[Knurdler]

This question is, as responder, when to bid 5 of a minor after we start (unopposed) 1M 2m 4m
I think the jump to 4m by opener shows an unbalanced hand, at least 4 card support and 15 to 17 points.
How do I decide whether to bid 5 or pass? Can I assume opener has about 6.5 NLTC?
TIA

[DavidKok]

I would play 2m on this auction as forcing to game. But if you play a system where this is not the case, I would definitely play the jump rebid of 4m as a slam try. We really 'never' want to play 4m. Worse, it's really poor as an invite, as the most likely game with a minor suit fit is 3NT. If you find yourself at the 4-level with no idea what to do I highly recommend looking at the bids that wasted all your bidding space, rather than scrutinizing the remaining guess. Earlier bids in the auction will come up more often, so improving that structure will lead to bigger gains on frequency grounds.

[mw64ahw]

Knurdler, on 2024-June-02, 08:16, said:

This question is, as responder, when to bid 5 of a minor after we start (unopposed) 1M 2m 4m
I think the jump to 4m by opener shows an unbalanced hand, at least 4 card support and 15 to 17 points.
How do I decide whether to bid 5 or pass? Can I assume opener has about 6.5 NLTC?
TIA

If you play 2/1 as GF then I would expect opener to have at least 6 NMLT and 5+♣ opposite your minimum 7.5 (and 3+♣?) to make 4m a slam try. Absent the slam try I look for 3NT initially.

[helene_t]

4m should be forcing, even in Acol, for the reason David explains.

It's a peculiar bid since a good hand with a singleton could have splintered. 5M4m22 is a possibility, if neither 2NT nor 3m would be forcing, but then it would have to be a hand so strong that it had no interest in playing 3NT, which is hardly possible. Another possibility is 6M5m11.

I don't think I have ever seen this 4m bid being made on a hand where it was reasonable to make that bid - it was always a hand that should have splintered or bid something at a lower level that was forcing in the system being played.

[apollo1201]

I agree w/ the fact that it should be forcing and slam investigatve.

5M4m22 should still try to look for 3NT

So the hand should be 55 at least. Maybe you can say that it shows control of the doubleton while splinter denies it?

[P_Marlowe]

Knurdler, on 2024-June-02, 08:16, said:

This question is, as responder, when to bid 5 of a minor after we start (unopposed) 1M 2m 4m
I think the jump to 4m by opener shows an unbalanced hand, at least 4 card support and 15 to 17 points.
How do I decide whether to bid 5 or pass? Can I assume opener has about 6.5 NLTC?
TIA

You dont play 4m.

As it is, bypassing 3NT, also known as the minor suit game, should show strong slam interest, it also
should show a semibal. hand, given the failure to make a splinter bid, in a 5 card major system this
would mean, opener has a 5422 hand.

If you dont subscribe to the 5422 shape, you could agree, that 4m asks to start a control bidding seq,
or (not B/I stuff) is some form of Ace asking.