Comments on: Balanced Hand Ranges: A Good Example http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/12/16/balanced-hand-ranges-a-good-example/ Contract Bridge Themes with a Midwest Accent! Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:05:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.9 by: Joe Stokes http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/12/16/balanced-hand-ranges-a-good-example/#comment-138 Wed, 20 Dec 2006 16:11:32 +0000 http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/12/16/balanced-hand-ranges-a-good-example/#comment-138 With my most regular partner, we play a jump to 3NT here is 15-17. With less (or more) you have to bid 2NT first. This is less refined than Christopher's suggestions, but it is simple and allows one to use both Jacoby 2NT and Bergen raises. With my most regular partner, we play a jump to 3NT here is 15-17. With less (or more) you have to bid 2NT first. This is less refined than Christopher’s suggestions, but it is simple and allows one to use both Jacoby 2NT and Bergen raises.

]]> by: Christopher Monsour http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/12/16/balanced-hand-ranges-a-good-example/#comment-137 Tue, 19 Dec 2006 01:21:11 +0000 http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/12/16/balanced-hand-ranges-a-good-example/#comment-137 3NT. Shows about 16-17 balanced. 2NT the first time shows GF balanced with 15 and under or 18 and up. 2NT the second time shows a less notrumpish hand that needs to keep the bidding low to explore. (Whether to play the second round 2NT as GF or F1 is another question....) Partner is allowed to correct 3NT to 4S if he should be in 4 opposite xx. After 3NT, 4C or 4H by partner is a slam try in spades. If you currently play Jacoby 2NT, don't. You can re-engineer the responses to Jacoby to get exactly the same information over a 3C response. That in turn forces you to stop using the Bergen mixed raise, which means you actually get to use gamee tries again. It all works out... By the way, if playing Fallenius inversion (2H=diamonds GF or almost GF, and 2D=5+ hearts F1 over a 1S opening), this is a 2C response. Don't venture a space-consuming 2H showing diamonds on such a poor suit, especially holding four hearts. Even playing standard, this is about my minimum suit quality for a 2D response on a strong notrump hand. With xx AKxx Qxxx AKx, I would suggest a 2C response even in standard. Partner will take clubs less seriously than diamonds, since he knows you might only have three (3=4=3=3, for instance). 3NT. Shows about 16-17 balanced. 2NT the first time shows GF balanced with 15 and under or 18 and up. 2NT the second time shows a less notrumpish hand that needs to keep the bidding low to explore. (Whether to play the second round 2NT as GF or F1 is another question….) Partner is allowed to correct 3NT to 4S if he should be in 4 opposite xx. After 3NT, 4C or 4H by partner is a slam try in spades.

If you currently play Jacoby 2NT, don’t. You can re-engineer the responses to Jacoby to get exactly the same information over a 3C response. That in turn forces you to stop using the Bergen mixed raise, which means you actually get to use gamee tries again. It all works out…

By the way, if playing Fallenius inversion (2H=diamonds GF or almost GF, and 2D=5+ hearts F1 over a 1S opening), this is a 2C response. Don’t venture a space-consuming 2H showing diamonds on such a poor suit, especially holding four hearts.

Even playing standard, this is about my minimum suit quality for a 2D response on a strong notrump hand. With xx AKxx Qxxx AKx, I would suggest a 2C response even in standard. Partner will take clubs less seriously than diamonds, since he knows you might only have three (3=4=3=3, for instance).

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