(514) Thinking and Responding: 1-minor - 2NT (or 3NT) Auctions and Follow-Ups

This Week in Bridge

(514) 1-minor – 2NT (or 3NT) Auctions and Follow-ups

© AiB                                                              Robert S. Todd
Level:  4 of 10 (1 of 6)                                   
robert@advinbridge.com

 

 

General

When partner opens the bidding with 1-minor and we have a good hand we usually still start out the auction by searching for a Major suit fit.  If we do not have a 4+card Major suit, then with a distributional hand we may bid our long minor suit or support partner’s suit.  But it is more common that with no Major suit we will simply respond with a NT bid.  After a minor suit opening, a jump to 2NT shows an invitational hand (a good 10 to bad 12 HCP) and a jump to 3NT shows a game forcing hand (a good 12 to 15 HCP).  Let’s look at the types of hands we have for these auctions.

 

 

Responding 2NT (or 3NT) to a 1-minor Opening Bid

When our partner opens the bidding with 1¨, our first priority is to respond with a 4+card Major.  If we do not have one of those and we have an invitational or better hand, 10+ points, then we can look to raise partner’s minor suit if we have a way to do so.  This may mean using inverted minors.  But raising partner’s minor suit is not a desirable action, especially with a balanced hand.  Instead, we usually simply bid NT with these hands.

               

A 2NT or 3NT response can be made with a variety of different hand shapes and strengths.

 

Example 1

1♦           __?

♠ Q93
♥ Q83
♦ K932
♣ A83

With this scattered 11 HCP hand it is best to respond 2NT to partner’s 1♦ opening bid.

 

Example 2

1♦           __?

♠ A4
♥ J93
♦ J72
♣ KQ532

With 11 HCP and a 5-card ♣ suit, we can respond 2NT to our partner’s 1♦ opening bid.

 

When partner opens the bidding with 1♣ we take a similar approach to responding. The primary difference is that we have ♦ responses available.  The most commonly used ♦ response is a 1♦ bid, instead of a 2NT or 3NT response.

 

Example 3

1♣          __?

♠ 93
♥ 843
♦ KQ92
♣ AKJ2

With this hand we have the right shape and strength to bid 3NT, but a better option is to respond 1♦ and let partner rebid NT if that is the right place to play.

 

 

Follow-up Bidding after 1-minor – 2NT (3NT) Auctions

When the auction begins with 1-minor – 2NT then the opening bidder has corrective and forward-going options.

 

Responder’s 2NT Auctions

1♣          2NT
__?

  • 3♣          5+card ♣ suit, To Play

  • 3♦*        Worry Ask, short ♦ (singleton or void), 14+ points (GF)

  • 3♥*        Worry Ask, short ♥ (singleton or void), 14+ points (GF)

  • 3♠*        Worry Ask, short ♠ (singleton or void), 14+ points (GF)

  • 3NT        To Play, Good 14+ points.

 

1♦           2NT
__?

  • 3♣          4+card ♣ suit, Choice of partscores

  • 3♦           5+card ♦ suit, To Play

  • 3♥*        Worry Ask, short ♥ (singleton or void), 18+ points (GF)

  • 3♠*        Worry Ask, short ♠ (singleton or void), 18+ points (GF)

  • 3NT        To Play, Good 14+ points.

 

Summary:  When we rebid a suit below the suit we opened, it is natural, non-forcing, and corrective.  When we rebid a suit above the suit we opened, it is shortness – a worry ask.

 

Responder’s 3NT Auctions

1♣          3NT
__?

  • 4♣          ♣ Slam Try; asks to start showing controls (or minorwood)

  • 4♦*        ♣ Slam Try, Control Showing ♦ Bid

  • 4♥*        ♣ Slam Try, Control Showing ♥ Bid

  • 4♠*        ♣ Slam Try, Control Showing ♠ Bid

  • 4NT        Quantitative, 18-19 balanced

 

1♦           3NT
__?

  • 4♣          Natural, 4+♣, Slam Try

  • 4♦*        ♦ Slam Try; asks to start showing controls (or minorwood)

  • 4♥*        ♦ Slam Try, Control Showing ♥ Bid

  • 4♠*        ♦ Slam Try, Control Showing ♠ Bid

  • 4NT        Quantitative, 18-19 balanced

 

 

Conclusion

When partner opens the bidding with 1-minor and we respond 2NT (or 3NT), we show an invitational (or game forcing hand) with no 4-card Major suit.  We then need to have some good agreements about how to continue the auction in ways that get us to the best game and/or explore slam.  Make sure that you have discussed these bids with your partners so that you can use them to show your concerns in these auctions.