[Ant590]

I had an issue with the following sequence:

1♠ - 2♥
2♠ - 3♣
3♦ - 4NT

What is 4NT. I was playing "standard", but I would be interested in both this and 2/1.

Ant.

[gnasher]

Natural.

[pclayton]

Yes, natural.

The generic meaning is a hand "too good for 3N". 4N should be around a good 18 to a bad 20, assuming 3♣ established a game force and 2♠ and 3♦ weren't specific as to strength.

[han]

Natural, but don't try it when playing with my mother.

[gwnn]

natürel. 3♣ should definitely be GF, even if 2♠ was NF (gulp)

[skjaeran]

Add me to the "natural" choir.

This is a quantitative bid, showing a hand too strong for 3NT that wants to invite slam.

[joker_gib]

han, on Oct 12 2008, 04:46 AM, said:

Natural, but don't try it when playing with my mother.

LOL !

Same for me : natural

[FrancesHinden]

han, on Oct 12 2008, 04:46 AM, said:

Natural, but don't try it when playing with my mother.

me too, on both counts.

[Ant590]

Thanks for the many replies. That's put my mind at rest– my partner (who is much better than me) answered to keycard with clubs as trumps =S

[ArtK78]

There are so many players out there who play that 4NT is always Blackwood that it is astonishing sometimes.

Playing against a weak team this past Sunday in a local sectional, the opponents perpetrated the following auction:

2♣ - 2♦*
4NT - 5♣
5♥ - All Pass

2♦ was alerted as 4-7 HCP. 4NT was intended as natural and invitational, but responder took it as Blackwood. Opener bid 5♥ on AKJx for some reason that appealed to her, and responder, with Qxx of hearts, passed. They managed to make 11 tricks with 13 being available in notrump. They cannot make 13 in hearts as the hearts are 4-2 and the ♥Q is the only entry to dummy to run dummy's diamond suit (Kxxxx opposite AQ).

My teammates, which included a student, got to 6♥ on a similar auction! However, the student, who was responsible for the disastrous auction, managed to play it one trick better than the opponent at my table.

[Rossoneri]

Should be natural. What suit have you even agreed on? Besides, 4N is too valuable as a slam try for NT to give up for BW...

[Echognome]

Ant590, on Oct 14 2008, 06:02 AM, said:

Thanks for the many replies. That's put my mind at rest– my partner (who is much better than me) answered to keycard with clubs as trumps =S

It's possible he did that because he thought that's the way you'd take it. Maybe he will have more respect for your game now.

[peachy]

Ant590, on Oct 14 2008, 09:02 AM, said:

Thanks for the many replies. That's put my mind at rest– my partner (who is much better than me) answered to keycard with clubs as trumps =S

Some partnerships have the agreement that when accepting 4NT invite (and the 4NT was a natural invite) then on the way we answer aces *as if* 4NT had been asking for them.

[jdonn]

Even though it was implied, I feel it should be said. Almost all bridge players in the world would take 4NT as blackwood. Even if partner is someone who "knows" it should be natural, he also has to "know that I know", so you have to be very careful with bids like this.

[paulg]

jdonn, on Oct 14 2008, 05:59 PM, said:

Even though it was implied, I feel it should be said. Almost all bridge players in the world would take 4NT as blackwood. Even if partner is someone who "knows" it should be natural, he also has to "know that I know", so you have to be very careful with bids like this.

I think this means it should be restricted to the Forum Indy