[pbleighton]

You are the responder, playing 1NT forcing. The bidding has gone (opps silent) 1S-1NT-2C
You have the following hands which are weak AND don't have a suit you can bid at the two level.  You therefore have to pass 2C or go to 2S.  What do you do on:
1) x-KJ10x-Axxx-xxxx
2) x-KJ10x-Qxxx-Qxxx
3) x-KJ10x-xxxx-Axxx
4) A-KJ10x-xxxx-xxxx
5) K-KJ10x-Jxxx-xxxx
6) Q-KJ10x-Qxxx-xxxx
7) J-KJ10x-Kxxxx-xxxx
8) x-KJ10x-Kxxxx-Jxx
9) x-KJ10x-Qxxxx-Qxx
10) x-KJ10x-Jxxxx-Kxx
10) x-KJ10x-xxxxx-Axx

[LukeG]

Peter,

With 1-4-4-4 shape, regardless of where the high cards are located, your should just pass 2C.  You might consider bidding 2S with stiff A or K, which could work well if your partner has a strong spade suit and three weak clubs.  However, it could work out very badly if partner has a weak spade suit and four clubs.

With 1-4-5-3 shape, bid 2D.  You probably have as many or more diamonds than clubs between the two hands.  You also have the extra vigorish of partner continuing with 2H if he has 5-3-1-4 and extra values, allowing you to pass and put down a nice dummy!  The downside to bidding 2D is catching partner with 5-3-1-4 and a minimum, in which case you have reached a putrid spot.

[pbleighton]

"With 1-4-5-3 shape, bid 2D.  You probably have as many or more diamonds than clubs between the two hands.  You also have the extra vigorish of partner continuing with 2H if he has 5-3-1-4 and extra values, allowing you to pass and put down a nice dummy!  The downside to bidding 2D is catching partner with 5-3-1-4 and a minimum, in which case you have reached a putrid spot."

I thought that the suit had to be pretty good to introduce on the 2 level.  What is the minimum suit you would open, with 4 small clubs and 5 diamonds, in this situation?

[LukeG]

Sometimes, especially when the choice is between passing and bidding, how well your choice fares depends on factors like partner's actual shape or location of high cards, things that you can't determine from the previous bidding.

Yes, it would be nice to have something like KJ10xxx of diamonds for the sequence 1S-1NT-2C-2D.  The actual pattern of 1-4-5-3 poses a problem because the partnership's best/longest fit might be in clubs (5-2-1-5) or diamonds (5-1-3-4 or 5-2-3-3) or hearts (5-3-1-4 or 5-3-2-3).  Passing 2C is a guess, as is bidding 2D.

With the same strength and 1-3-5-4, passing 2C is more attactive than bidding 2D on a weak suit because 2C is much more likely to be a decent spot (compared to 1-4-5-3) and opener's 2H rebid does not provide a possible resting place.

[inquiry]

It is best not hold hands like this...  :-* When you read the books on Forcing 1NT, you will not find these as typical examples...  :o

On any given hand, any one bid might work better than another. You didn't give the vulnerability or the type of game. That might affect some peoples rebid as well. On these hands I have absolutely no strong conviction for any of my bids, so I will not try to convince anyone. Instead I will just give my bids. First, I will not rebid 2NT on any of these hands.

Ok for my answers. Hand 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  I pass. On #7, due to holding 14 cards, I happily ask for a redeal.
1) x-KJ10x-Axxx-xxxx
2) x-KJ10x-Qxxx-Qxxx
3) x-KJ10x-xxxx-Axxx
4) A-KJ10x-xxxx-xxxx
5) K-KJ10x-Jxxx-xxxx
6) Q-KJ10x-Qxxx-xxxx
7) J-KJ10x-Kxxxx-xxxx

On 8 & 9 I rebid 2Diamonds
8) x-KJ10x-Kxxxx-Jxx
9) x-KJ10x-Qxxxx-Qxx

On 10 and 11, I rebid 2S (shudder)
10) x-KJ10x-Jxxxx-Kxx
11) x-KJ10x-xxxxx-Axx

I would not object if my partner holding all 11 of these hands choose to pass 2C.