[matmat]

AK63
KT75
AT32
K

opps silent, third chair, imps, w/r

1♠ - 2NT (jacoby)
4♠ - ?

move?

[ONEferBRID]

Anything is better than Jacoby.... because of the 4M rebid w/minimum.

pass

[Phil]

Don't like these Jacoby sequences but don't hate them as much as I used to.

Easy pass. Way too many losers to cover. GLP.

[jdonn]

Obviously hands like this are why the regular rebids over jacoby 2NT don't work well. Anyway I move, simply because for years I passed on hands like this and I feel like slam made way too often.

[mtvesuvius]

I'm a mover. Of course this is why you don't play regular Jacoby, but that's for another day. Given this is what we are playing, I think that partner can have Ax of a red suit or something... Of course this will be horribly wrong if partner has something like QJxxx QJ QJ QJxx, but I don't play bridge in fear. I think we have 5 level safety relatively often enough to make moving worthwhile here. Give partner Qxxxx Ax QJx Axx or another medium-min and we want to be in slam. It's the times when partner has the Q and or J♣ that we may get into trouble.

[bd71]

What are the alternatives to Jacoby 2NT that can show strong major support and help explore slam more economically? Hoping the experts/advanceds help us understand the better approaches? And are those approaches fairly standardized and well-known (i.e. for pick-up partnerships), or are we stuck with Jacoby with a random partner?

[Ant590]

bd71, on Sep 26 2009, 09:32 AM, said:

What are the alternatives to Jacoby 2NT that can show strong major support and help explore slam more economically?  Hoping the experts/advanceds help us understand the better approaches?  And are those approaches fairly standardized and well-known (i.e. for pick-up partnerships), or are we stuck with Jacoby with a random partner?

The 2NT bid is fine, it is the responses that many experts change.

One easy structure is:

3♣ = any minimum
3♥ = club shortage
4♥ = never really bid, but suggests a solidish suit with nothing outside

Then the hands that would bid 4♥ in standard Jacoby now bid 3♣, giving partner space to make a slam try if needed. However, this gives the opponents an easy lead-directing double (or the inferences from a lack of one), and often it will go 1♥-2NT-3♣-4♥ and you have not gained anything.

In a pick-up partnership I wouldn't bother really though. Missing the odd tough-to-bid slam is the least of your worries...

[andy_h]

Is partner limited to a max of 12 or max of 14? If former I pass if the latter I move. Like others have said, playing regular Jacoby is tough.

[ONEferBRID]

bd71, on Sep 26 2009, 03:32 AM, said:

What are the alternatives to Jacoby 2NT that can show strong major support and help explore slam more economically? 

My simple suggestion is to switch the 3NT and 4M meanings.
That way Responder can start a cuebid sequence at the 4-level.

My more intricate suggestion is Swedish 2NT where:

3C! = any minimum; may have shortage-- 3D! asks where, then
         the shortage is identified with the same steps as the direct replies below for "extras".
3D! = "extras" ( 15+ ), no shortage
3H! = "extras" w/ Cl shortage
3S! = "extras" w/ Diam shortage
3NT! = "extras" w/ shortage in other Major

This puts the the strength of the "shortage" replies in perspective.

[pooltuna]

matmat, on Sep 25 2009, 04:40 PM, said:

AK63
KT75
AT32
K

opps silent, third chair, imps, w/r

1♠ - 2NT (jacoby)
4♠ - ?

move?

you have enough controls & Ts to warrant a try

[matmat]

so.. followup -- cue or keycard?

and re. other methods -- it's all nice and good to have well discussed, efficient and accurate methods in an established partnership, but either in a pickupish game or early stages of a partnership not all these details are worked out, so sometimes just gotta live with plain old conventions, like the J2n

[pooltuna]

matmat, on Sep 26 2009, 11:01 AM, said:

so.. followup -- cue or keycard?

and re. other methods -- it's all nice and good to have well discussed, efficient and accurate methods in an established partnership, but either in a pickupish game or early stages of a partnership not all these details are worked out, so sometimes just gotta live with plain old conventions, like the J2n

keycard

Playing with pickup partners I never use J2NT because there are too many variations of followups

[aguahombre]

Agree with those who don't use J2N, but even in my methods this hand is awkward. Too strong for a splinter. Splinter then BW is exclusion. 2/1 and bidding around the singleton might be best, but would be better if the king of clubs were the queen of diamonds. Now that I am finished arguing with myself, I choose bidding around the club shortness and subsiding at the 4-level if partner does not come alive ---even if J2N was available.