't play this in ACBL land (or online in ACBL events). Truth be told, if you played it, they would not catch you... unless you explained it was 6-4 smolen to cater to singleton in major. Play 6-4 smolen to give your partner a better count, no problem.... it is how you explain it... but that is just legalese.....

I don't like it, not because it is illegal, I don't like it because it makes no darn sense. You need smolen for 5-4 hands, not 6-4 hands. You can include 6-4 if you like (As well as 5-4), and then just not accept 3NT to indicate the six card suit and stronger slam interest than if you had used texas on the second round.

But your milage may vary.

[mikeh]

Jlall, on Sep 19 2005, 11:14 AM, said:

The way I usually play, smolen is always 5-4. I like this because responder can use his third bid as natural (pattern) and a slam try. There is no need for retransferring so I think slam bidding is a little more precise.

With 6-4 I would bid 2C then over 2D 4D/4H would be transfers.

With 6-5 with 6 spades and 5 hearts I bid 2H then 3H (5-5+).

With 6 hearts and 5 spades I actually have a system hole I guess, thanks for bringing this to my attention. I seem to have no bid for this shape. I use 2D then 2S as 4-5 or 5-5 invitational.

Aha!

I love transfer bids in all and every kind of auction

So

1N    2♣
2♦    3♥
3N    4♣

is a transfer to ♦: usually 5=4=4=0 or may be very good 5=4=3=1

4♠ would be transfer to ♣

So I can show my pattern and bid my 6-4's and 6-5's

Any transfer into a minor beyond 3N ought to be a slam try. Opener can, of course, sign off in 4N.