Introduction To Jacoby 2NT

This is Helen Erichsen's favourite convention, for good reason! Learn the basics of Jacoby 2NT.
You can hear about Helen's thoughts on the Sorry Partner podcast. sorrypartner.com/episodes
/ bridgevid

[@BridgeWithPete]

You can listen to the Sorry Partner podcast here: sorrypartner.com/episodes

[@jmahl93]

I play this "swedish version" called Skrot-Stenberg (stenberg is jacoby). After 1 major - 2 nt:
3 C = minimum, 11-14 pts
3 D = +15 pts, no singleton
3 H = +15 pts, singleton club
3 S = +15 pts, singleton diamond
3nt = +15 pts, singleton other major
4 C = +15 pts, void in clubs
4 D = +15 pts, void in diamonds
4 H = +15 pts, void in other major.
After 1 major - 2 nt - 3 clubs you can bid 3 diamonds to ask partner more about his minimum-hand. The bids after are almost exactly the same as the replys above. Bidding: 1 major - 2 nt - 3 clubs - 3 diamonds.
3 H = singleton club
3 S = singleton diamond
3nt = singleton other major
4 C = void in clubs
4 D = void in diamonds
4 H = void in hearts if spades are trumps otherwise (if hearts are trumps) no singleton or void in minors.
4 S = void in spades if hearts are trumps (but you can get too high in the auction with this)
If you do not like to show voids at this level you can use it to bid controls aswell (the void-showing bids can be replaced by bidding controls instead) It´s a matter of taste.
You can use the same auction even after 1 major - 2 nt - 3 diamonds (15 + no void)
3 H = singleton club
3 S = singleton diamond
3nt = singleton other major
4 C = void in clubs
4 D = void in diamonds
4 H = void in other major.
It´s a very effective bidding method which is pretty easy to be using. The bids are consistent.
Good luck with your bridge!

[@jyutzler]

Nothing wrong with this theoretically but it is slightly harder to remember. Jacoby is much more common, at least in the US, because most C-flight players can remember it and most experts (with the notable exception of Richard Pavlicek) believe it to be fundamentally sound.

[@BridgeWithPete]

That is the responses I play with long term partnerships.

[@magnuskristensen8982]

Interesting! My partner and I came up with something very similar when we started playing, but inverted on the points. Opener bids their shortness (if available) when they are minimum, allowing responder to make the decision about whether to move towards slam. We have 3 clubs as the only value showing bid bouncing back to allow the responder to show shortness. The idea of all this is to always try to have the decision about whether to proceed in the strong hand, but compared to your system it will often reveal a shortness in a spot that would ever only end in game.
Do you have an opinion on this inverted style?

[@jyutzler]

@@magnuskristensen8982 It's splitting hairs. If it were significantly better, it wouldn't stay secret long. There is nothing wrong with going against the grain as long as you and your partner can remember it.

[@dimitriosdanellakis9432]

Does Jacoby 2NT usually imply a balanced hand as well, or any GF hand with 4+ trumps?

[@BridgeWithPete]

It is usually balanced but doesn't guarantee it. You are denying a hand that wants to splinter. There are hands outside the range of a splinter or with a singleton honour that wants to use Jacoby instead.

[@jyutzler]

The way I think of it, it isn't about promising anything in particular but rather steering the auction in a useful direction. If you have a good, unbalanced hand, feel free to use Jacoby if you think it will tell you what you need to know to make an accurate game / slam decision. Compare to splinters, which are more about finding the perfect fit. If you have extras, the two hands don't need to fit together perfectly to find slam.

[@benthomas3395]

Does Jacoby apply after an opening pass, ie P P 1S P, 2NT? Is 2NT Jacoby?

[@BridgeWithPete]

It would be but I prefer Drury as it is kinda unnecessary. I wouldn't really have 2NT mean anything else but It should just be the strongest possible raise with 4 rather than gameforcing.

[@jyutzler]

​@@BridgeWithPeteThat's interesting, in the US, 2NT is natural there.

[@svendevries3245]

Isn´t this convention also called Truscott? Or am I mistaken?

[@BridgeWithPete]

Truscott is pretty similar. The way I know Truscott is it is used after the opponents double your 1M and it is used to show a good hand with 3+ card support.

[@AlanTaylor-h3c]

We play standard, can we still use Jacoby with only 3 card trump and 12+ points?

[@BridgeWithPete]

You could but that wouldn't be Jacoby 2NT. The main thing you want is a clear discussion in your partnership of how you show your different raises. 3 card or 4 card and weak, invitational, game going, or slam try. Some of these may overlap. In standard the normal way people show 3 card game force raise would be to bid a new suit and then jump in support of partners suit the next time.

[@jimperkins9661]

2NT is a convention, not a contract.

[@BridgeWithPete]

We are using it as a convention because it is a terrible contract.