[mcphee]

I think both players went and got too pushy with hand 1 even though it is imps. Spotless 14 counts for me are not maximums and both hands lack middle cards which are important in trick development. When responder wants to invite it is important to remember that the opening hand may have a decent 11+. With responders hand all in the majors knowing partner does not hold a 5 card major suggests a suspect source of tricks. These are the sort of values where weak NT can be the sort of hand that may bring you a nice penalty when the opponents balance, and you sure hope they do.

Hand 2 is one of the things that happen playing 12-14 NT. Frankly I probally would have bid as responder there fearing 1N was going to get smashed, especially if it was pairs where you are often not ever playing 1N.

[jddons]

Having played 12-14 NT for 40 yrs my suggestions are:
1) Don't just consider hands where the 1NT opener went wrong in choosing the system. Look also at positives e.g. at hands where you have nicked a part score from opponents who did not/could not overcall against you. then you can take a balanced view of positives and negatives.
2) it took me about 20 years to learn that you pass hands like North (deal 1). It is not just that you can't make game opposite lots of 14 or 13 count raises; its that you are going off in 2N opposite loads of 12 counts with everyone else playing at the one level.
3) the 11 counts, or even 10 counts, to raise are those with playing strength - decent long suits or stuffed with 10's and 9's.
4)Hand 2 shows the downside of 12-14 NT which pay off against your successes with the system. You should see this as lucky for you! Another day you'll be going for 500 or 800 - so put this one in the PLUS column! well it is the season to be Jolly.

[jddons]

delete duplicate

[Mbodell]

whereagles, on 2014-December-21, 05:39, said:

Board 2 is the bane of weak NT. Just be glad you weren't doubled

Disagree (although maybe closer to true at IMPs). The bane for weak nt is 44 major fit in just over 20 hcp total. When you are +90 opposite +110 or +140 in the major. It hurts worse in MP, but even in IMP the 1 and 2 point boards will be so much more frequent than the times you catch partner with nothing and it ends up bad.

[Fluffy]

jillybean, on 2014-December-20, 22:37, said:

We hd a couple of boards today where it appears that our weak nt , vulnerable, left us in a bad spot.

---

Amazing that ♦J lead is the only card to give it away, some jettison must be lurking on a low diamond.

[suokko]

akwoo, on 2014-December-21, 10:20, said:

Also, I don't understand why your teammates aren't playing 1N or 2N against the 1♣ opener, in which case +120 and -200 is only -2 IMPs.

Because 3-3-4-3 is bad shape for T/O double and I choose not to double with it. My partner doesn't have any better shape so we end up defending even tough holding majority of hcp. I'm happy to score +100 in a part-score hand. Of course MP is completely different game where +100 isn't enough.