[helene_t]

One advantage of playing acceptance (bidding responder's suit) as positive and 1st step as negative is that with a weak 5-5 in the minors, responder can bid 2NT. If opener then bids 3♣, it is likely to be a better contract than 3♦, so responder passes.

This also means that (I disagree with TWO4BRIDGE), 1NT-2♠-3♦ is not a weak hand with 5-5 minors.

An advantage of playing the first step as positive is that opener will be declarer whenever responder has an invitational hand. But then again, if you play the 1st step as negative, opener will be declarer when responder is weak.

[Ant590]

Wow - it's a good thing there aren't any downvotes.

With the exception of a few replies here, the amount of people stating that a particular method is standard or the correct way is frightening. A good rule of thumb with conventions and follow-ups in bridge is unless everyone plays it (e.g. 1NT opening is a limited balanced range), there is probably no standard (e.g. 2♦ openings).

Superaccepts: one style loses when responder has a weak hand with both minors, the other loses when responder has a weak single suited hand

Rebids: shortage wins when responder has no slam interest and wants to check the right contract beneath 3NT, natural wins when responder is dealt two-suiters and helps differentiate between 5m4M and 6m4M hands, cuebids win when responder has slam interest and wants to check on controls (although note with either of the other two approaches, responder can make a further move). As for which is the biggest loss, this depends on the rest of your 1NT structure, for instance I would argue that if you played direct 3-level bids as splinters, the return for shortage rebids after a minor transfer is lower.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

helene_t, on 2011-March-17, 02:53, said:

This also means that (I disagree with TWO4BRIDGE), 1NT-2♠-3♦ is not a weak hand with 5-5 minors.

I didn't show what you typed.

I showed ( from one of the references I found ):
1NT - 2S! ( transfer to Cl; long Cl, but could have the weak 5/5 minor hand )
2NT! ( no acceptance for Cl ) - 3D! ( the weak 5/5 minor hand assuming a better fit in Diam )

[helene_t]

sorry yes I should have included opener's rebid, my mistake.

Anyway, as I said, responder can bid 2NT with a weak hand with both minors. So
1NT-2♠
2NT*-3♦

is something else. For example diamond shortness if that is what you play.

*assuming 2NT is negative and 3♣ would have been positive

[blackshoe]

I do play, with my regular partner, that we "accept" by bidding the minor, and "reject" by bidding the intermediate strain. So 1NT-2NT-3♦ shows (usually) Hxx or better in diamonds, and 1NT-2NT-3♣ tends to deny such holdings. Now responder, holding a weak minor 5-5, passes 3♣. For us, 1NT-2♠-2NT-3♦ shows a strong hand with clubs and diamonds. We haven't discussed, and I have not thought much about, exactly what kind of hand this should show, perhaps a slam try in either minor, or perhaps responder's just trying to get to 3NT. Or, I suppose, we could agree it's diamond shortness.

[phil_20686]

(1) There is a good reason for playing completelion with super accepts, it gives you something good to do with weak 5-5 hands. You can transfer into diamonds and if partner doesnt like that we will play in clubs. This gives you a very good cahnce to play in your best fit rather than 1N. Of course, sometimes partner has xxx xx and you are now playing in a 5-2 fit. But if they dble after your partner passes then he will know to correct.

(2) Among my friends with no agreement I would assume that it was shortage. This is because we think that with a 6322 hand there is no point trying for a 5m contract. If you have a slam try you don't mind going past 3N, but if you sign off in 3N after a 1n-2n-3d-3N I would assume that partner had club shortage with game values. With a slam try and no shortage I would just bid 4d now. Then 4N would be natural.

(3) I think this is superior to playing "values" because 3N is nearly always the right spot rather than 5m when you have a 6322 hand. The only time its right to look for 5m is normally when you have a shortage and partner does not have too many values in that suit. If you are 6322 even if a suit is open, you will have two losers in 5m and not often do you have 11 to cash outside it. Often letting them choose a lead after 1n-3n is a better option.

(4) This also helps you find slams that are light on value because partner will know that xxx(xx) is a brilliant holding opposite shortage. On the other hand, even when you have "values" it becomes hard to diagnose when partner has a slam try and when he was fishing for 5m. Playing shortage the hands that would like to be in 5m opposite shortage and game values, are the same hands that want to be in slam opposite shortage and a slam try, which makes it all much easier.