[Phil]

Heard about this yesterday:

Pass - 1M;
2♦

to show a balanced 11-12(-) but no fit for partner.

Yay or Nay?

Here's the entire structure:

2D = Balanced 10+ - 12 HCP w/ 2 in openers suit
Opener Bids
2 Major = To Play
2NT or 3NT = To Play
2 Other Major = Relay to 2NT, opener may pass or raise, or after the relay suit bids describe various hands
3C = 4 cards in Hearts (1S opener), less than game going values
3D = 4 cards in Hearts (1S opener), game going values
3H = 5 cards in Hearts (1S opener), less than game going values
3S (1S opener) = 6 Spades, Game Invitational
3H (1H opener) = 6 Hearts, Game Invitational
3 Minor = Suit, suggests an unbalanced hand
3H (1S opener) = 5=5 in majors GF
3H (1H opener) = 6 Hearts GF
3S (1S opener) = 6 Spades GF

[kenrexford]

Not bad.

[aguahombre]

Does this require 1NT=xfer to clubs or diamonds? And is 2C still supporting the major?

Also, does 12 happen often enough (as passed hand) to include it?

What other things need to be changed in your style so that responder can show, say, a minor two suiter with minimum values versus a minor two suiter with close to an opening bid? Or Maybe even a weak hand with hearts after 1S.

This post has been edited by aguahombre: 2010-August-07, 12:03

[awm]

The main disadvantages would seem to be:

(1) Can't play in 1NT when responder has 11 and opener is light or has 12-bad 13.
(2) Makes it a lot harder to bid 5♦/5♣ intermediate hands.

The main advantages are:

(1) Allows you to play 2M when responder has 11 and opener is light or has 12-bad 13.
(2) Allows you to decide who declares notrump when that's your final contract.

It seems like roughly a push to me. It might depend on things like your preempt style (i.e. if you have either/both of a weak two in diamonds or a weak bid with both minors available), whether you play some form of BART (which might get you to 2M after PA-1M-1N-2♣ when responder has 11), and how much you like playing 5-2 major fits vs. 1NT on a pair of balanced hands.

Elianna and I play a style which could be viewed as similar to this except with the minors reversed; 2♦ is fit-showing drury and 2♣ shows a max passed hand and is natural (and could be balanced, although we generally don't bid it with 2443 patterns). This caters to our having 2♦ available as a weak two bid (but not 2♣), and our preference not to play very complicated drury methods.