Bidding 3 of a Suit in Response to an Opening 1NT [12-14]

Overview

My system cards have for some years airily characterised a 3-of-a-suit response to an opening weak no trump as a slam try.

But when I came to producing a seminar on these bids, and in particular on subsequent continuations in the auction, I was led to the view that 3-level bids were on the one hand not really needed for this purpose, and on the other hand could be more usefully employed in other ways.

For the moment then, I'm moving towards a 3-of-a-suit bid showing shortage [singleton or void] in the suit bid, and being game-forcing.

The intention is to steer opener towards what is hopefully the best contract, and at the same time steering him or her away what could turn out to be a daft contract, e.g. 3NT with Qx opposite x.

Obviously we would not want to use one of these 3-level bids if there was an existing bidding mechanism available to deal with the hand. So, for example, if responder were to hold a 5-card or longer major, he or she would use a transfer in the normal manner. And this leads us onto what responder might have for the bid:

• strength-wise he/she will be 12+ in HCP
• there will be at most a singleton in the bid suit
• there will be at least three cards in any unbid major: if the bid suit is a minor, the majors will be at least 4-3.
• this bid is asking the 1NT opener to set the suit and possibly the contract. Sometimes, opener will have a good holding in responder's short suit, good enough to plump for 3NT. If opener chooses to bid a suit though, this is to all intents and purposes picking the denomination for the final contract.

So, where might we finish up after employing this bid?

• opener might select 3NT if he/she is stacked in the splinter suit and has no 4-card suit to bid: responder must respect that choice
• if alternatively opener bids a suit, that's the suit we are going to play in. Bids from hereon in by responder are constructive, but not suit-changing.
• it's not at all unlikely that we will end up playing in a major-suit contract on a 4-3 fit. It's responder who will have the 3-card suit to go with his/her singleton/void.
• if opener has a choice of suits to bid, e.g. two 4-card suits of which one is a major [and not responder's shortage!], he/she will invariably rebid in that suit.

Let's take a look at responder's possible hand shapes:

• if he/she bids 3C, the shape could be 4-4-5-0, 4-4-4-1, 4-3-6-0, 3-4-6-0, 4-3-5-1, 3-4-5-1. What about 3-3-6-1??
• if the bid is 3D, we're simply reversing the minor-suit holdings
• if he/she bids 3H, the shape could be 3-0-5-5, 3-1-5-4, 3-1-4-5, 4-0-4-5, 4-0-5-4