[PedroG]

Hi All,

And thanks for all the answer's... I continue my labor of writing down all the follow up's to my agreements with partner, I find that if we don't do it there will be so many wholes...

Does the 2NT/3NT promise stoppers in the unbid suits?

What I tryed, to come up with and would like some advises on problems and improvments:

1♣ - 1♥- 1NT - 2♦- ??

2♥/3♥ = 3 card support min/max
2♠ on this particular auction, promise a stopper in ♠ but not in ♦
2NT - stoppers in both the unbid suits
3♣ - all minimal hand, with no stopers, no 3 hearts
3♦ - stopper in diamonds but not in spades

This will have to change a bit if the major of the responder is spades
1♣ - 1♠- 1NT - 2♦- ??

2♥ - 4cards in hearts
2♠ - 3cards in spades
2NT - stoppers in both the unbid suits
3♣ - all minimal hand, with no stopers, no 3spades or 4hearts
3♦ - stopper in diamonds but not in hearts (or we can reverse here)

Another BIG question is... Is NMF only a tool to search for a 5-3 fit? And should we only use it when holding 5 of the major or 5/4...

I had this hand

---

Auction went 1♦ - 1♥ - 1NT -

Back to me, i know we have game, and that probably NT will be the place, is it wise for me to search for a club stoper or should I just blast to 3NT and hope partner has it?

Thanks all for the answers
Pedro

[whereagles]

First, I don't think you should respond 3♣ to NMF with all min hands without fit. If responder has 11-12 and no 5-card club, he'll have to pass or bid 3NT anyway and you end up in the wrong contract.

Second, NMF can and should be used with purposes other than finding the 5-3 major fit. However, probing for stoppers when both players are balanced is NOT one of them. With that hand indeed you just blast 3NT. Statistics backs you up.

[jtfanclub]

whereagles, on Apr 1 2008, 01:27 PM, said:

Second, NMF can and should be used with purposes other than finding the 5-3 major fit. However, probing for stoppers when both players are balanced is NOT one of them. With that hand indeed you just blast 3NT. Statistics backs you up.

My mentor wanted to play something like the OP. I finally talked him out of it.

Unless the opponents have bid a suit, or if the auction has basically told them their suit, I agree that you should never probe for stoppers. I swear that half the 3NT contracts I make would go down if the opponents could look at all 4 hands and I couldn't.

Quote

Back to me, i know we have game, and that probably NT will be the place, is it wise for me to search for a club stoper or should I just blast to 3NT and hope partner has it?

I would be willing to wager that half the time when you don't have a club stop it doesn't matter, because they'll lead spades (or another suit) anyways.

[barmar]

Another thing:

1♣-1♥-1NT-2♦-2♠

can show a 4-card spade suit that you decided not to bid on the 1st round, because you had a 4333 hand and thought NT was a better description of it.

[whereagles]

There is a trend is to bypass spades, but I don't think this is mainstream yet. (Could be wrong...)

[PedroG]

Hi all and thanks for all the answers,

The bypass of the spades, well in my agreement if you don't bid 1♠ after a opening of 1♥ you don't have 4 spades. So I never considered the auction 1♣-1♥-1NT-2♦-2♠, showing 4 cards, I've read somewhere on the WWW that it could show 3 good ones, but really prefer Hardy treatment in that this "impossible" spade holding would show a lack of stopper. (or I may be wrong and show the existence of a stopper) I can confirm this tonight.

About probing for stoppers in a way to the NT contract, maybe it's me that is in the beggining stage of the Bridge, and still don't conceal much information from opp's, because thinking first in transmitting that same information to partner... But many are the places where you show / ask for stoppers in a way to the NT contract.

I fully agree with using the NMF to seek the 5-3 or 4-4 fit, and that the hand that I presented should not use NMF... But do not agree that I feel confortable bidding 3NT with a complete open suit, if it's because it's clubs we can change clubs with spades and my problem would be the same. I think.

Just a small question, does the 2NT rebid promise both unbid suit stopped or not... If it does when I have one of them not stopped what rebid is available...

TY all
Pedro

[whereagles]

PedroG, on Apr 2 2008, 01:54 PM, said:

But do not agree that I feel confortable bidding 3NT with a complete open suit

You don't have to feel confortable, but you should bid it anyway The point is that the alternative, a 5m contract, is only (statistically) viable if the wide open suit has a singleton in front. When responder has no singleton, he should just bid 3NT.

[PedroG]

whereagles, on Apr 2 2008, 09:13 AM, said:

PedroG, on Apr 2 2008, 01:54 PM, said:

But do not agree that I feel confortable bidding 3NT with a complete open suit

You don't have to feel confortable, but you should bid it anyway The point is that the alternative, a 5m contract, is only (statistically) viable if the wide open suit has a singleton in front. When responder has no singleton, he should just bid 3NT.

hehe, I understand

I like the recomendation Richardrls gives "Take a deep breath..." and pull out the card from the bidding box, IF you ever see opp's doing that lead clubs... LOL...

Pedro

[PedroG]

This agreement is taken from from the Book "25 conventions you should know" at least it's what it said in the document I've founf in the WWW...

1♦ - 1♠ - 1NT - 2♣

2NT: Minimum with no 4-card heart suit or 3-card spade suit; stoppers in clubs and hearts
2♦ : Minimum with no 4-card heart suit or 3-card spade suit; no stopper in one of unbid suits
3NT: Maximum with no 4-card heart suit or 3-card spade suit; stopper in clubs and hearts
3♣ : Maximum with no 4-card heart suit or 3-card spade suit; stopper in suit bid, but not in hearts
3♦ : Maximum with no 4-card heart suit or 3-card spade suit; stopper in hearts, but not in clubs

Seems a lot like the description I made...
Pedro