[qwery_hi]

Hi,
I was listening to someone a sequence in which the opponents opens the bidding, and partner in balancing seat doubles. (sorry, don;t remember all the details). And they they said would 2NT by the partner of the doubler would be scrambling.

What is scrambling 2NT? Is there any place on the web or any book that I can read up on it?

Thanks

[Echognome]

I don't have much time (still at the office and about to leave), but I found several hits when I typed "Scrambling 2NT" into google. I'm sure others can explain to you what it means, but it's basically a bid saying you don't want to sit for your partner's double and want to find a fit in one of the lower suits.

Edit: A reasonable definition can be found here:

http://www.biddingquest.com/system/convent...rambling2NT.htm

[qwery_hi]

Thanks. I'll be sure to google next time.

[y66]

If you want to read up on this, Robson and Segal have a good discussion of scrambling sequences in their book Partnership Bidding in Bridge which you can download from Dan Neill's site.

http://www.geocities.com/daniel_neill_2000...ingAtBridge.ZIP

The authors have given their permission.

[analysismi]

Scrambling 2NT is used when you have two (or three) suits of equal length.

consider:
1S - P - 2S - X
P - ?

you have 2344 distribution. (or 2-1-5-5 or 2-2-5-4)
You know you have an 8 card fit in one of the minors but how do you know which one?
Playing scrambling 2NT you can bid 2NT to ask partner to bid his cheapest 4-card suit at the three level. This ensures that you compete in your best minor, and not a 7 card suit.

There are other times scrambling 2NT comes into play, but this is the general idea.

[Tola18]

To add to Analysimis excellent answer:

Double asks primary for a four in the other major. If you have it, fine. But if you dont, and your minors are same or almost same lengh, (and your points or holding in enemy suit not so many you want to pass for punishment), you bid 2NT scrambling: bid your best minor partner, I dont want to guess. Lets play 3 in a minor, unless you have a real GF-hand.


Scrambling is thus a very logical, easy, very useful little gadget.

I believe Larry Cohen writes about it somewhere in his books, either To bid or not to bid, or Following the law.


There is one danger with scrambling nowadays, though. Many of the modern players plays Lebensohl as soon anything moves!
One player playing scramble, and partner playing Lebensohl - tends to mercilessly lead into a cathastrophe, like 3C doubled down, when 3D was cold.
As Lebensohl CAN be played in this position too...

Real example I had the other day...
But we still come 6 of 36.

[pclayton]

Just think of 2N as 'two places to play' instead of one.

[qwery_hi]

Thanks very much for all your excellent replies. I'll just follow Helgemo (my hero) on this one - I believe he refuses to play -sohl in such sequences and also over weak 2's

[lexlogan]

As mentioned, classic situation is when partner doubles a major suit raise: (1H)-P-(2H)-X or (1H)-P-(2H)-P-(P)-X.

In the first case, where the doubler is an unpassed hand, I assume we may still have game and use 2NT as lebensohl. In the second, where the doubler has already passed, we can forget about game and advancer's strength is unimportant, so 2NT becomes scrambling.

Tola mentioned using scrambling 2NT when your length in the minors was "nearly equal". I strongly expect a simulation would show that with 4-3 or 5-4 in the minors, you would do better to bid your longer minor than ask partner via 2NT. I've read, for example, that a weak hand with 5-4 or 4-5 in the majors responding to 1NT is better off transferring to the long major and passing rather than offering partner a choice via Garbage Stayman or such. So I would use Scarmbling 2NT only with equal length in the minors in the example auction.

[ASkolnick]

Lexlogan, I did the simulation since I had an argument with my partner on whether to bid 3m with 3-4 in the minors or bid your minor.

You were actually more likely to find a fit bidding 2N Scrambling to 3 of a minor. This was actually a surprise to me. However, 5-4 I don't see why you shouldn't bid your 5 card minor since it assures you of a fit in a minor.

[glen]

We are seeing a general trend towards moving Lebensohl to the scramble:

- Better Minor Lebenshol: (2x) - Double - (pass) - 2NT asks doubler's better minor
- lhosnebel, Mike Cappelletti notes in the July BW:

Cappelletti said:

it is noteworthy that experience with the method, whose centerpiece is 1NT - (2M) - 2NT to ask for opener's longer minor (rather than as a puppet to 3♣) has seen this technique gain in popularity over the original lebenshol treatment

Once 2NT asks for better minor instead of puppets in all former Lebenshol situations, it can be employed consistently as a two-suited scramble