[awm]

1m - 1M - 1NT (natural auction)

When would you correct to 2M on a five-card suit and a less-than-invitational hand? Assume that you don't have a second suit which can be conveniently shown at the two-level.

[billw55]

I picked strong suit and unbalanced. Something like xxxx KQJTx xxx x. To some extent it depends on how often partner will rebid 1NT with a stiff in my major.

[mikeh]

it is probably easier for me to describe the hands when I don't pull to 2M, since pulling is my default preference.

I will not pull when I hold enough hcp to expect that we have slightly more than half the deck, and I have a balanced hand and I have scattered soft values. So after 1♦ 1♥ I would pass with something like Qxx Q10xxx Kx QJx or Jxx J9xxx KQx Qx

Note that my preference is for the 1N to not deny 4 spades. However some of my partners don't like this, so with them I would tend to pull more frequently if I held a doubleton spade.

[MickyB]

There's definitely been a movement in the UK towards -

Never raising on a balanced hand with three cards
Nearly always rebidding your suit with five cards

The best player I've spoken to about this says he rebids five-card suits 95% of the time. Playing this style, I'm a big fan of rebidding 1S over 1H on 4-2 majors, but rebidding 1NT on 4-3 majors.

[gszes]

I would correct pretty much with any really weak hand and a good reason
to fear 1n (short suit outside openers minor). Vulnerable would be a
strong factor here.

If balanced I would correct if the suit is headed by the A KT9 if I had nothing
that looked like an entry no matter the overall power. Vulnerable wpuld be a
strong factor here.

If my suit was good 3 of top 5 honors (or AK) no matter if I had an entry or not
and would not care about power. Vulnerability is irrelevant here.

This means opener cannot assume anything about my hand or suit quality when I correct
and this is indeed a flaw but there are too many ways to show invitational hands so
this method of showing weak hands is designed to try and keep things safe. The fact that
I do not immediately convert 1n to 2M does not forbid me from doing so if 1n were x
or competing if the opps bid over 1n.

[whereagles]

I pull like 99% of the time.

1. If 1NT guarantees a balanced hand (except #3): pull.
2. If 1NT does not guarantee a balanced hand: then I'm playing in BBO vs a random, so I pull to hog the hand.. lol
3. If 1NT guarantees a balanced hand & we have a combined 21-23/22-24 & suit is weak & pard can play'em: leave it

Probability of 3 is ~1%

[mycroft]

I usually play an anti-field system (weak NT in the ACBL), so all hands that fit this description have gone 1NT-transfer-accept at the other tables. Therefore, pull unless it's obvious to me that 1NT will play at least as well as 2M, or that the "wrong-siding" we've done is going to be more of an issue than playing the wrong contract the "right" way up.

Playing strong NT, effectively, if my partner can't have a stiff in my suit, I pull. I might be convinced to sit a lot more if partner will raise on 3 a significant fraction of the time such that if we do have an 8-card fit, I can expect no ruffs in the short hand.

[yunling]

It depends on how often you rebid 1NT with a singleton in partner's suit. If you almost never do it, then you should correcting to 2M 90%+ of the time.

[MrAce]

I used to pull most of the time.

-Defending 1 NT is heavy duty job-5-3 M fit can make magics also in 1 NT
-1 level lower.
-When (more often over 2M) they balance, I am better placed deciding when to sell out, double or compete
-Easier to balance for them over especially 2♥ compared to 1 NT (I am sure we all know and see hands where 1 NT is cold for one side and 2♠ for other side)
-I do rebid 1 NT with stiff in responder's suit

When do I pull? Weak hand with very little to none entries to my hand and good suit. Or with hands which I actually did not have a legit 1M response strength wise. Jxx KQTxx xx xxx ---I pull
KJx JTxxx xx Jxx --I pass
JT9xx x JTxx xxx -- I pull (yes I respond 1♠ with this)

[rmnka447]

Play it differently with different bidding systems.

When playing weak NTs, I'll normally pull to 2 M over an opening 1 NT (equivalent 1 m followed by 1 NT rebid by most SA pairs). Also over 1 m followed by a 1 NT rebid (a 15-17 NT hand), I'll pull to 2 M because most strong NT bidders are being transferred into the M anyhow.

When playing strong NTs, I'll normally rebid 2 M over a 1 NT rebid unless there's reason to believe 1 NT might play better (bad suit, some intermediates, scattered values).

[rhm]

I think the poll makes little sense, since it depends how often you will raise on three cards and whether you will rebid 1NT with a singleton.

For what it is worth I will raise on three with a balanced hand and a low doubleton in an unbid suit.
I will frequently rebid 1NT with a singleton spade, but not with a singleton heart.

Accordingly I will only takeout into a five card spade suit if I can stomach to play in a 5-1 spade fit and the suit may not establish in notrumps.
Obviously you take out into KQJTx or AQJTx and often into QJT9x or KQJxx
I am more likely to take out into hearts than spades.

Rainer Herrmann

[gnasher]

I think what I do is something like:
Always when not 5332.
Always when weak.
Always when I have no possible side-entry.
Always with a suit of QJ10xx or better.

But as others have said it depends on how often partner will have three-card support, and how often he'll have a singleton.