Our 1NT opening shows 14–16 HCP. 5422 hands and 5332 hands with a 5-card major are routinely opened 1NT. 5422 hands with a 5-card major and balanced hands with a 6-card minor can be opened 1NT as well.
2♣ Stayman. Promises at least one 4-card major. Does not promise any values. 2♦ 5+ ♥ 2♥ 5+ ♠ 2♠ Range ask. Includes hands with interest in ♣. 2NT Puppet stayman. 3♣ 6+ ♦ 3♦ 5+ ♦, 5+ ♣, GF 3♥ / 3♠ 3=1=x=x / 1=3=x=x, 5-4 minors, GF. 3NT To play 4♣ Gerber (1430) 4♦ Transfer to ♥ 4♥ Transfer to ♠ 4♠ Both minors, balanced, Quant or better
2♦ No 4-card major 2♥ 4+ ♥, could have 4 ♠ 2♠ 4+ ♠, could have 4 ♥ but default is to bid 2H with 4-4 2♥ Weak hand with both majors. Pass or correct. 2♠ Exactly 5 ♠, invitational. All invites with only 5 ♠ go through this sequence 2NT Invitational. Promises at least one 4-card major. 3♣ / 3♦ 5+ m, GF 3♥ / 3♠ Smolen. 4M, 5+ OM, GF 4♣ Gerber (1430) 4♦ Delayed Texas, 4 ♠, 6+ ♥ 4♥ Delayed Texas, 6+ ♠, 4 ♥ Pass Minimum, 2 or 3 ♠. With exactly 2, 2NT is an option as well. 2NT Minimum, 2 ♠. 3m rebids by responder are nat, inv, NF. 3♣ Maximum with 2 ♠, GF. Responder may show 2 suited hands LMH via the next 3 steps. 3NT by responder is NF, typical response. 3♦ Maximum with 3 ♠. Responder can bid 3NT to offer choice preferring NT, 3S to show a spade preference, or 4S to sign off. Other bids are unusual, but possible with 2 suited hands. 3♠ Minimum, 3 ♠. Better than pass, not enough to commit to game. 3NT Probably a 2-card maximum that forgot to bid 3C. 2♠ (Over 2H). 5 ♠, inv. Same follow ups as over above. 2NT Invitiational. Promises 4 cards in OM. 3♣ 5+ either minor, GF, implies 4 cards in OM. 3D asks for the minor, LH. Other bids are natural, including bidding the other major to confirm a fit there. 3♦ Artificial, confirms a fit in M, typically no shortness. Opener can bid 3M to suggest playing in M, 3NT to suggest playing there, or 4M to insist on M, denying slam interest. Other suit bids are cuebids with hands well suited for slam. 3M Invitational 3OM Unspecified splinter. Next step asks, LMH. 3NT To play 4♣ Delayed Texas; 4 M, 6 OM, slam try. Opener's 4OM rebid is an offer to play. 4D asks shortness LHLH (sing, void) (Tom: I "forgot" (with open notes) this showed a slam try in JLall. Does it need to be a slam try? I'm used to it just being descriptive.) 4♦ RKC for M (Tom: Is CIRKLE better?) 4NT Quantitative 5NT Forcing, choice of slams.
1NT–2D shows 5+ ♥, any strength. The only defined super-accept over this bid is 3H, which shows a maximum with 4+ ♥.
Over 1NT–2D–2H we play "transfers over transfers", starting at 2NT. Most invitational sequences start with 2S:
2♠ Artificial, shows an invitational hand with exactly 5 ♥ OR 5+ ♥, 5+ ♠ invitational or better. 2NT 5+ ♥, 4+ ♣, GF 3♣ 5+ ♥, 4+ ♦, GF 3♦ Inv+, "Transfer" to ♥ showing good hearts. 6+ ♥ with 2 of top 3 honors 3♥ Inv, 6+ ♥. Denies 2 of top 3 heart honors. 3♠ Unspecified splinter slam try. 3NT relays for LMH. Neither promises nor denies 2 of top 3 heart honors. 3NT Choice of games. 4♣ Serious slam try, 6+ ♥, no shortness. Denies 2 of top 3 heart honors. 4♦ RKC for ♥. (Tom: CIRKLE?) 4♥ Mild slam try. Opener is expected to pass, but allowed to bid on with a good fitting hand. 4NT Quantitative with exactly 5 ♥. 5NT Choice of slams, 5 ♥
2NT Minimum, 2 ♥ 3♣ Maximum, 2 ♥ 3♦ Maximum, 3+ ♥ 3♥ Minimum, 3+ ♥ 3NT Does not exist. Probably a 2-card maximum that forgot to bid 3C.
3♣ 5+ ♥, 5+ ♣, invitational 3♦ 5+ ♥, 5+ ♦, invitational 3♥ 5+ ♥, 5+ ♠, invitational 3♠ 5+ ♥, 5+ ♠, GF without slam interest 3NT 5+ ♥, 5+ ♠, Mild slam interest 4♣ / 4♦ Shortness, serious slam interest (5+ ♥, 5+ ♠) 3♦ / 3♥ / 3♠ 5+ ♥, 5+ second-suit, LMH 3NT To play 4♣ / 4♦ Shortness, serious slam interest (5+ ♥, 5+ ♠) 3♥ COG preferring ♥ 3♠ 5+ ♥, 5+ ♠, Mild slam interest 3NT COG preferring NT 4♣ / 4♦ Shortness, serious slam interest (5+ ♥, 5+ ♠) 4♥ To play
1NT–2H shows 5+ ♠, any strength with caveats. Note that with exactly 5 spades and exactly invitational values we start with Stayman, not a transfer, and INV+ hands with 5-5 in the majors always start with 2D.
As per hearts, we generally do not super accept. The only defined super accept is 3S, showing a maximum with 4+ ♠.
Over 1NT–2H–2S we play transfers starting at 2NT:
2NT 5+ ♠, 4+ ♣, GF 3♣ 5+ ♠, 4+ ♦, GF 3♦ Inv+, "Transfer" to ♠ showing good spades. 6+ ♠ with 2 of top 3 honors 3♥ Unspecified splinter slam try. 3S relays for LMH. Neither promises nor denies 2 of top 3 spade honors 3♠ Inv, 6+ ♠. Denies 2 of top 3 spade honors. 4♣ Serious Slam try, 6+ ♠, no shortness. Denies 2 of top 3 spade honors. 4♦ RKC for ♠. (Tom: CIRKLE?) 4♠ Mild slam try. Opener is expected to pass but is allowed to bid with a good fitting hand. 4NT Quantitative with exactly 5 ♠.
After a GF secondary xfer, we play this structure:
+1 Agreeing the minor (4+). Responder can bid 3NT/5m to play or bid LH shortness (3NT not a step). Shortness bids do not imply slam interest, it may simply be searching for the best game. Bids above the high step that are forcing are cuebids, probably 5422. +2 Agreeing the major (3+). Responder can bid 3NT/4M to play or bid LH shortness (3NT not a step) with slam interest. Bids above the high step that are forcing are cuebids, probably 5422. (Tom: Note that we don't need to show shortness w/o slam interest with a major fit, can just sign off in 4M.) +3 Shows 5+ cards in the other major, looking for a fit. Other undefined
1NT–2S is first and foremost a size ask, checking if opener has a minimum or a maximum. It also includes hands that would normally transfer to ♣.
Opener must bid either 2NT with a minimum or 3C with a maximum. With an in-between hand, opener can use their club holding as a tie-breaker of sorts.
Note that you are allowed to bid 2S on a variety of hands, including quantitative slam tries as well as game tries.
3♣ To play 3C 3♦ 6+ ♣, either balanced or ♦ shortness. If balanced, should have some slam interest. 3H asks for clarification, NL. 3♥ 6+ ♣, shortness in ♥ 3♠ 6+ ♣, shortness in ♠ 3NT To play. Over 2NT, it is implied that responder had slam interest. 4♣ Gerber 1430 4♦ RKC for ♣. (Tom: CIRKLE?)
1NT–2NT is GF Puppet Stayman, asking for a 5-card major. We primarily use this bid when we don't have slam interest and want to assess what our best game option is.
3♣ No 5 card major. Says nothing about 4 card majors. 3♦ 5 ♥ 3♥ 5 ♠ 3♠ 4=5=2=2 3NT 5422
To play game, Responder typically will raise the transfer to play from opener's side rather than jump to 4M to play from their side. Example — after 1NT–2NT–3D (5 ♥), responder bids 4D (transfer back to ♥, sign off) and opener completes with 4H:
Pass Expected action Other Undefined