[cencio]

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Is there a way to avoid the 3 nt with a plausible bid?

[P_Marlowe]

Give West a chance to bid 2S.

But assuming normale agreements, I happen to play myself, for whats it worth, the answer is no.

[mw64ahw]

Possibly with the 5-card Major ask I play

2N - 3♣
3♥ 2♠ & 2/3♥

Now I play
3♠ relay to 3N followed by 4♣ is my limit
3N 55xx
4♣ SI
However, the temptation is still there to assume opener has Hx♠

[Cyberyeti]

We play the more natural version of what MW64 plays

same meaning but 2N-3♣-3N as neither 3♠ nor 4♥.

I would use the ask in case partner has 5♥, not sure if I'd remove 3N

Unless you can see opps hands, there is no game on, so 5M gains you little at IMPs, but -1 vs -2 at MPs (where you're even less likely to move from 3N) might matter

[bluenikki]

cencio, on 2026-August-28, 01:12, said:

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Is there a way to avoid the 3 nt with a plausible bid?

Other than the result, why would you want to? If spades were singleton, that would be different.

That's what you have to accept when you choose to open 2NT. Goren 1960 required a minimum of Kxx in a suit. That's ridiculous, but would help here.

[apollo1201]

No way to avoid. Sometimes they block S or do not lead them. Imagine swapping W and E. So no reason with 2 balanced hands to be somewhere else than 3NT (unless opps mentionned S in the bidding).