[AL78]

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MPs with a scratch partner playing Acol 3 weak twos, weak NT. I thought my hand was worth more than 24 HCP but didn't want to swallow a load of space by bidding 3NT in the absence of any discussion of 2♣ auctions so opted for 2NT. Slam in spades or NT is trivial and I made 13 tricks on a heart lead. Are there ways of showing these huge balanced hands after opening 2♣ without having to leap in NT on the next round?

[smerriman]

What would 4♥ over 2NT be by your partner? If that's also spades, then the slower route is usually a slam invite.

The usual answer to avoid jumping to 3NT is playing some form of Kokish relays, though obviously not with a scratch partner.

[TylerE]

For that matter what would an immediate 2S by partner have shown? If it can't be this hand then what? After a spade positive I fail to see how your hand doesn't drive it home.

[DavidKok]

I think there are many ways to find this slam, but none of them are obvious without prior discussion. In no particular order:

• I evaluate the West hand to be a 25- or 26-count. You have all the aces and a nice five card suit, both of which make this hand worth more than a typical 24-count. This suggests being more optimistic about slam.
  
• You didn't want to jump to 3NT which I think is understandable. I played a style for a few years where we did jump to 3NT and also played Birthright (called Kokish upthread) to split the NT ranges really fine. This goes against the original idea of the convention and is not popular, but I only remember getting good results with it. Either way, you don't have any agreed continuations over a jump to 3NT so that argues strongly in favour of not making the jump bid. As a slight counterpoint I think you might not have had great agreements about continuations over 2NT either - how does partner make a slam invite in spades, or show certain two-suiters? Continuations over a (delayed or immediate) 2NT opening are a complicated affair, and I think even most experienced partnerships don't have this part of their system locked down tight. So maybe jumping to 3NT wouldn't have been that bad.
  
• The East hand should in my opinion respond 2♠ to 2♣. You might technically be under strength for your agreements (for some this requires AQxxx or better, or 8 HCP in addition to a good suit, or the likes) but I personally feel that not only do I gain more by showing the suit immediately, also the hand is stronger than the HCP count suggests. In addition, if you are not playing Birthright, the preemptive effect on partner is minimal.
  
• There is a reasonable case for East to make a strong slam try (rather than a mild one, or no slam try at all) over the delayed 2NT. Unbalanced hands with a few entries play very well facing big balanced hands, and I highly encourage upgrading shape hands aggressively once partner has shown a strong (15+) or stronger notrump hand.

[AL78]

From the limited discussion we had, our continuations after 2NT were very simple and standard (for club bridge around here anyway):

2NT - ?

3♣ = 5 card puppet Stayman
3♦/♥ = Transfers
3♠ = 5-4 in the majors
3NT = To play

The same applies over 2♣ followed by 2NT.

This is pretty much what most people at the club play and is what I am used to but I make no claim it is optimal. I feel there needs to be a way of making a slam try with a long major or minor suit but am not sure how to construct a structure to do that. I recall some people play 3♠ as a slam try in a minor and maybe 4♣/♦ as slam tries with a long major South African Texas style but I have never done this.

[AL78]

TylerE, on 2023-December-21, 18:39, said:

For that matter what would an immediate 2S by partner have shown? If it can't be this hand then what? After a spade positive I fail to see how your hand doesn't drive it home.

An immediate 2♠ I would have taken as a 7/8+ HCP hand with a reasonable suit (2/4 top honors) suggesting some slam interest with a suitable hand opposite. We had a brief discussion about this after the hand and he thought he could have stretched to bid 2♠ even though it is a little light on HCP, the suit is a good source of tricks opposite a powerhouse with a fit.

[DavidKok]

Over 2NT (both direct and through 2♣, including through Birthright) I prefer:

• 3♣ Puppet Stayman.
  
• 3♦ GF transfer to hearts.
  
• 3♥ GF transfer to spades.
  
• 3♠ GF or better with at least 54 in the minors either way.
  
• 3NT to play.
  
• 4♣ 6(+) hearts, sets trumps, SI or better.
  
• 4♦ 6(+) spades, sets trumps, SI or better.
  
• 4♥ 6(+) clubs, SI or better, we may play 4NT.
  
• 4♠ 6(+) diamonds, SI or better, we may play 4NT.
  
• 4NT quantitative.

There is a case for regular Stayman over Puppet Stayman, I'm on the fence about that. That being said I think most people don't have a structure this detailed, or are not as familiar with the continuations.

[Cyberyeti]

I find if responder to a 2N type bid has a 6 card suit, then 29 points is usually enough for slam unless there are 2 top losers, or one and a slow trump, so on that basis I would do more than just bid 4♠. Not sure exactly what.

Quote

2NT - ?

3♣ = 5 card puppet Stayman
3♦/♥ = Transfers
3♠ = 5-4 in the majors
3NT = To play

This is fairly standard if you choose to play puppet, you can actually include the 5-4 majors in 3♣ if you don't puppet fully. This allows 3♠ to be used for minor suited hands.

What we do over 2N-3♣ is this

3♦ = no 5M, either 4♥ or 3♠ or both
3M = 5 card suit
3N = 2♠-3♥ or 2-2 M

This means that over 3♦, responder with 5-4 knows there is an 8 card major fit

You can either bid 4 card suits over 3♦ or you can use 3♥ as "I don't have 4 hearts, I either have spades or just want to sign off in 3N", opener bids 3♠ with 4 or 3N without, 3♠ shows 4♥, 3N 4-4M

[AL78]

Thanks, I'll have a think about suggesting one of these in a future session.

[pescetom]

As mentioned, Kokish (aka Birthright) is a fairly standard and very effective way of gaining an extra level of 2NT and 3NT. If East bids 2♦ (at least a K) then we would bid Kokish 2NT here showing 24-25.

What we do over 2N-3♣ is the same (logically) as what we do over 1N-2♣:
3♦ = no 5M
3M = 5 card suit.
You can work out effective developments for both branches but it's not the sort of thing you can play except in a dedicated partnership.

We play that 2N-3♥ is a transfer forcing to game and not denying slam interest and 2N-4♥ is a "Texas" transfer showing 6+ cards and nominally just game strength (opener cannot Superaccept) unless followed by RKCB. I'm not over enthusiastic about the latter agreement, but it has the virtue of being fairly standard and easy to get right (if partner passes 4♥ cheerfully more than once then you know what to do).

Having said all that, I would expect that in most partnerships East would have bid his spades before West got to explain his hand. We handle that kind of situation with my invention where 2♣-2♠, where 2♠ is artificial and indicates that Responder has a decent (undeclared) suit of his own. Now 2NT by Opener orders Responder to bid his suit in transfer (3♥) and Opener can complete the transfer (fixing trumps) or rebid some quantitative level of NT or impose his own single suit. So here Opener might choose to explore slam in Responder's suit:
2♣ - 2♠
2N - 3♥
3♠ - 4♦
4♥ - 5♠
5N - 6♦
6♠ - p
West is concerned that at worst East might have only have KQxxx, but he also knows that if diamonds split 4-3 he can pitch two clubs and a heart so it isn't just on the hearts K.

[TylerE]

East comitted the ultimate bridge sin. He had a simple, non-ambiguous bid that perfectly describes his hand... and didn't make it.

[mw64ahw]

For me playing reverse Kokish 'birthright' with a Weak ♦ option; so 2♣-2♦-2NT is 24-27 without 9 tricks off the top, a Texas transfer would be a sign-off, with ... 3♥-3♠-4♥/4♠ being slam invites. With a 9 modified loser hand I can invite the slam.