[gnasher]

What do you think (2♠) 3NT should show?

One argument is that with a strong balanced hand you can double first, so you can use 3NT to show a solid-suit type.

Another argument is that double routinely wrongsides 3NT, because partner will bid Lebensohl. Therefore a direct 3NT should incude strong balanced hands. I had a hand like this recently - KJ54 AK7 AQ73 K2 over a 2♠ opening.

[gwnn]

might be as weak as 20, I thought. If you have a strong ♠ stop and all.

[cherdano]

With the spade suit on our right, I don't see right-siding as such a big issue. E.g. with the hand you give, I would still like to get to a 5-3 heart fit, and let partner give his shot at guessing on a spade opening lead vs 3NT.

OTOH, a direct 3NT isn't so specific (it could be based a running minor suit, but could also be 2=2=4=5), so I think you could still bid it on any hand where you are really worried about right-siding.

[gnasher]

cherdano, on 2011-April-17, 06:50, said:

With the spade suit on our right, I don't see right-siding as such a big issue.

I was more worried about a club lead through the king.

[dake50]

You nailed the problem.
Suggest xfer responses to weak2 T/O Dbls
to avoid those wrongsidings.
Having a good scheme responding to T/O Dbl
frees 3N as 2xS-stop with likely suit for tricks.
My 3NT punt to take.

[cherdano]

gnasher, on 2011-April-17, 08:41, said:

I was more worried about a club lead through the king.

But give partner s.th. like Jxx (or even possibly Txx) and you don't really care about who is leading a club. However, opener is much less likely to find a club lead from his 3-card suit than responder from his 5-card suit.

[JLOGIC]

A direct 3N says "I do not have tolerance for you pulling this to 4M." Doubling and then bidding 3N says "I have tolerance for you pulling this to 4M."

I would pretty much always double with 3 of the other major. With 2 of the other major, I would most often just overcall 3N, unless I had only 1 stopper and a suit oriented hand without a good suource of tricks (eg Axx AK AJxx Axxx I would double and bid 3N, despite having only 2 hearts).

I 100 % expect X then 3N to routinely get converted 4M by a 5 card suit unless it has a good reason to think NT will be better.

[whereagles]

I split 2/3NT overcalls into hcp ranges

2NT = 15-17
Dbl + NT = 18-19
3NT = 20-21
Dbl + jump NT = 21+

[hatchett]

whereagles, on 2011-April-19, 17:40, said:

I split 2/3NT overcalls into hcp ranges

2NT = 15-17
Dbl + NT = 18-19
3NT = 20-21
Dbl + jump NT = 21+

The above doesn't seem to work over 2♠, and will only work over 2♥ if partner responds 2♠.

[paulg]

Coincidently in the Lady Milne on Sunday morning the hand was Qxxx AK AQx AQxx with RHO opening 2♠. Unfavourable vulnerability.

[Fluffy]

I have always played that 3NT is either 20(19)+ hand unsuitable for double or a gambling hand with a minor. Much more accurate than (3x)-3NT where I have losed 5-3 M fits often.

BTW Over 2♦ multi I decided to drop the 3NT natural overcall and use 3NT artificially, since no gambling hand will have stoppers in both majors, and the strong hand can just go with double. Is it insane?

[whereagles]

No. Whether it has any use is another matter

[Poky]

5♦5♣ 15-18