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Responding to partners opening bid of 1NT with a semi-balanced hand


It would be helpful here if you had a copy of my chart which embodies all the responses to an opening bid of one no-trump. 

I don't like the term semi-balanced, but as a title, it serves its purpose. In my chart, we are in the column headed "perhaps" in answer to the question" Do I like no-trumps?"

The situations I am including under this heading are:-

  • you hold a (theoretically) balanced hand with a five card major---specifically a 5-2-3-3 shape.
  • you have a totally balanced hand with a potentially dangerous doubleton and four cards in at least one major. This needs the Stayman treatment.

With a 5-2-3-3 shape, and five cards in hearts or spades, we have three possibilities:-

    1.  With 13+ points, the system gives us the elegant bid of three hearts (or three spades). This is forcing on partner who must bid:-

  • 3NT if she holds only two cards in your major suit, or
  • 4H or 4S if she holds three cards or more in your major suit

    2.  With 0-10 points, pass partners' 1NT.This is better than a weakness takeout.

    3.   With 11-12 points, you are probably better off bidding 2NT, encouraging partner to game with 14 points.

 

In each of the examples below, partner has opened a weak no-trump (12-14) .

S AK975 Bid three spades which partner is forced to convert to either 3NT or 4S.
H 32
D K97
C K86
 

 

S A2 Bid three hearts which partner is forced to convert to either 3NT or 4H.
H KQ732
D A97
C J32
 

 

S A2 The same hand as the example above, but with the red suits interchanged. Bid 3NT direct.
H A97
D KQ732
C J32
 

 

S A9864 Pass partners' 1NT. You will find many players making a case here for a weakness takeout into 2S.Respect them for their views, but ignore them.
H 432
D KJ7
C 43
 

 

S A9864 Treat as balanced and bid 2NT.
H K32
D KJ7
C 43
 

 

S 65432 If your major suit is useless, then you are better to bid 3NT rather than looking for game in the major.
H A3
D A97
C AJ2
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