[soogate]

My partner and I are playing Leon's 2 NT - limit raise with 4 after interference 1S-2H-2NT We then use 3H as western cue. If I have only 3 - can I cheat or do I need to find another bid? (ie first one to wrong level??)

[gwnn]

You can double or bid 3m with a western cue bid. You should use 1♠-(2♥)-3♥ as your 3-card raise.

[ArtK78]

You define the 2NT bid in interference as a limit raise with 4 card support. If you feel that the best bid available is 2NT despite the fact that you don't meet those requirements, by all means make the bid.

However, once you have done this once or twice with the same partner, there is an implied agreement that you are willing to fudge on the 4 card requirement. That needs to be disclosed to your opponents.

[aguahombre]

gwnn, on 2011-August-11, 08:33, said:

You can double or bid 3m with a western cue bid. You should use 1♠-(2♥)-3♥ as your 3-card raise.

Exactly. There are a lot of us who believe that if you want to be in game and do not have a stop in their suit, you can make other forcing calls and your partner will know whether she has a stopper there --bidding NT when appropriate.

[nigel_k]

gwnn, on 2011-August-11, 08:33, said:

You can double or bid 3m with a western cue bid. You should use 1♠-(2♥)-3♥ as your 3-card raise.

Agree.

It's good to have two ways to raise - one being more offensive and one more defensive. This puts partner in a much better position if they raise. There will be some hands with four card support that I would treat as more defensive but the number of trumps you have will be a big factor in choosing which category the hand fits into.

Once you have decided to have two categories, I think using 2NT as the more offensive type is better. This is because you will use it with a wider range of hands. For example, after 1♠-2♥, say you have Qxxx xx AQxx xxx. It's too good for 3♠ but you don't want to bid only 2♠ and hear 4♥-P-P. So it's better to allow the 2NT bid to be as weak as this and partner still has space to make a game try.