February 2025 - 50

Newer Players
Reasoning with Robert
" Less than perfect " 2NT opening bids
W
hen you have a semi-balanced
hand, you often
want to describe it as
balanced by either opening or rebidding
notrump. When you have
about 15-16 HCP, sometimes you are
forced to open 1NT in order to avoid
making a reverse.
Example 1
sK 8 hA 9 8 3 dA K J 8 3 c8 2
This is a hand that could be opened
1NT, because if you open the bidding
1d and hear partner respond
1s, you will have no good rebid. So
even though you do not have a club
stopper, you still make life easier by
opening 1NT.
Rebid problems with stronger
hands
When you have more high-card
points than in 1, then you have
fewer rebid problems because you
have the option to reverse.
Example 2
sJ 3 h9 8 dA K Q J cA K Q 8 7
This hand does not have a rebid
problem, because with 20 HCP and
this shape, you can open 1c and
reverse into 2d. There is no pressure
to open 2NT or rebid 2NT, even
though it's a semi-balanced hand.
With no stoppers in either doubleton,
bidding notrump is not that appealing.
Example 3
sA Q hA Q dA 9 8 3 cK J 8 7 3
By contrast, this hand is ideal for
bidding notrump. You have stoppers
in the doubletons and would like the
50 | Bridge Bulletin | February 2025
lead to come into you, so even though
you could open 1c and reverse into
2d, it is a better description of the
hand to just open the bidding 2NT.
There are other semi-balanced
hands where you have a choice of
opening bids. In cases like this, open
the bidding 2NT when it solves a
rebid problem.
Example 4
sK J hA Q dJ 10 3 cA K J 9 8 3
This is a hand where you want to
open the bidding 1c, and if partner
responds 1h or 1s, then you want to
rebid " 3.5c " . A rebid of 3c is a bit of
an underbid, but of course you do not
want to rebid 4c and go past 3NT.
With 19 HCP and about two length
points for a total of about 21 points
and a semi-balanced hand (one that
looks balanced, because it has highcard
points in its short suits), this
hand is best described by opening
2NT.
2NT with a five-card major
Another example of a hand where
you want to open the bidding in
notrump is with a 5-3-3-2 shape.
Example 5
sK 4 hA Q J 8 7 dA Q J cQ 10 8
If you open this hand 1h, and if
partner responds 1NT and we rebid
2NT (or even if we rebid 3NT), we
will have to put this strong hand
down as the dummy - which is not
ideal.
Instead, it's best to treat this 19
HCP hand as being worth about 20
total points (one length point for the
nice five-card heart suit) and just
BY ROBERT S. TODD
robert@advinbridge.com
advinbridge.com
open the bidding 2NT. You are most
likely to get to the best contract from
the best side.
When you have a hand that is best
described by opening 1NT or 2NT,
you should strive to do so, even with
a less than perfect hand. 2
CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH
North (Dummy)
Dlr: East s 6 5 4 3
Vul: None h J 9 4
d Q 9 8
c A K 9
South (You)
s A K 10 9 8 7
h 3 2
d K 10 5
c 3 2
West North East
Pass 3s
All Pass
Pass
South
1NT(1) 2s
4s
(1) 16-18 HCP
West leads the h5. East plays the
hQ, hK and hA, which you ruff,
West playing the h6 and h10.
When you play the sA K, West
follows to the first spade and discards
a low club on the second;
East plays the sQ J. You continue
by cashing the cA K and ruffing
the c9, East turning up with the
cQ J x.
How do you play the diamonds
and why?
continued on page 57
http://www.advinbridge.com
February 2025

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