[MarkDean]

I am sure this has been discussed here before, but I was just wondering what people played over 1m-1M-2m in a 2/1 framework.

[kfay]

One of my partners always bugs me about playing this structure:

The proposed structure handles one-over-one sequences where opener rebids two of his first-bid suit or two of a lower-ranking suit. Outside of some non-standard jump shifts, there are only two basic ideas: 1) transfers at the two-level when available to initiate game-forcing auctions; 2) and a 2S rebid after 1H 1S 2C/D/H is an artificial game force, with 1H 2S and 1H 1NT 2C/D/H 2S(!) respectively covering weak and invitational hands with long spades.



After 1x 1y ; 2x or 1x 1y 2z (a suit ranking below x), responder's:
-- simple preference to 2x is to play (standard)
-- rebid of 2y is always invitational (nonstandard)
-- bid of a higher-ranking suit at the two-level is a (potentially artificial) game force (standard)
-- bid of 2NT is natural and invitational (standard)
-- three-level raise of a suit bid by opener is invitational (standard)
-- jump to 3y is game forcing (showing a very strong suit) (non-standard)
-- jump-shift is natural and game forcing, showing two strong suits (even 1D 1S ; 2C 3H) (standard)


After sequences where responder has a rebid available below two of his first-bid suit (1C 1H ; 2C, 1C 1S ; 2C, 1D 1S ; 2C, 1D 1S ; 2D, 1H 1S ; 2C), responder begins most game-forcing auctions by transferring to his major (which opener assumes is to play), then bidding again (which cancels the meaning of the transfer and sets up a natural game force). Three items worth noting: (1) after a transfer, responder's third-round 2NT is forcing and unlimited; (2) the sequence 1C 1S ; 2C 2D is natural and invitational; and (3) after 1C 1H ; 2C, responder's 2S is natural and game forcing, implying a hand with most of its high cards in the majors.


After minor-suit opening sequences where responder doesn't have a second-round transfer available (1C 1D ; 2C, 1D 1H ; 2C, 1D 1H ; 2D), continuations are as in standard except that after responder's potentially artificial third- or fourth-suit 2H or 2S rebid, opener's third-round 2NT may be waiting, not necessarily showing a stopper in responder's last-bid suit. (It makes sense, however, to define a raise of this suit to show a hand with a stiff in responder's first-bid suit and 3 cards in his last-bid unsuitable for a 2NT rebid, e.g., either Axx x KQxxxx Kxx after 1D 1H ; 2D 2S or xxx x KQxxx AQJx after 1D 1H ; 2C 2S). The advantage of this treatment is that over 2NT responder can conveniently set trump at the three-level. (There's perhaps some loss to standard methods where 2NT generally implies a stopper in the last-bid suit, however there always needs for one bid that potentially carries no extra meaning so it might as well be the cheapest one. For example, after 1D 1H 2C 2S, what does opener do with xx xx AQxxx KQxx?)



Responder's first-round jump shifts are conventional, covering hands that can't be shown otherwise:
-- 1C 2D and 1D 2H are weak.
-- 1C 2H is invitational with 5 hearts and 4+ diamonds.
-- 1C/D 2S is invitational with 5+ spades and 4+ hearts.


(Note: It fits very well into this structure to play 1D 1S ; 1NT to show a minimum unbalanced hand with 4 hearts (usually 1=4=(54) but possibly 3=4=6=0). If we play XYZ, we can't get out in 2C, but responder can bid 2S invitational, 2H to play (bid 2C first if invitational with 4+ hearts), 2D with any game-force, or 2C to drop in diamonds or invite in any suit.)

There are three major advantages of this approach when compared with standard methods:
1) Responder with a long suit or with spades plus heart support can invite without going past two of the major.
2) Responder can almost always set trump at the three-level without going through potentially murky fourth-suit forcing auctions.
3) Responder can show at the two-level most shapely invitational two-suiters -- 5 hearts and 4+ diamonds, 5 spades and 4+ diamonds. or 5 spades and 4+ hearts.


It might be a modest improvement to play that after 1C 1D ; 2C, 1D 1H ; 2C, or 1D 1H ; 2D, any 3-level rebid by responder is natural and forcing while a new suit at the two-level is an artificial game invitation. However, this is somewhat accident-prone so I've omitted from the structure for now.




I never read the notes and tell him I haven't because I don't like to bother with a bunch of mumbo-jumbo.

[kenrexford]

I have nothing to add when Responder is not a passed hand.

However, in the auction P-P-1m-P-1M-P-2m-P-?, I have long believed that good theory leads to a good conclusion.

I like bidding the other minor to show a stopper and an acceptance of clubs for NT reasons. 2NT, in contrast, would imply a stop in the other major, unless the other major call would be 2♠, in which case 2♠ shows that.