[nickf]

I've been playing the following defense to 2D Multi (weak 2 in either Major)

X = I have a 5 card Major, competitive+ values
2H = a good 3C overcall
2S = a good 3D overcall
2NT = natural
3C = 6+ clubs, say 9-11ish
3D = 6+ diamonds, say 9-11ish
3H = a really good hand with 6+ hearts
3S = a really good hand with 6+ spades

Any opinions ? (and as a pre-emptive strike, I am not fishing for your preferred methods over 2D multi).

thanks.

nickf
sydney

[gwnn]

What do you bid with a 4441M hand or 5m4M31 with a bad minor?

[helene_t]

.... or a balanced hand too weak or too strong for 2NT?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

The only remark I have:
Your defence is fairly minor suit oriented.
You have the option to accept / break the
transfer to a specific minor, but you dont
have a similar option for the mayor.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Gerben42]

Might be dangerous if 2♦ can be passed... Not sure how common the weak-only variation is in Oz though.

Quote

  .... or a balanced hand too weak or too strong for 2NT?

Pass / Dbl. 19+ hands always seem to Dbl

[Codo]

As you asked for options:
You can show weak hands with minors, good hand with one major, good hand with minors, some balanced with 2 and 3 NT.

You cannot show 12-15 balanced, and for a take out double with a short major you have to wait till your second turn, which may be much higher.

Maybe there is a problem in showing the 19 HCP hands together with the 5 card major in the double, I don´t know.


So my opinion: You have too many ways to show your minors compared to other frequent hands. Maybe to use 2 Spade as good hand with one minor and 2 Heart for other hands will solve some problems (and creates other, but of lesser frequency?)
But I like the transfer idea.

[skjaeran]

The method in the OP is just the same as I play with my regular partner.

[whereagles]

My opinion: too much emphasis on minors. You'll get to 3NT more often but will miss major suit games, especially those in 44 fits.

[keylime]

I play this defense currently.

The pluses: You are able to get your hand across immediately in 2nd seat. Minors are not neglected. Partner's pass allows 4th seat some license in bidding over a 2D-2M sequence.

The minuses: Nearly forces you to play mandatory balancing/reopening doubles in 4th seat if it goes 2D - 2M and you lack a constructive call. Preemption causes 2nd seat to "back their way" into the auction with a 13-15 hand.

On the whole, I like it because it is a little bit different than standard Multi defenses. Furthermore, the ability to bid a 3C/D hand immediately I think is good. I also feel that at times, showing the 13-15 balanced hand gives 3rd chair a chance to up the ante more than if you had passed.

[nickf]

helene_t, on Sep 7 2007, 09:14 PM, said:

.... or a balanced hand too weak or too strong for 2NT?

Oops, misleading opening post. In Australia the majority also throw in an Acol 2NT to their 2D multi. I guess this throws out the need to act immediately with a weak NT or other ordinary hands posters have mentioned like 4441M hand or 5m4M31 with a bad minor.

In response to Gerben - rarely passed.

nickf
sydney

[paulg]

keylime, on Sep 7 2007, 06:20 PM, said:

I also feel that at times, showing the 13-15 balanced hand gives 3rd chair a chance to up the ante more than if you had passed.

Personally I would be more concerned at third hand upping the ante when we have passed with a 13-15 balanced hand.

Paul

[FrancesHinden]

Jeffrey plays this with one of his partners, at the partner's request. I asked what the benefits were, and all he could come up with was
i) it doesn't come up very often so I can't evaluate it properly compared with other methods
ii)it's something different
iii)it stops the problem of overcalling in their suit

on rgb you asked about its origin.
I'm sure it's been invented multiple times, like all of these things, but once time was by a junior called Ed Sheldon at Cambridge* in the late 1980s who was very interested in system.

*Cambridge, England. The original: beware of imitations!