[P_Marlowe]

pescetom, on 2026-May-30, 11:06, said:

I tried to play this last year, but partners found my developments too quirky and the only "standard" developments I could locate as an alternative were pretty poor.
I might start again from scratch as a vacation project.

I have also seen preferences for 3NT showing 5-5 minors, which has the advantage of simple and effective developments, especially if the opening is not too wide ranging.

I would have thought that you could use 4 level responses to a 2D multi opening.
4C asks to bid the suit below the major, your are converting this to a Texas Xfer Response too a strong NT.
A KC Ask (at which ever level, I guess 4S?) could ask for shortage, given that the bid should alsways be based on AKQ,
and 4NT as answer should show shortage in the other major, ..., unclear if 7222 is possible, but the most unlikely anyway
could go with 5H, you could also switch the meaning of 4NT / 5H, to maake the 4NT response more natural.

[awm]

I wouldn't put "frequency" at the top of my list for 3NT openings; they probably should be rare since you are consuming so much space. The question is more whether you get a good result when it comes up. The problem with gambling 3NT is that you're wrong-siding the contract, and there will be quite a few times where you could make 3NT from partner's side (only).

Sam and I use 3NT as a "good major suit preempt" (typically 5 or fewer losers and around 10-14 hcp). For what it's worth, our continuations are:

4♣ = 3 or more potential cover cards, asks partner to transfer to his suit; with only three tricks responder will accept the transfer (which opener can pass or bid on with a better hand); with more than three tricks responder will cuebid or keycard over the transfer
4♦ = bid your suit; opener should always bid his suit (responder can in principle bid on over this)
4♥ = pass or correct

[P_Marlowe]

awm, on 2026-May-31, 02:57, said:

I wouldn't put "frequency" at the top of my list for 3NT openings;
<snip>

But if it is rare, the followup should be fairly simple.

4C as xfer request, 4D as bid your suit and 4H as paco would qualify, ..., I think I saw something like
this in a 2D multi context.
Including SI into 4C makes certainly sense.

[pescetom]

awm, on 2026-May-31, 02:57, said:

I wouldn't put "frequency" at the top of my list for 3NT openings; they probably should be rare since you are consuming so much space. The question is more whether you get a good result when it comes up. The problem with gambling 3NT is that you're wrong-siding the contract, and there will be quite a few times where you could make 3NT from partner's side (only).

Sam and I use 3NT as a "good major suit preempt" (typically 5 or fewer losers and around 10-14 hcp). For what it's worth, our continuations are:

4♣ = 3 or more potential cover cards, asks partner to transfer to his suit; with only three tricks responder will accept the transfer (which opener can pass or bid on with a better hand); with more than three tricks responder will cuebid or keycard over the transfer
4♦ = bid your suit; opener should always bid his suit (responder can in principle bid on over this)
4♥ = pass or correct

That's actually close to my "too quirky" convention based on mixed 1st/2nd level control bidding.
4♣ = ♣ control, transfer to your suit: completion of transfer denies ♦ control, if I bid on I control ♦ and suit
4♦ = denies ♣ control, bid your suit: if I bid on I control ♦ and suit
4♥ = pass with hearts, I may bid on over spades
4♠ = pass with spades, bid on with hearts.

With no SI one just bids 4♦ and then passes 4M.

A more extreme version might have the 4M responses show a void in that major, but I haven't thought that through yet.