[gwnn]

after 1♥ or 1♠ from us the players from our club insist on using 1NT as either natural OR a weak 1 suited minor hand. From my experience, the two variants they play are roughly equally likely. What's the best defense over this?

over natural 1NT we play
2♣=both majors (like 5-3)
2♦=sound (non-preemptive) raise
2M=natural, quite weak
2NT=sound 4 card offensive raise

[whereagles]

That sounds like the comic NT overcall. The usual counter-strategy is to assume the NT is strong and bid accordingly. The only change you need do is to start dbling a little lower than the usual 10 hcp. A good 8 or 9 is enough.

[655321]

As you say, the frequency of the strong NT vs the weak hand makes a difference.
When I have played against the comic NT, they usually have the weak hand.

Double = penalties (then subsequent doubles as per your normal agreements)
New suit = F1, just as though they overcalled 1 suit instead of 1NT.
Major suit raises still on as though RHO passed.
This has worked well for me. You don't want to be forced to double on all good hands, and have to start bidding suits at the 3 level.

[P_Marlowe]

whereagles, on Jan 7 2008, 08:00 AM, said:

That sounds like the comic NT overcall. The usual counter-strategy is to assume the NT is strong and bid accordingly. The only change you need do is to start dbling a little lower than the usual 10 hcp. A good 8 or 9 is enough.

agree.

This simply means, you switch to
NFB bids.

With kind regards
Marlowe