[diana_eva]

Team match, IMPs, good opps.

You play 2/1 vanilla, 15-17 NT, nothing fancy.

Accept or not?

---

[sfi]

Partner's showing 18-19 or equivalent? Pass would be ... eccentric.

[Stephen Tu]

sfi, on 2018-May-26, 18:07, said:

Partner's showing 18-19 or equivalent? Pass would be ... eccentric.

I don't think 2nt should show so strong 18-19 unless one is using the K-S style weakish 5-8 response catering towards weak NT systems. Ranges played for 1nt vary considerably from 6-10/6-9/7-10/8-10, depending on how willing partnership is to fudge 1 diamond on a 3 bagger when too weak for 1nt. Opposite a stronger 1nt response range, 18/19 can afford to bid game directly, also there are semi-balanced 16-17ish hands that would like to invite.

Agree pass would be weird; 9 is not a min regardless of range, of the typical ranges. I suppose 1nt can be stronger in some transfer response schemes.

[MrAce]

sfi, on 2018-May-26, 18:07, said:

Partner's showing 18-19 or equivalent? Pass would be ... eccentric.

Standard usage is 17-18.
Can be a good 16 with an unbalanced or any other reason that prevented him opening 1 NT.
Some people play 1 NT response 8-10, if so 2 NT may be weaker. I play 6-10, it has preemptive nature against LHO 1 level major overcalls.

[diana_eva]

Thanks. I passed the 2NT (yes, yes, I myself wonder how could I do such a thing!) because I wasn't sure what range 2NT can be. Silly, but lesson learned

[cherdano]

diana_eva, on 2018-May-27, 03:27, said:

Thanks. I passed the 2NT (yes, yes, I myself wonder how could I do such a thing!) because I wasn't sure what range 2NT can be. Silly, but lesson learned

If you are unsure about the range for 2N (and that's not a silly thing to be unsure about, there are certainly different styles), you can always go back to your own range. Whether you play 1N as 6-10 or 8-10, this hand us not a minimum. 9hcp, an ace and a queen in partner's suit.

[Phil]

2N should be 18-19 but I have seen it on a semi balanced 16 with 6 mediocre clubs where the person did not want to open 1N nor rebid 3C: Kx KJx AJ Axxxxx.

3N is in order.

[Winstonm]

diana_eva, on 2018-May-27, 03:27, said:

Thanks. I passed the 2NT (yes, yes, I myself wonder how could I do such a thing!) because I wasn't sure what range 2NT can be. Silly, but lesson learned

It's not so much what your partner's range could be but what yours could be - you are pretty much at the top of 1NT unless you play 9-11 over 1C openings. Partner invited you to bid game if you are on top of your range. You are, so it would be a mistake to guess that partner misbid his hand.

[MrAce]

The irony is, poll suggests entire BBF bids 3 NT and the only one who wouldn't, actually held this hand, in a match representing BBF. (Nothing against Diana or her choice, she is my dear friend, just an ironic coincidence imo)

[sfi]

Stephen Tu, on 2018-May-26, 19:05, said:

I don't think 2nt should show so strong 18-19 unless one is using the K-S style weakish 5-8 response catering towards weak NT systems.

How can it be other than 18-19? If it's balanced, there is no other range for it. If unbalanced, it will have playing strength to compensate for fewer HCP. I would only pass it with a real minimum.

Lately I've been playing 2NT as forcing though, to allow jump shifts to be genuine two-suited hands and to give responder a chance to show distribution that couldn't be shown earlier. But that's merely an aside to the original post.

[Stephen Tu]

How can it be other?

1. Like I said ranges for 1nt response vary on both the low and top end depending on rest of system. If responder has min 8, 18-19 wants to be in game always, what's the point of bidding 2nt if it won't ever get passed?

2. There exist semibal hands of 16/17 value that didn't want to open 1nt for one reason or another, also the unbalanced equivalent, that might want to invite to get to game opposite responders 9/10. If 2nt shows a Q more, what do these bid?

[cherdano]

Stephen Tu, on 2018-May-28, 19:05, said:

How can it be other?

1. Like I said ranges for 1nt response vary on both the low and top end depending on rest of system. If responder has min 8, 18-19 wants to be in game always, what's the point of bidding 2nt if it won't ever get passed?

2. There exist semibal hands of 16/17 value that didn't want to open 1nt for one reason or another, also the unbalanced equivalent, that might want to invite to get to game opposite responders 9/10. If 2nt shows a Q more, what do these bid?

I agree with you in the sense that your view is a very reasonable and perhaps even optimal style. But your question 2 is overselling your point - these semi-balanced hands can always reverse or rebid 3C. The horrible suit in Phil's example is not that much of an issue when we know partner is either a "genius" or has 3+ support.