[wyman]

I don't play good-bad, so I'm trying to understand these auctions.

Last weekend at teams:

One table:

---

The other:

---

A few questions. At both tables, south decided she was too good for a direct 3D, so the plan was to bid 2N-3N. What is the difference between 3N and 2N-3Y-3N?

At both tables, north decided he was too good to bid a passable 3D over 2N. But in this auction, can't you bid like 3C and then bid again over 3D? What's the difference between a jump over 2N, and a 3C-3D-4D/5D?

[kenrexford]

wyman, on 2012-April-18, 13:51, said:

I don't play good-bad, so I'm trying to understand these auctions.

Last weekend at teams:

One table:

---

The other:

---

A few questions. At both tables, south decided she was too good for a direct 3D, so the plan was to bid 2N-3N. What is the difference between 3N and 2N-3Y-3N?

At both tables, north decided he was too good to bid a passable 3D over 2N. But in this auction, can't you bid like 3C and then bid again over 3D? What's the difference between a jump over 2N, and a 3C-3D-4D/5D?

Not sure I understand either. Most of what I know involves 2NT as the ostensibly weaker call.

[wyman]

kenrexford, on 2012-April-18, 13:59, said:

Not sure I understand either. Most of what I know involves 2NT as the ostensibly weaker call.

2N is the ostensibly weaker call, but direct 3D is NF, so I guess you can keep bidding after 2N-3Y...

[MickyB]

wyman, on 2012-April-18, 13:51, said:

At both tables, north decided he was too good to bid a passable 3D over 2N. But in this auction, can't you bid like 3C and then bid again over 3D? What's the difference between a jump over 2N, and a 3C-3D-4D/5D?

I don't play G/B, but surely 3C is to play opposite a minimum opening hand with 5-5 in the minors.

[Ant590]

Further to the other posters, the way I play GB2NT is for North to bid 3♦ with hands that do not want partner to pass 3♣ with 5-4 or 5-5 shape, it doesn't show extras.

I believe this is the way Lawrence discussed the convention in his competitive auctions book.

I also play that a rebid of 3♠+ show good hands with spade support, leaving a direct 3♠ bid as a non-forcing pre-emptive raise. So for us, 2NT then 3NT is frivolous, 2NT then 4-bids are cue bids as part of a serious slam try. It also means that 2NT then action later if the opponents compete further confirms spades as trumps. I do not know if this style is standard, but it seems to work well.

[han]

If you want to play good /bad here, may I suggest you play transfer lebensohl instead? There are many variations, I prefer a variant in which a direct call in the highest bid suit below their suit is invitational, and a transfer to opener's suit is either weak or strong. Here that would mean:

2NT = clubs, any strength.
3C = diamonds, either weak or GF.
3D = invitational with diamonds.

More interesting is an auction like 1D - 1S - Dbl - 2S:

2NT = clubs any strength or weak with diamonds.
3C = invitational or better with diamonds.
3D = weak or GF with hearts.
3H = invitational with hearts.

Compared to G/B you win by often immediately showing your suit. What you lose is the option to show invitational values with clubs.

You can play this on many auctions that go

1X - (..) - nonpass - (2H or 2S),

where nonpass shows a new suit and does not promise invitational values.

Note that if you play Mexican 2D (17-19 or 18-19 balanced) then you lose less by playing G/B or transfer lebensohl by opener.