[helene_t]

Elianna, on Sep 20 2005, 07:15 PM, said:

Why is going through Stayman to invite on a hand without a fourcard major impractical?

You give the opps the option of doubling 2♣ for the lead and you disclose declarer's major suit holding. Also:
1NT-2♣
2♥-2/3NT*
presumably shows spades so without spades you would have to bid
1NT-2♣
2♥-2♠
Now opps can double 2♠ as well.

Add to this the general disadvantages of invites: it's blame transfer, it discloses declarer's HCP count, and it tells the opps that 3NT is stredgy which may inspire a penalty double and/or a passive lead.

All in all, I think if you need 2NT for something other than a natural invite I think it's better not to play invites. But Ben's solution looks better than going through Stayman.

[helene_t]

Jlall, on Sep 21 2005, 03:46 PM, said:

Wow invites are blame transfers now? I thought they were just descriptive bids made in an effort to get to the best contract.

Isn't that the same thing?

[inquiry]

helene_t, on Sep 21 2005, 04:30 AM, said:

All in all, I think if you need 2NT for something other than a natural invite I think it's better not to play invites. But Ben's solution looks better than going through Stayman.

Well, first while I use the method I quoted, I got it from ETM Victory, so let's give credit where credit is due.....

I use to play 2♠ as minor suit stayman (weak or strong) or natural invite to 3NT. The idea was partner would bid 2NT with minimum. With weak minor two suiter, over 2NT, I would bid 3♣ (pass/correcT). With strong minor two suiter, I would bid 3♦ over 2NT (GF) or a short major. The minor two suiter didn't come up often enough and signoff in minor became a problem (at that time I used 3C and 3D as that minor forcing). So I switched to 4 way transfers

Then I found the ETM page. I very much like the method there, and it has been very useful for me. I like 2NT as both minors weak, or ♦ any. So it gives me a way to bid all the hands.

[Flame]

hrothgar, on Sep 20 2005, 04:34 PM, said:

Al_U_Card, on Sep 20 2005, 11:10 PM, said:

hrothgar, on Sep 20 2005, 02:55 PM, said:

...  I strongly recommend looking at Keri and the Scanian stuff.

Some day I'll figure out how to integrate the Scanian 2♠ and 2NT bids into the Keri structure

Got any links? tnx

There are good books available on both systems:

The Scanian NT structures uses 2NT to ask for a weak doubleton. Its used as an anti-Lemming bid.

2♠ is an asking bid. The NT opener will rebid 2NT with all minimum hands. With a maximum, opener will show his better minor.

The 2♠ ask is used with a number of hand types including:

1. Game invitational values with no 4 card major
2. Weak hands with both minors
(A) Pass a 3♣ or 3♦ rebid
( Correct 2NT to 3♣
3. Game forcing hands with both minors (Rebid 3M over any rebid)
4. Weak single suited hands with Diamonds

Richard do you know eheeman ? it has 2nt to ask for doubltons, 2S to ask for min/max and show some type of hands, it also use 2c as pupet to 2D like keri. what i like about it is comaring to keri its very simple.

[Winstonm]

Although 4-suit transfers are reasonable, they chew up a lot of bids to talk about single-suited hands; MSS has frequency problems.

My solution is to use 2S as a puppet bid, after which numbers of hands with slam interest can be shown, including 4-4 fit finds.

1N-2S
2N:
3C/3D 5/4 minor/major slam try
3H: Baron 4/4 search, slam try
3S: Single-suited club slam try
3N: Single-suited diamond slam try
4C: 5/5 minor slam try
4D: Solid suit Texas Transfer
4H: Solid suit Texas Transfer

Winston