[Free]

---

1NT* - 2♥
2♠ - ?

Partner starts with 1NT (14-16), you transfer to ♠, partner just accepts, opps being quiet. Do you try something or not?
- at imps?
- at MP's?

[FrancesHinden]

I pass.
(Well in fact I'd have responded 3♠ pre-emptive to 1NT, but not many people play that method.)

[zasanya]

Pass at any form of scoring.Once in a blue moon there could be a game but you will gain far more often by passing.

[000002]

Try! why not ?
a 6cards suiter has extra 4 estimation points when it's fit,and the side suit has extra contribution too.

[Fluffy]

I would bid 3♠ if playing 15-17. Now I am not so sure, not familiar with the range :/. Lets pass.

[whereagles]

Funny hand. If pard has all of his 14-16 points working, you make 4 easy. If not, you might have to struggle to make 2. Since I'm an optimist, at imps I'll bid 4♠, though only if pard knows how to play them.

[Joe de Balliol]

From the phrase "just accepts" I take it pard can super-accept, in which case I pass at either form of scoring - though if pard knows how to play them and we want to extract the maximum against a weak team I might give it another go at IMPs.

J

[Winstonm]

I wish I had the spade J - then I'd have a no loser spade suit 1/2 the time opposite xxx. Without that card, I think it's too speculative to go on, although the shape is very tempting - 6/4 patterns tend to produce a lot of tricks and LTC encourages game. It seems awfully close.

With the spade jack I would have bid Texas; without I'm going to pass in hopes that this is one of those hands where LTC is wrong.

Winston

[000002]

HI,winstonm
could you tell me what is LTC meaning?
thank you

[Winstonm]

000002, on Jan 8 2006, 09:52 AM, said:

HI,winstonm
could you tell me what is LTC meaning?
thank you

Losing Trick Count. A lot of variations so I'll just cover the basic concept without all the side issues. Ace, King, and Q are counted as 1 loser each so you have 12 total losers in any one hand.

AQ109xx - 1 loser, the King
x 1 loser, A
10xxx 3 losers, A, K, Q
xx 2 losers, A,K

Total is 7 losers. Add this number to partner's expected losers (6 or 7 for an opening NT) and subtract this total from 24. 7+7=14. 24-14=10. LTC says that 10 tricks should be available.

Winston

[goodwintr]

Keri -- a method mentioned elsewhere in this forum -- has a way to show a six-card suit missing one high honor, which permits opener to step lightly on 3NT if he has the missing honor and three fast tricks elsewhere. As I recall it, Keri does this in a minor suit by responding 2C, then rebidding three of the long minor. I don't remember how the method does it in a major suit. My own (unofficial!) gloss on Keri in this area is to respond three of the long suit, whether it is a major or a minor, with HHxxxx and hopes that partner can bid 3NT with the missing honor and enough on the side. (I play weak notrumps, so 1NT-3X implies a side card as well as the six-card suit: it is too much to expect a weak-notrump opener to fill in the long suit and produce three more tricks.) One advantage of the method is that it lands in the contract you want to play if opener doesn't convert to 3NT.

[pclayton]

goodwintr, on Jan 8 2006, 08:24 AM, said:

Keri -- a method mentioned elsewhere in this forum -- has a way to show a six-card suit missing one high honor, which permits opener to step lightly on 3NT if he has the missing honor and three fast tricks elsewhere. As I recall it, Keri does this in a minor suit by responding 2C, then rebidding three of the long minor. I don't remember how the method does it in a major suit. My own (unofficial!) gloss on Keri in this area is to respond three of the long suit, whether it is a major or a minor, with HHxxxx and hopes that partner can bid 3NT with the missing honor and enough on the side. (I play weak notrumps, so 1NT-3X implies a side card as well as the six-card suit: it is too much to expect a weak-notrump opener to fill in the long suit and produce three more tricks.) One advantage of the method is that it lands in the contract you want to play if opener doesn't convert to 3NT.

1N - 2♣ - 2♦ - 3 minor in Keri is just invitational. Its non-specific on # of honors.

Thats the original version of Keri anyway. The newer version (where 2♦ isn't automatic over 2♣) might play 3 minor as 2/3 honors.

With the subject hand, I'd certainly Texas over a 15-17 NT, and I probably would over a 14-16 as well. This hand evaluates real good on a ZAR / K and R basis and I would think there are many hands where game is excellent but pard doesn't accept an invite.

[Kalvan14]

Texas at both MP and IMP. There are a lot of hands that can be useful, and defense is often far from accurate. I agree that this is not an invitational bid.

[mikeh]

I'd texas red at imps and transfer to 2♠ and pass at mps or nv imps

[awm]

I'd actually invite on this hand. Transfer and raise is a different kind of invite than rebidding 2NT. I expect partner to evaluate that:

(1) Trump honors and side quick tricks are good.
(2) Trump fit is good, side doubleton very good.
(3) Slow outside cards are bad, although 3NT maybe an outside shot.

There are "maximums" where I would decline this sort of invite, and "minimums" where I would accept. For example game is good opposite:

Kxx
Axxx
Axx
Axx

Game is lousy opposite:

xx
KQxx
KQx
AQJx

It's true that diamond honors are worth more than heart honors, and that partner won't be able to figure this out, but I think partner is well-equipped to bid game on the first of these hands and pass 3♠ on the second.

[HeartA]

Fluffy, on Jan 8 2006, 07:57 AM, said:

I would bid 3♠ if playing 15-17. Now I am not so sure, not familiar with the range :/. Lets pass.

I'd invite, too.

[Free]

I bid 3♠ and partner rather quickly bid 4♠. He made his contract, but I don't know what hand he had exactly (as dummy I don't remember all the cards ) I did saw ♠K and ♥A

[Flame]

Id like to ask the experts who dont invite, is partner having 17 hcp instead of 15 doesnt increase the chances of the game to make ? is partner having 3(4) spades instead of only 2 increase the chances to make a game ?
I agree that he wont know exactly what good and what bad, but this isnt uniqe to this hand, and still know something.

[cherdano]

I am wondering how many of the replies missed that Free was playing 14-16 1NT, not 15-17.