[dickiegera]

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2 Questions

#1 Do most play 4♣ as GERBER?

#2 Is 3♣ new minor forcing or just a forcing bid or must it be a suit?

[Zelandakh]

Most [club level] players (but not me) use 4♣ as Gerber over an opening 1NT or 2NT bid. Very few players would use 4♣ as Gerber in this sequence - only those for whom 4♣ is always Gerber or at least always Gerber after a NT bid. The 3♣ bid is ostensibly natural but needs to be fudged somewhat in many systems in order to create a force without misleading about heart length. If you play a system where 3♣ is artificial and 4♣ Gerber then you are going to have some interesting bidding problems.

[Cyberyeti]

1: Should not be Gerber unless you're posting in the wrong forum.

2: Not sure, we use an artificial 2♥ here (which we would use with a natural 2N bid) with 2N showing hearts, but if you have no other artificial bid, then you may have to use 3♣ as a general force.

[aguahombre]

I guess if one considered 3C as totally artificial, 4C would technically be a "new minor". But we don't like extending that term to describe a natural bid. For us, 4C would show a lot of clubs, imply at least as many Spades, and deny any desire to stop in 3NT.

[monikrazy]

3C should be NMF. 4C then becomes an ambiguous slam try. Responder very likely has exactly 5 spades (NMF probably not the best bid otherwise), no more than 2 diamonds, and wants to know a little more about your distribution before placing the contract. (maybe even exploring a grand). 5 spades and longer clubs very plausible.