[mgoetze]

I've recently decided to come back to this response structure over 2NT showing a strong balanced hand:

3♣ Muppet Stayman
3♦ Hearts
3♥ Spades
3♠ Puppet to 3NT, to play there or single-suited minor slam try or slam try with both minors
3NT ???
4♣ Some form of ace ask unless there's a better suggestion
4♦ Hearts
4♥ Spades
4♠ ???
4NT ??? (Quantitative could also be handled via 3♠)

Given this scheme, what hand type would you want to put into 3NT (and 4♠ and 4NT) if you were confident that you and your partner would not forget it?

[jgillispie]

Just spitballing...

Perhaps you have seen this writeup, which uses 3N to show unequal minor lengths with slam interest. I have yet to actually bid it in my partnerships, but it seems sensible enough. They give you an escape in case responder forgets, which is thoughtful.

I prefer South African Texas (4♣=♥ 4♦=♠), in part because I detest Gerber passionately. Depends on your follow-ups to Jacoby transfers whether this is worth adopting or not, in addition to the potential of utilizing a direct 4♥/♠.

If you give up Gerber and still want a direct ace ask, perhaps
2N-
4♠ quantitative w/ even amount of aces
4N quantitative w/ odd amount of aces

But I have not pursued that issue in depth.

Just find a hand that you can't bid and see if 3N/4!C works for those hands. 4♥/♠ 6+♣/♦ comes to my mind as a headache. Perhaps
3N-> 4♣ (drop or FG)
and
4♣-> 4♦ (drop or FG)

now you can make 4M here 4-6

Also this makes use of 4♠/4N pretty well.

[mgoetze]

Thanks very much for the link, which I had in fact not seen before.

I too used to detest Gerber, but after http://www.rpbridge.net/8j25.htm convinced me I should be going to 6NT with 31 HCP I have started to appreciate it more. I do like the 4♠/4NT quant idea, thanks for that.

[gnasher]

mgoetze, on 2016-January-11, 13:54, said:

Given this scheme, what hand type would you want to put into 3NT?

If you haven't got any better use for it, use it as a natural signoff.

[mycroft]

I can't answer your question. But in chorus with at least McKenzie Myers, I would strongly recommend that whatever 2NT-3NT means, 2NT-3NT; 4x-4NT means "I forgot again, partner!"

[broze]

I play this structure and we just play four way transfers (3N=♣, 4!C=♦). We fit in all the hand types and can do all two-suited Majors and all two-suited Major minor slam tries. People are perfectly happy to play 1N-2N as artificial so I don't see what the big deal is with 2N-3N. PM me if you want me to send you a copy.

[Vampyr]

We play 4♣ as "pick a major" and 4♠ as ace-asking. Puppet to 3NT and then 4NT could be a slam try with 5-5 in the minors (if your other ways show 5-4).

[Phil]

Play the same thing but 5s3h hits a seam in regular Muppet so in one partnership 2N 3N shows that.

[mgoetze]

Phil, on 2016-January-11, 20:14, said:

5s3h hits a seam in regular Muppet

How so? Or do you mean 3s5h?

[mikestar13]

Best possible use of 2NT-3NT = "Let's play 3NT"

Now 3♠ can be a minor suit slam try, with 3NT as opener's default bid, but opener can bid higher to show suitability for either or both minors. Say 4♣=like clubs, 4♦=like diamonds, 4♥/4♠=Qbid (Ace) liking both minors. 4NT=likes both minors but can't bid 4M, is one possibility that isn't too hard to remember.

[helene_t]

I would just play it as "to play". Something like

3♠ =clubs,opener can then bid 3NT so deny interest in a club slam.
4♣ =diamonds
4♠ = 2155
5♣ = 1255 NF
5♦ = 1255 F

This make it uneconomical to bid both minors but since (31)(45) start with PS anyway it just means that a 22(54) will have to settle for a notrump contract.

That is a disadvantage but allowing them to make a lead-directing double on 3♠ whenever you just want to play 3NT, or forcing you to go through PS which leaks information and allows them to double 3♣ (and maybe also double some follow up bid) is worse, IMO.

[Zelandakh]

I have written up what I do (similar to Helene's suggestion) many times but you probably consider it paper bridge and not fit for real play.

[Kungsgeten]

3NT could be a mild slam invite asking for a five card minor. Opener passes without 5(+) minor, otherwise bids it and slam bidding commence.

[Phil]

mgoetze, on 2016-January-11, 20:23, said:

How so? Or do you mean 3s5h?

I'll look up what we play.

[nullve]

Just an idea:

2N-3N = 4S5H, NF,

because it allows

2N-3♦ = 5+ H or bal.(?) slam try

with similar continuations as I suggested after 1N-2♦(5+ H or bal.(?) slam try*) in post #10 here:

http://www.bridgebas...627#entry869627,

i.e.

2N-3♦; ?:

3♥ = 2-3 H or 3433 (=> 3♠ = relay, cancelling the transfer)
3♠ = 4-5 H, not 3433 (=> 3N = relay, cancelling the transfer)

* similar to, and quite possibly inspired by, glen's Jacoby Stayman

[Zelandakh]

nullve, on 2016-January-13, 03:20, said:

Just an idea:

2N-3N = 4S5H, NF,

If you use second round transfers you can use the sequence 2NT - 3♦; 3♥ - 3NT for this. 5♠4♥ tends to be more of a problem hand if playing the common form of Puppet Stayman and this is a popular option (aka Beer convention) but the OP plays Muppet so that would also be fairly pointless. If you want a balanced slam try below 3NT, it seems more sensible to me to use the 3NT response itself for it; at least that is unlikely to be too costly if forgotten.

[Hilver]

3♠= transfer to ♣; may be weak or strong
3NT = 5♠- 4♥
4♣=transfer to ♦, may be weak or strong
4♠ = Ace asking, CRM (1-4, 0-3, 2 same colour, two same rank, two mixed)
4NT = quantative, 5♠ and 4♥

Jan