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2NT

A 2NT opening shows a balanced hand of 22 to 23 HCP, or a hand close enough to that to be treated as balanced. Responses use a full set of tools: extended Stayman, transfers, a puppet to 3NT for minor-suit hands, and Gerber.

Responses

2NT
3Extended Stayman.
3Transfer to .
3Transfer to .
3Puppet to 3NT, for minor-suit hands.
3NTTo play.
41430 Gerber.
4Texas transfer to .
4Texas transfer to .
4Both minors, balanced (typically 4-4), quantitative or better.
4NTQuantitative. A new suit shown afterward is a 5+ card suit.
5NTForcing, invites 7. A new suit shown afterward is a 5+ card suit.

Stayman

After 3C, opener rebids to show major-suit holdings. Over 3D (no 4-card major), a 3M rebid by responder is Smolen and 4m is natural and forcing. There are no direct delayed-Texas sequences; go through Smolen instead.

2NT – 3
3No 4-card major.
34+ . Responder's 3S asks about heart length and/or is a slam try.
34 . Responder's 4H agrees with slam interest; 4C/4D are natural.
3NT5 . Responder's 4H then 4S sets ; 4C/4D are natural.

Transfers

After a 3D transfer to , then bidding 3S shows 5-5 in the majors with slam interest. After a 3H transfer to , then bidding 4H shows 5-5 in the majors without slam interest. A 4m rebid after a transfer is natural and forcing.

Follow-ups after showing the major: after a Jacoby transfer, a later 4NT is quantitative. After a Texas transfer, 4NT is RKC (1430), and a new suit is Exclusion keycard (0314).

3S puppet to 3NT

A 3S response puppets opener to 3NT and shows a minor-suit hand. After opener bids 3NT, responder clarifies:

2NT – 3 – 3NT
4. Responder next bids 4D with no slam interest, or otherwise responds RKC for .
4. Responder next bids 4H with no slam interest, or otherwise responds RKC for .
4MShortness in the bid major, 5-5 in the minors with slam interest.
4NT5-5 in the minors, no slam interest.
If opener bids a "don't like slam" step, responder's next step up means "don't care, RKC." A 4NT bid by responder here is non-forcing.