Good-Bad 2NT

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On the auction below, what does South's 3♣ bid show?

1. A minimum opener with long clubs like ♠73 ♥A5 ♦K94 ♣KQJT72
2. A strong opening hand with long clubs like ♠A3 ♥75 ♦K94 ♣AKQT72

If North held ♠K9765 ♥K74 ♦A85 ♣94, North should pass opposite hand 1 and bid 3NT opposite hand 2.  There isn't enough bidding room for natural bidding to provide separate ways to show a competitive hands and hands with extra values.  Guessing which hand South has can be costly.  A way to differentiate a competitive bid from a bid showing extra values is needed.  Not having enough room for natural bidding to suffice is a common dilemma.  It occurs when the opponents interfere in your 1NT auction, when partner makes a takeout double of a Weak 2 bid, and after opener's reverse.  In all of these situations, the solution is to give up a natural bid, and use it to clarify the meaning of other bids.

The Good-Bad 2NT convention gives up a natural 2NT bid.  An artificial 2NT bid is used when you want to compete at the 3-level.  Bypassing the artificial 2NT bid, and bidding a suit directly at the 3-level shows extra values.

Playing Good-Bad 2NT, South would use the auction below with ♠A3 ♥75 ♦K94 ♣AKQT72 to show a competitive hand with long clubs.

Playing Good-Bad 2NT, South would use the auction below with ♠73 ♥A5 ♦K94 ♣KQJT72 to show a competitive hand with long clubs.

After South uses the artificial 2NT bid showing a desire to compete somewhere, East's 3♣ bid shows a willingness to stop at 3♣ if East has a competitive hand with long clubs.  If East is too strong or too shapely to stop at 3♣, East makes a bid to describe their hand.  

On the auction below, South's artificial 2NT bid shows a desire to compete somewhere.  South could have a hand with long diamonds, a hand with clubs and diamonds, or may wish to compete in hearts.  North must account for these possibilities.  If South is to strong or too shapely to stop in 3♣ or 3♦, South should make a bid which describes their hand.  If North is willing to stop in a partscore and has a preference for  clubs over diamonds, South should bid 3♣.  If North has no preference between the minors and has a preference for diamonds, North should bid 3♦.  Either way, South has room to show a competitive hand with a heart fit if that is what they have.  

If you are in a forcing auction, e.g. a 2/1 auction, a 2NT bid is natural.  In a competitive auction where you are not in a force, a natural 2NT bid has a very narrow target.  It is best to use a 2NT bid over a 2♦, 2♥, or 2♠ bid by the opponents as artificial.  If one of us has already bid and game is a possibility, Good - Bad 2NT applies.  If game isn’t a possibility, 2NT typically shows 2 places to play.  

Here is a more detailed description of when Good-Bad 2NT applies when:

• we have not bid and raised a major
• we have not opened or overcalled 1NT (lebensohl applies)
• a pass would not be forcing 
• when your partner has taken a bid
• the opponents bid 2♦, 2♥, or 2♠ over partner's last bid
• when game is a possibility (e.g. wouldn't apply for 2 passed hands)

The following auction should be an exception to Good-Bad 2NT.  It is essential for East to be able to show a heart fit immediately.  Using an artificial 2NT bid to show a competitive hand risks South bidding 3♠, depriving East of their chance to show a competitive heart raise.  East cannot use a 3♠ cue bid to show an invitational heart raise.  East-West wouldn't be able to stop in 3♥.  

East needs to be able to show a competitive heart raise immediately and needs to be able show an invitational or better heart raise immediately.  On this auction, we recommend bidding 3♥ with a competitive heart raise.  Use an artificial 2NT bid to show an inv
we use 2NT to show an invitational or better heart raise.