I mean, sometimes you have a good hand with a four card major and good clubs. It has happened before, it will happen again. You can lump that into another bid if you want to.

Personally, my own harebrained notrump response scheme involves:

2C (or a transfer) then 3m is invitational only -- probably fairly laughable actually but when it works it really works!

2S is either minor suit invite (opener bids the first suit they reject, 2NT with preacceptance of both and responder can just bid 3NT -- you also have room to run minor SLAM invites through this)

3C and 3D are weak and to play (may as well put the heat on opponents right away with the weak hand instead of giving them options and cuebids and such)

3H and 3S are: four of that major, a longer minor, and a GF hand, usually shortness in the other major.

We show the 55 major hands that usually draw the 3H/3S calls by 1NT-2D*-2H-2S, forcing, any strength 55. Opener bids 2NT to ask; the higher responder bids the weaker they are (3H pass/correct, 3D inv, 3C GF or more). Downside is you have to play at the three level; upside is you always play the best fit. 1NT-2C-2D-2M are natural and invitational showing 54 (we don't play Smolen, feel free to if you want to).

Oh, and 1NT-2NT is (gasp) natural and invitational.

dont people play 1NT p 4S as 44m quan?

Good call! Obviously not to be sprung on partner without discussion, but really, what else ya gonna use it for?

I think my partners with whom I've discussed this auction also included 22(54)

I think that you get more value allowing responder to quickly bid and declare 4S with some crazy shape hands

I play 1nt-2S as GF Baron with a couple of relays to resolve the residue - I play a broader range 1nt opening than 15-17 and a 4nt response is quantitative with the agreement that partner accepts by bidding his lowest 4 card suit at the 5 level if 4432 or maybe 5422 and any 5 (6) card suit at the 6 level

reasonable minds will differ but playing a 15-17 1nt opening I would slash and burn all the invitational sequences to find room if you think you need it - those invites may make you feel happy but really they have little value compared to other issues - for example this hand I would rank discovering the mirror well above getting to know if opener is minimum

i literally have never held a hand where i thought "hey, i want to declare exactly 4 spades opposite this 1NT opener"

QJ9xxx Kxx Kx Kx?

But, yeah.

I like 4S direct with say most controversially any 6(421) that just wants to play game - with a more extreme shape I think the argument for 4S direct is better

bidding 4S direct has the small advantage of not allowing any interference below the 5 level - ie they don't overcall or do some fancy thingee over a transfer which makes it easier for them to find an alternate spot (obviously more relevant when you hold a shapely weak hand that just wants to play game)

mostly though the advantage I see is that you don't put your hand down in dummy - commonly with the hands I am talking about the fate of the contract will be tied to the quality of the defence and I rank not putting the shapely hand down as dummy above the popular view that you want the strong balanced hand to benefit from the position of declarer at trick 1 - not so much harm telling the defenders what they already knew

I like to defend when declarer opens 1nt and they have some sort of auction because it is pretty easy to get a count and also easier to place the ranking cards

Oh, I need to tell you the "most hilarious auction" award from the second session. I'll put annotations in spoilers, but this is also the "this is why bridge won't ever be on TV, can you imagine Norman Chad explaining THIS" award.

P - 1C - X - 1H
2H - X - P - 2S
3C - P - P - 3D
P - 3H - P - 3S
P - 4D - P - 4S
P - P - X - P
P - 5D - all pass

I don't even remember what I used 1NT-4S for.

This hand doesn't want to play exactly 4S opposite 1NT opener btw.

It could be a cold slam

you have:

KJ
QJxxx
Tx
J9xx

in 4th seat w/r, IMPS

Auction goes

1NT (10-12) - X - P (forces XX, either to play, or two touching suits) - P (by you)
XX - P - P - ??

your agreements vs this NT range are that you are doubling in 2nd seat with any hand you would open

It's a 27 board match, about halfway through, feel like you have a very solid set to this point.

9876543 Kx Kx Kx then

It's not my lead... oh.

Seriously, if partner's doubling on some random balanced 12 count, stop doing that. The partner of the notrumper probably has a flat 8 and doesn't think there's a better spot so he's hoping to shoot it out and get a little lucky.

Axxx
Axx
Axx
Axx

pass

This is a partnership burner

YOU RUN OUT OF MY PENALTY DOUBLE WITH 8 POINTS?

+1

doubling in 2nd with an opening hand is a huge range and if your opponents were organised (that is a crap running system for the mini 1nt) you would be raped in the long term

if partner has say 12 and a 4333 or 4432 shape which I would assume is his minimum you definitely have the best of it particularly given you are not too fussed what he leads - it might make but running is a bigger long term loser

a state of the match run is just highlighting my first point - I play a 1nt range in all positions that starts at 9 and when my opponents look at the card, express surprise, and then agree to hit it with an opening hand I smile inside because I will be winning all these battles

+1 more. On a very bad day this will be wrong, but it will not be your fault. But the 80-plus percent of the time pulling is wrong, partner will be justifiably annoyed. At least the damage when you pull and are wrong is likely to be only 5–8 IMPs.

MPs, none vul

Jxxx
Qxx
Qxxx
xx

1C-P-P-X
P-1S-2C-3S
P- ?

Do you or don't you?

I don't. Death holding in clubs. Crappy trumps.

if 4S was a good contract surely partner would of bid it ?

the gee chronicles is still some of my favorite bridge literature. it's definitely withstood the test of time.

Gee

There was no one quite like him

This is snap 4S.

I'm closer to my max than I am to my min in this sequence. But with this shape and 9 HCP I bid 2C, while various of you might not.