[helene_t]

(1m)----x---(pass)-1♥
(pass)-1NT-(pass)-2♠

What is 2♠ most commonly played as by theory-aware tournament players, using mainstream methods (so not something with Power Doubles, Herbert Negative, transfer advances or stuff that affects the 1NT range such a raptor)?

[mikeh]

In more than 40 years of playing, albeit with some long breaks, I’ve never seen this auction, so I am not answering based on experience

However, bridge logic suggests it has to be forcing, and the same logic suggests 4-5 majors

Partner has shown 18+ to 20 hcp.

He hasn't promised 4 spades so 2S will often force him to bid, since he can’t really pass with fewer than 4 spades.

We would/should respond 1S with 4=4 or 5=5 majors, even with a Yarborough since we need to cater to partner bidding 1N or cuebidding.

So we have 4-5 majors and enough to be comfortable forcing to at least 2N even if we have no fit. Therefore we have to be strong enough to handle a non-fit auction so we should be forcing opposite a fit.

Plus, if we are 4=5 majors with, say, 6-7 hcp we need to force to game but we also need to show our shape

Meanwhile, if we have a very weak hand, we pass 1N or bid 2H.

[Cyberyeti]

mikeh, on 2021-July-05, 20:52, said:

In more than 40 years of playing, albeit with some long breaks, I’ve never seen this auction, so I am not answering based on experience

However, bridge logic suggests it has to be forcing, and the same logic suggests 4-5 majors

Partner has shown 18+ to 20 hcp.

He hasn't promised 4 spades so 2S will often force him to bid, since he can’t really pass with fewer than 4 spades.

We would/should respond 1S with 4=4 or 5=5 majors, even with a Yarborough since we need to cater to partner bidding 1N or cuebidding.

So we have 4-5 majors and enough to be comfortable forcing to at least 2N even if we have no fit. Therefore we have to be strong enough to handle a non-fit auction so we should be forcing opposite a fit.

Plus, if we are 4=5 majors with, say, 6-7 hcp we need to force to game but we also need to show our shape

Meanwhile, if we have a very weak hand, we pass 1N or bid 2H.

4-6 2 or 3 count ? prepared to play 3♥ if no spade fit would be about the only possibility for a NF bid, but I agree, probably more useful as forcing unless you play an artificial 2 of opener's minor here for the GF hand.

[AL78]

Could it be 6-5 in the majors, looking for game in the best fit?

[sfi]

AL78, on 2021-July-06, 02:34, said:

Could it be 6-5 in the majors, looking for game in the best fit?

This is unlikely - such a hand would almost certainly have done more the previous round.

I play mostly IMPs, where you sometimes sacrifice precision in partscores in exchange for improved chances of finding the right game. This looks like a place to apply that principle, and I would expect 4-5 in the majors and some modest values (basically, what mikeh said). There may be an argument for different principles to apply at MPs, but I would expect this understanding to be fairly standard.

[nige1]

Helene_T 'What is 2♠ most commonly played as by theory-aware tournament players, using mainstream methods (so not something with Power Doubles, Herbert Negative, transfer advances or stuff that affects the 1NT range such a raptor)?'
++++++++++++++++++
After partner's 1N rebid, 2♠ seems natural, constructive, but non-forcing with 4 ♠s and longer ♥s.
(Assuming that a cue-bid would show a better hand).

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