Many partnership play this sequence as a balanced hand with 13-15 hcp, but here we propose a strength hand of 16-17 hcp with support of 4 cards in the opening minor having distribution 4333 or 4432 and stoppers in unbid suits.
So this is a construtive response that not necessarily denies a major but assures support of 4 cards (not 5) in opening minor and offers to opener a possible try to Slam knowing Responder strength and distribution.
By the way, this avoid informations for opponents about Opener's hand, making defense more difficult.
Opener Responder
1
3nt <= 4
support and 16-17 hcpOpener Responder
1
3nt <= 4
support and 16-17 hcpWhat Opener should do after response in 3nt?
1- pass - with a balanced hand 12-15 hcp
2- jump to 5 in his minor with an unbanced hand up to 15 hcp
3- bid Slam in his minor or in 6nt
4- search partner's hand with RKB in 4
and then sign-off in his minor at level 5 or 6, or make a Specific Suit
Ask (SSA) after RKB guarantee all 5 keycards.SSA modified:
step 1 => only third control - Qx or Qxx or Qxxx or QJx or QJxx
step 2 => second control - Kxx or Kxxx
step 3 => second and third control ruffing - Kx
step 4 => secong and third control withr KQx or KQxx
returning to the agreed suit means Jxxx in this suit because Responder by agreement must have stopper in unbid suits.
Example1
......Opener:
AJxx
xx
Kx
KQJxxResponder:
Kx
Axx
AJxx
A109x Opener Responder explanations
1
3nt
(1) RKB1430 for 4
(1)
4(2)
(2) zero or 3 keycards 4
(3)
5(4)
(3) SSA for Spades6
pass
(4) third step (Kx)Example2
......Opener:
AJxx
x
KJ10xx
AKxResponder:
KQx
Axx
AQxx
Q109 Opener Responder explanations
1
3nt
(1) RKB1430 for 4
(1)
4nt(2)
(2) fourth step - 2 keycard with Q 5
(3)
6(4)
(3) SSA for Spades7
pass
(4) fourth step (KQx)Example3
......Opener:
A10xx
K10xx
Kx
KxxResponder:
Qxx
Axx
Axx
AQJx Opener Responder explanations
1
3nt
(1) minimum balancedpass(1)
xample4
......Opener:
KJxx
x
KJ109zx
KxResponder:
Qxx
AQx
AQxx
Q109 Opener Responder explanations
1
3nt
(1) minimum unbalanced5
(1)
pass
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