Expert: Unhunk - 1/30/2012

Question
If the opener is bidding a convenient minor because they do not have a 5 card major and the partner has 5 or less count, I was taught the response for a bust hand for 1 club is 1 diamond; for 1 diamond is 1 No trump.  Is this wrong?  A lot of people from different areas of the country play this way.  Thanks

Answer
Hi,

No bidding system is "wrong" or "right" but players tend to adopt the systems that seem to be the most effective and make the most sense.

The vast majority of players play a variation of Standard American (including 2 over 1 variation) which employs the convenient minor and directs the responder to pass with fewer than 5 points.

Apparently, there are people who prefer a system based on a "short club" where a 1C opening can be made on two clubs and responder bids 1D with a weak hand. A 1D opening bid would promise at least four diamonds. Although I personally do not favor this approach, there are people who like to play it and if it works for them then it is the "right" approach for them.

However, playing that you are forced to bid 1NT with a bust hand over a 1D opening bid is, in my opinion, counterproductive and even dangerous. You have basically alerted the opponents to your weakness but instead of the bidding being at 1C or 1D you now have to play in either 1NT (very difficult to do if one hand has, for example, 13 points and the other hand has 2 points and there is no suit to set up) or play at the 2 level without necessarily even knowing where your best suit fit might be. Competent opponents upon hearing this auction will be chomping at the bit to double you for penalties.

Therefore, if you prefer playing a 1D negative bid over 1C then go ahead and do so but the 1NT negative bid over 1D will only lead to trouble against good opponents.