[flytoox]

arrows, on Feb 7 2005, 08:17 PM, said:

Also, I believe playing weak NT does give you an edge against
non-world-class players. 99% players do not know how to deal with
it in a correct way, I am not exaggerating at all.

Against these players, you have more than one way to win. System wont be that important.

[pbleighton]

"Against these players, you have more than one way to win."

Agree.

"System wont be that important."

Disagree.

Peter

[luke warm]

NickToll, on Feb 13 2005, 04:48 AM, said:

I would like to know your opinions about the following point.

In my partnership we play 12-14 NT with 2way Stayman, trying to develop bidding as naturally as we can. We have a doubt about what is the most convenient development after 1NT - 2♣ - 2♦♥♠: is there a way to describe both weak and invitational distributional hands? And if not, which of the two is better to be shown?

As an example: 1NT - 2♣ - 2♠ - 3♣, weak or invitational with clubs (and probably four hearts)?

Up to you...

i play 2 way stayman also... however, i use 2c as invitational (unless responder plans on passing any response - garbage)... also, 2c is puppet stayman because the followups can easily show responder's hand... i use

1nt : 2c = invitational puppet/garbage
1nt : 2d = all game force hands
1nt : 2h/s = to play
1nt : 2nt = relay to 3c, pass or correct preemptive
1nt : 3c/d/h/s = invitational with 6 (or good 5 in majors, probably with a stiff somewhere)

after 1nt : 2c : 2d (showing no 5 card major) -
2h = < 4 hearts and *might* have 4 spades... opener bids 2s with 4 and no acceptance of invite, 3s with 4 and a hand that would accept.. 2nt with <4 and non-acceptance, 3nt with <4 accepting
2s = <4 spades, guarantees 4 hearts, invitational, opener bids as above (more or less)
2nt = 4/4 majors, invite
3c = 5 spades, 4 hearts, invite
3d = 4 spades, 5 hearts (color), invite
3h = 13(45), invite
3s = 31(45), invite
3nt = not used (or 'to play')

[1eyedjack]

Much is said of comfort zones, with much of which I agree. With that in mind I favour the weak 1N opener for the following reasons (reasons posted here being limited to comfort zone issues).

Each opening bid presents you with its own degree of comfort. To evaluate the effect of a strategy on your comfort zone you need to consider that effect on all sequences, weight those sequences according to their frequency and the amount at stake when they arise, and integrate the entire result. I do not pretend that this is an easy task, but the validity of the approach is not a function of the ease of compliance.

I concede that on those occasions when you open 1-suit (especially a potentially prepared minor) your comfort zone is at a low, especially when the opposition intervention is highly pre-emptive, and that effect is magnified when playing a weak 1N. But this is not the whole picture. A classical weak 1NT opener is twice as frequent as a strong (and a mini is about twice as frequent again). When I open 1NT (of whatever strength) my comfort zone is in the region of a fleece on a waterbed. Subject to local licensing regulations I increase the frequency of that opener further by routinely opening 1NT with two doubletons or with a 5 card major, being somewhat at odds with classical wisdom but which after many years of experience I find "answers" as Jack Aubrey would say.

Even that (integration over the whole system) is not the whole picture. You also have to consider the effect of your strategy on the opponents' comfort zone. The gap between your net increase in comfort between strategies A and B and the net decrease in the comfort of the opponents is the true measure of the overall comfort effect.

It is no coincidence that there is a correlation between the reasons that I am comfortable opening 1NT and the reasons that the opponents are correspondingly uncomfortable on those occasions. Certainly your evaluation of the opponents' comfort zone is speculative and varies between opponents, but again the fact that your strategy has an effect is indisputable and difficulties in evaluating that effect in no way gainsay its inevitability.

I would tend to agree that a system based on a weak 1N opener requires more time spent on system dedication and agreements. If you are not comfortable with that, then it clearly affects your strategy. Personally I am comfortable with that aspect, provided that I am playing with a regular partner, but that is of course a personal opinion and will vary from player to player.

[luke warm]

welcome back, jack

[dogsbreath]

Maybe choice of NT is system related .. frequency of it affects all aspects of system due to 'negative' inference when NOT opened ..especially in Acol system.
I have experienced no real problem with weak NT ..but at teams, if we are doing well, i am particularly careful with 3rd hand openings ... no 12 HCP 1nt here since i canopen suit and pass p's resp
Rgds Dog