[plaur]

Playing strict SAYC and the bidding goes

1♦ pass 1♠ 2♥
?

With a balanced hand and two spades how much do you need to bid 2NT here?

[mike777]

Playing "strict SAYC" let's assume partner has a useful 7HCP.
That means with 18 hcp we bid 3nt.
You can do math now for 2nt bids.

Of course if playing "junky 2/1" you need more.

[the hog]

mike777, on Aug 1 2005, 02:02 PM, said:

Playing "strict SAYC" let's assume partner has a useful 7HCP.
That means with 18 hcp we bid 3nt.
You can do math now for 2nt bids.

Of course if playing "junky 2/1" you need more.

Um no Mike!
With 15-17 we would have opened 1N. With 12-14 we pass the 2H bid. Therefore a 2NT bid shows 18-19. This leaves 3NT. 3NT after intervention could be either 19 to a bad 20, which would make your 2N rebid 18. However better still would be to play the 3NT bid in competition as a solid opened suit and a stopper in the overcalled suit - on the given auction something akin to:
xx
Kx
AKQJxxx
xx

[han]

Yep, that's how I would play it too.

Some might play Good-Bad here, so that 2NT is not available for the 18-19 balanced hands. In that case you would have to rebid 3NT in this auction.

I would not recommend GB-2NT to beginners or intermediate players though, I find it a tough convention.

[Double !]

17+-19

support dbls, if played, apply
otherwise you can have another meaning of dbl such as an unbalanced 15-17 unsuitable to open 1NT but without the type of hand that might warrant supporting spades.
But, if P is on a 5 or 6-count, do you have enough to contract for 8 tricks with no trumps if you have a minimum hand? I don't believe so. So one would pass after 2H as P will still (hopefully) have another opportunity to speak. P will be able to (will likely try real hard to) re-open to show more than a minimum if 2H-p-p comes back to him/her.

[helene_t]

Agree with Ron. I have nothing against support doubles and Good-Bad 2NT, but this was a SAYC question raised in the B/I-forum. So 2NT simply shows that you have a hand to rebid 2NT, whether there is intervension or not.

[plaur]

Thanks. 18-19 was what I expected but I have learned that I dont know SAYC as well as i thought.

I bid 4 spades over 2 NT with
Q10xxxx
xx
AKx
xx

and p tabled 13 hcp - made 8.5 imps for 10 tricks :-)

[kgr]

plaur, on Aug 1 2005, 05:53 AM, said:

Playing strict SAYC and the bidding goes

1♦ pass 1♠ 2♥
?

With a balanced hand and two spades how much do you need to bid 2NT here?

And if the bidding did go:
1♥-(p)-1♠-(2♦)

With 5card ♥ and 15-17 pts you open 1♥.
What is 2NT now? Still 18-19 or 15-17?

[coyot]

Keep 1x-1y-3NT (even over interference) as a sort of gambling - solid opening 6+suit, stopper in overcall if any, slight reserve).

Stick to system point-range rebid (2NT with 18-19 or as you play it).

[the hog]

kgr, on Aug 1 2005, 06:44 PM, said:

plaur, on Aug 1 2005, 05:53 AM, said:

Playing strict SAYC and the bidding goes

1♦ pass 1♠ 2♥
?

With a balanced hand and two spades how much do you need to bid 2NT here?

And if the bidding did go:
1♥-(p)-1♠-(2♦)

With 5card ♥ and 15-17 pts you open 1♥.
What is 2NT now? Still 18-19 or 15-17?

Why on earth would you open 1H if you held 5H in a 5332 shape with 15-17? Surely that is a 1NT opening!

[Fluffy]

IF you opened 1♥, tou would pass with 15-17 adn bid 2NT with 18+

[helene_t]

kgr, on Aug 1 2005, 10:44 AM, said:

With 5card ♥ and 15-17 pts you open 1♥.
What is 2NT now? Still 18-19 or 15-17?

You would have to choose between an under-bid of pass or 2♠ (but maybe your lack of shape and 4-card-support compensates your extra HCPs), or a stretchy 2NT with 17 HCPs, and a penalty-oriented double (with a doubleton in partner's suit)

In any case: an opening in a suit denies a ballanced hand with the strength of a notrump opening. So if you open 1♥ with a 5332 in that range, you cannot describe you hand as ballanced. You'll have to improvise, then. In an uncontested autction, you may have to rebid a 3-card clubs or diamonds, for example.