[luis]

Recently I've seen some pairs playing that 1c-1nt promised 4/5 clubs, so 1c-1d can be bid with 4 diamonds.
What do you think of this treatment? Advantages? Disadvantages?

[inquiry]

I assume that what you mean is that 1C-1NT shows clubs and may or maynot be balanced. I have also seen 1C-1N show balanced hand with only clubs (no other four card suit).

Both treatments have some merit, but the loss of the descriptive 1NT response might be a fairly big disadvantage. Some players temporize with 1D when holding 4/5 clubs and a balanced hand and then rebid NT, so that

1C-1D
1x-1NT shows either more or less hcp than the immediate 1NT response.

The advantage of 1C-1NT is when it is limited and partner is holding 3 clubs and balanced hand, he can pass, whereas if you raise clubs (1C-2C or 1C-3C) it is obviously impossible to play in 1NT. I think 1C-1NT natural has preemptive value and well limiting your hand. So I don't think I like the concept that 1C-1NT shows unbalanced and clubs. However, I have learned to try something before being too critical.

Ben

[luis]

No, I was mentioning 1c-1nt as a balanced hand with 4/5 clubs (no 4 card major) examples:
3-3-3-4 or 3-2-4-4 or 3-3-2-5 or 2-3-4-4
Then 1c-1d;1x-1n denies 4 clubs and shows 4/5 diamonds.
Ranges as in natural bidding 6-10 HCP or 7-10 or what you agree with your pd for 1m-1N

[JRG]

I don't play 1c-1NT promises 4 or more clubs; however, it tends to work out that way.

I like to play Inverted Minors and bidding 1NT over a minor denies a 4-card major. If you have a maximum of 6 cards in the majors, you obviously have 7 or more cards in the minors. One often has a hand with support for clubs (similarly with diamonds) that is not worth a limit raise but is too good to preempt, so what do you do? If you have 4 diamonds, you might bid 1D over 1C, even though holding 5-card support for clubs. Without 4 diamonds, 1NT is often a reasonable bid. So, frequently, but not always, the 1NT bid shows club support (occasionally, it will 3-3-5-2 so my partner cannot count on the support!).

[chronos]

There is the implication that 1C - 1NT holds 4 Clubs by default, however I am not adverse to bidding 1NT with 4D if the Diamonds are very bad.

I would never bypass a four card major over 1C.

Chronos.

[Free]

Seems to me that I'm playing the same thing. Normally, with a 4+ card major we bid it (Walsch). With 4+D we bid 1D (this bid means 0-7 or natural with 8+ HCP).

Advantages:
- If partner has a 4-card M he doesn't have to bid it. Opponents might balance in his suit.
- 2C becomes really pre-emptive, can be with 0 HCP.
- If opener is really strong, he knows what you have.

Disadvantages:
- You gave too much information to opponents if you are about to play 1NT and showed a 4-card D (and partner a 4-card M).
- If partner has hearts, opponents will almost always balance to 2S
- If partner is really strong, 3NT might be played in the wrong hand

There might be more (dis)advantages, but these are the first that get in my mind...