Duplicate Bridge results and tips: Useful conventions worth learning, part 149

By Peter Rhead

Examples of responses with bust hand to 1NT opening

Last week we introduced your responses with a bust hand to partner’s 1NT opening. See what you might respond with the following bust hands.

Pontoon docks
Case 1:

Spades xxxxx
Hearts xx
Diamonds xxx
Clubs xxx

Case 1: Partner opens 1NT. You transfer to Spades with a transfer bid of Two Hearts. You are telling partner that you favour Spades. Partner will then complete the transfer: Two Spades. Partner does not know how strong you are but when you PASS Two Spades, he knows you are weak with at least five Spades. Partner will be better off playing Two Spades than 1NT from one side of the board.

Case 2:

Spades xxx
Hearts xx
Diamonds xxxxx
Clubs xxx

Case 2: Partner opens 1NT. You PASS. You are too weak for the minors (Clubs and Diamonds). The minors need seven cards to be of any use in a bust hand. The minor contract needs an extra couple of potential tricks to make scoring sense. Partner is as well off playing 1NT.

Case 3:

Spades x
Hearts xx
Diamonds xxx
Clubs xxxxxxx

Case 3: Partner opens 1NT. You transfer to the minors by bidding Two Spades. Partner will then dutifully complete the transfer to the minors by bidding Three Clubs, his required bid. Partner does not know how strong you are but when you PASS Three Clubs, he knows you are weak with at least seven Clubs. Partner will be better off playing Three Clubs than 1NT from his side of the board towards a bust hand.

Note: The Two Spades transfer to the minors gets a compulsory response of Three Clubs which is corrected to Three Diamonds if necessary.

Next Week: More examples of responses to 1NT from a bust hand.

If you wish to promote an activity in your Bridge group or ask a Bridge question, send the information to vrhead23@gmail.com and I will try to include it in this column.

Looking for more bridge tips? You’ll find them here.

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