[Rossoneri]

What do people usually play after a 2NT showing a weak 5-5 in the minors?

(Mainly I am trying to get ideas regarding 2NT-3♥/♠, but seeing whole structures would be better.)

[Free]

3m = signoff
3♥ = relay
3♠ = natural, 6+♠, F1
3NT = signoff
4m = invite
4M = signoff
5m = signoff

After the relay:
3♠ = 3♠ (or 6520)
3NT = any 5521
4m = 6m, 5Om, 1-1 in the Majors
4♥ = 3♥ (or 6520)

Hands with 6-6 or 7-5 are not included in this scheme, but you never get them anyway

[awm]

3♥ = ask shortage and
..... 3♠ = singleton spade
..... 3N = singleton heart
..... 4♣ = void spade
..... 4♦ = void heart

3♠ = ask aces

Else = natural, 4M to play (or can bid 3♥... 4M to play)

[pclayton]

Here's what I play and I don't think its really ideal, but there's some tradeoffs.

3/4/5 Minor - Natural may be blocking.
3N /4 major - To play

3♥ = Puppet to 3♠, then:

....Pass = To play
....3N = Choice of games. Opener may pass with good honors or may pull with a weak hand and 6-5.
....4♣ / 4♦ = Invitational to game
....4 major / 5 minor = Very mild slam try. Opener should move with 2 cover cards.

3♠ = Puppet to 3N, then:
....4♣ / 4♦ = Slam try in minor. Opener answers KCs.
....4 major = Strong slam try in the major. Opener should move with 1 cover cards.
....5 minor = strong slam try in minor

The obvious drawback is that you can't look for a simple 5-3 or 6-2 fit in a major, but most responding structures I've seen use 3♥ and 3♠ artificially.

[dicklont]

Playing 2NT minors over 1NT or as an opening bid:

3m = to play
4m = to set the strain, slam going, asking partner to show his shortest colour.
5m = to play

It's simple, maybe too simple, but it's serves memory very well.

[PrecisionL]

Playing 2NT = 55+ minors: Only 0.8% of all distributions.

Here is what we (Keylime & PrecisionL) play:

3♣/♦ = to play
3♥ = A & GI 11+ pts. asking for distribution
3♠ = A & S.I. asking for better minor: 3NT = ♣ (4♣ = Beta); 4♣ =♦ (4♦=Beta)
3NT = to play w sure major stops
4♣ = G.I.
4♦ = G.I.
4♥/♠ = CAB: Control Asking bid in the suit named

After 3♥ Asking:

3♠ = 1255 w 1♠
3NT = 2155 w 1♥
4♣ = 1156 w 6♣
4♦ = 1165 w 6♦
4♥ = 0355 w 3♥
4♠ = 3055 w 3♠
4NT = xx66

Larry

[joshs]

I am really boring, but I usually play a pretty narrow range for 2N:

3m to play
3M naturalish and forcing, but sometimes I intend on correcting 4M or 3N back to a minor (non-forcing). You raise this with 2, you bid the other major with 3 card support (or 2 card support, a void and a super hand). In this way you are finding out shape information without relays...
3N to play
4m pre-empt
4N pick a minor
5m to play

Now what I usually play is for 4H to be rkc in clubs and and 4S to be rkc in diamonds (you can bid 3 then 4 if you just want to play there). If you play a wider range 2N then I do, I think these should just be slam tries, not rkc, or something like optional rkc:
step 1=min (then next step re-asks keycards)
step 2= 1 no Q
step 3= 1 and Q
step 4= 2 no Q
step 5= 2 and Q
step 6 = 3 no Q
etc.

The optimal steps depend a lot on the range...

[jdonn]

I think it's best to play 3♥ asks for shortness, because partner having 1 vs 2 often makes a difference for playing 3NT, and secondarily you can use it to find major suit fits. Otherwise you can use 3NT as a relay for minor suit slam tries I guess, and that's really all you need.

There is too much emphasis on getting the exact distribution. Is it THAT helpful?

Edit: I mean 3♠ relay, not 3NT. Obv 3NT is to play.

[kenrexford]

I'm assuming a 2NT opening.

Playing that a few years ago, we liked relatively simple. However, one tweak was to reverse the meanings of 3♥ and 3♠. Both were "natural," but each was "natural" for the other suit. Thus, 3♥ showed spades and 3♠ showed hearts.

This had some slight advantage that I cannot remember.

Way before that, maybe 15 years ago, I played where 3♣ in response to 2NT for the minors was a pattern ask. This is not a typo. Three Clubs was not natural. With club preference, you passed (and somewhat hoped for a double) or bid 4♣. I thought that this was stupid and unplayable as well, until I tried it. Strangely, I liked it.

[PassedOut]

kenrexford, on Dec 25 2007, 04:35 PM, said:

Way before that, maybe 15 years ago, I played where 3♣ in response to 2NT for the minors was a pattern ask.  This is not a typo.  Three Clubs was not natural.  With club preference, you passed (and somewhat hoped for a double) or bid 4♣.  I thought that this was stupid and unplayable as well, until I tried it.  Strangely, I liked it.

When I played the Roman Club, we played that method too. In that case, opener's 2NT showed 5+♦s and only 4+♣s.

I thought the 4♣ signoff was scary too, but no disaster situation ever arose.