[dickiegera]

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Is 2♣ a forcing bid?
What does 2♣ show?
What should East now bid?

If 2♣ is not forcing what bid would be forcing?

Thank you.

[PhilKing]

Questions one and two - for me, it's natural and encouraging but non-forcing.

Question three - 3♥. This is know as a Bluhmer bid. We can't possibly want to play in hearts after this start, so it is an impossible jump showing exactly nothing in hearts and a huge hand for the bidding so far. 7♣ is excellent opposite:

♠Axxx
♥-
♦AKxxx
♣KJxx

And pard can visualise it over 3♥. You can go a stage further and bid 4♥ over 2♣ to show the absolute nuts.

Question four - If you play 1♠ as forcing, you can use 3♣ as a GF now. I play 1♠ as NF, so 3♣ is just natural but stronger than 2♣, since there is no shape I can have that can't just bid naturally over 1NT.

[billw55]

PhilKing, on 2013-April-29, 07:51, said:

Question three - 3♥. This is know as a Bloomer (or Bluhmer) bid. We can't possibly want to play in hearts after this start, so it is an impossible jump showing exactly nothing in hearts and a huge hand for the bidding so far.

Interesting, but asking for trouble if not agreed beforehand.

I think minorwood looks good here if available. If not, 4NT keycard could get too high, so I will just guess 5♣.

[PhilKing]

billw55, on 2013-April-29, 08:14, said:

Interesting, but asking for trouble if not agreed beforehand.

I think minorwood looks good here if available. If not, 4NT keycard could get too high, so I will just guess 5♣.

One could argue that after limiting our hand with 1NT, raising clubs to the four level and expecting partner to treat it as Minorwood is also somewhat risky.

5♣ is fine - well certainly better than 4♣, and it should get you to some slams.

[y66]

just fyi -- another Bluhmer (see problem 2). This is where I first heard about this bid.

[aguahombre]

I believe the Bluhmer is necessary here. I love Minorwood, but cannot be assured of the heart void; so, I can't really use it here and know the total keycards we have afterward.

My partner could have a 17-18 count 4-1-4-4. She has to be the Captain, not me.

Edit: Actually, 4-1-5-3 and big is not impossible...still willing to play in 2C opposite a dog with 4-5 in the rounded suits.

This post has been edited by aguahombre: 2013-April-29, 09:32

[gszes]

PhilKing, on 2013-April-29, 07:51, said:

Questions one and two - for me, it's natural and encouraging but non-forcing.

Question three - 3♥. This is know as a Bluhmer bid. We can't possibly want to play in hearts after this start, so it is an impossible jump showing exactly nothing in hearts and a huge hand for the bidding so far. 7♣ is excellent opposite:

♠Axxx
♥-
♦AKxxx
♣KJxx

And pard can visualise it over 3♥. You can go a stage further and bid 4♥ over 2♣ to show the absolute nuts.

Question four - If you play 1♠ as forcing, you can use 3♣ as a GF now. I play 1♠ as NF, so 3♣ is just natural but stronger than 2♣, since there is no shape I can have that can't just bid naturally over 1NT.

2c is natural non forcing and I wont even say encouraging just merely thinks 1n is a poor idea (especially
vul at imps) Axxx x Axxx Axxx is a good example. The range here is quite wide and that is because if 3N
is not a good contract 5 of a minor is a long way off after this start and will need a big fit from p. If p has a big
fit they will jump somewhere (hopefully)

3c also nf is natural and highly encouraging AKxx void AQJxx Kxxx essentially a strong nt with short hearts
should have good reason to think 3n is ok if p has a couple of heart stops and a side card.

Whenever p makes a bid that sounds impossible think about the bidding and try to imagine what they are
trying to tell you. The best partnerships know but just exercising your judgement shows you are trying to
be a good partner.

I also use this jump (3h above) but for me it shows a huge club fit and the heart A. With this hand I would
jump to 3s to show the huge trump fit deny the heart A and show a side spade control. This is also based on
the principle that 3s cannot be an actual invite for spades many other jumps work as well for the same
reason while 3d is natural 4d is similar to 3h/3s showing huge club fit denying heart A or spade
control. The key is recognizing impossible bids from the previous bidding.

[ggwhiz]

aguahombre, on 2013-April-29, 09:04, said:

My partner could have a 17-18 count 4-1-4-4. She has to be the Captain, not me.

Edit: Actually, 4-1-5-3 and big is not impossible...still willing to play in 2C opposite a dog with 4-5 in the rounded suits.

We play this but no blooming allowed. Pard actually bids next expecting a 4-1-5-3 and as few as 16 or 15 on caffeine and extra shape/points is just a bonus. The occasional 3-4 club fit has saved us from some nasty mis-fits.

The posted hand might make a courtesy raise to 3♣ and if pard can bid again find slam, gamble 3nt on a favourable heart position or shoot 5♣. My pard is so glass 1/2 full I can afford 3♣ cause passing that is WAY down her list of things to do next but the other bids are very (or more) legit.

[Codo]

1 ♠ is usually limited- you did not jump shift. So 2 ♣ cannot be forcing. Of course there is a problem: With a real strong 3 suiter, jumping to 2 Spade is as bad as making a non forcing rebid or opening 2♣. There is no good solution for these hands. Luckily they do not happen too often...


I would bid 4 club now, which is conditonal minorwood for me. If partner has just a weak 4144, he will bid 4 diamond and we play 5 clubs. With a good hand, he will cooperate. This is not perfect, but my partners did never heard of bluhmer bids, so they would take 3 ♥ as seminatural.

[aguahombre]

Don't want to get the Mini Roman haters started again, but we are happy that the possibility of 4-1-4-4 and 11-14 is not in the mix.

Actually it shouldn't be in there anyway, IMO. Opener should probably stop bidding after 1NT.