After a Reverse, 2NT (except when 2 is the Reverse) by responder is artificial showing a weak hand (5-7pts)
wanting to stop in a 3-level part score if opener has minimum Reverse values.
2NT forces opener to bid 3, enabling responder to sign off at the 3 level.
Opener can and should bid more than 3 when he is too good to allow responder to pass 3
.
i.e.more than 16-18 pts.
Having the Lebensohl 2NT available will change the meanings of some of your other rebids. After the Reverse, if responder makes any bid past 2NT, it shows forcing-to-game values.
After the auction: 1 - 1
- 2
. Here are the meanings of your other actions:
Preference to partner's first suit (3) - 3+ card support and forcing-to-game values (8+ pts.)
Jump in partner's first suit (4) - 4-5+ card support and slam values (12+ playing pts.)
Raise of partner's second suit (3) - 4 card support and forcing-to-game values (8+ pts.)
Rebid of your own suit (2) - at least 5 (preferably 6) cards in your suit and a weak hand (5-7 pts). Opener can pass this if he has a minimum, non-fitting Reverse (16-17 pts).
Jump in your own suit (3) - strong 6+ card suit (at least 3-4 of the top 5 honors) and good values (8+ pts). If you have a weaker 6-card suit, use the Lebensohl 2NT first, then bid 3
over partner's 3
bid.
Jump to game in your suit (4) - solid 6-7+ card suit that should play for no losers opposite a singleton.
The unbid suit (3) - forcing and could be artificial. Like "New Minor Forcing", this bid can be used when you have good values (8+ pts.) and 5 cards in your first suit. Opener will bid 3 of your suit if he has 3-card support, or will make another descriptive bid if he doesn't.
Jump in the unbid suit (4) - splinter, showing a singleton in that suit, 4-card support for partner's second suit, and at least slam-try values.
4th suit as Lebensohl after a minor Reverse
After the auction: 1 - 1
- 2
, or 1
- 1
- 2
. Here are the meanings of your other actions:
The unbid major becomes Lebensohl. This allows opener to do one of three things:
2NT is natural showing (8+ pts) and stoppers in the unbid suit, and also allowing opener to further describe their hand at the 3 level if they want.
The other bids remain the same
Say you hold x
AQx
KQxx
AKJxx and partner responds to your 1
opening with 1
. You Reverse to 2
. If partner were to have a weak hand, without re-biddable spades, he has to bid 2NT and now you play 3 of a minor or 3NT from the wrong side. By allowing him to use 4th suit 2
here as the artificial, usually negative response, you as opener get to bid 2NT! From the right side.
Change your hand to AQx
x
KQxx
AQJxx and have the same opening, response and Reverse. If he has to bid 2NT, you are torn between 3
and 3
. If he has 5 spades, 3
is definitely best, but if he has
10xxx
Kxx
xxx
Kxx, you want to play 3
. How do you know?
Well, allow him to bid 2 and you bid 2
: a perfect description of your 3-1-4-5 hand. Now you find the 5-3 spade fit (and find decent games when he'd have passed 3
over 2NT) while allowing him to play 2
rather than 3, or allowing him to intelligently decide between playing spades and clubs.
Also, responder can now comfortably bid 2NT naturally when 4th suit would be available: establishing a game force, showing stopper(s) in the unbid suit and allowing opener free rein at the 3-level to further describe his hand.