[DWM]

My Pard and I have just started playing 2/1 (from the Mike Lawrence CD) and at the same time going away from 4NT is always ace ask with the only expection being over a NT opening.

To help prevent too many slip ups in the future I would appreciate any rules to go by or suggestions to help us realise when the other one has bid quantative or ace asking NT.

[helene_t]

Clearly quanti: any raise of a notrump bid (you bid 4/5NT after partner bid 1/2/3NT and no trump suit has been agreed. Obvious exception: 4NT over partner's gambling or "impossible" 3NT is not quanti!)

Clearly ace ask: whenever a major suit has been agreed as trump.

Situations you need to discuss:
- Opener's 3rd bid after an ambivalent 2NT rebid (12-14 or 18-19)
- When a minor suit has been agreed. 4NT can be usefull as sign-off.
- Responder's next bid after stayman, jacoby, fsf or nmf.
- Responder's second bid in other constructive auctions.
- Opener's rebid after a SJS (assuming you play that). Probably ace-asking.
- Various competitive situations. Often, 4NT is "unusual". Sometimes there's too little bidding space for subtle slam tries so 4NT can be useful as a general slam try (for example as response to leaping michael's).

[FrancesHinden]

This is roughly what our system file says: (I've changed the example sequences which are specific to some of our other bizarre methods)

4NT in an uncontested auction
The meaning of 4NT depends on whether we have agreed a suit or not
- RKCB applies where we have explicitly agreed a major.
- No specific suit has been agreed, but it sounds like a major has been agreed and there is no room to cue to agree it specifically
- Encouraging/Discouraging applies where we have explicitly agreed a minor
- Otherwise 4NT is natural NF, except that
----4NT in response to a 1 suit is standard Blackwood (5§ 0 or 4, 5¨/©/ª 1, 2, 3)
----Opening 4NT asks for specific aces

Jumps to 4NT are natural if a cue bid can be used first to agree a major e.g.
1S - 2D - 2NT – 3C (relay) - 3S - 4NT Natural (as 4C/4H would agree S)
1S - 2D - 2H - 3C - 3S - 4NT Natural (as 4C would agree S)
2NT – 3H - 3S - 4NT Natural (use SAT to agree S)
1NT – 2D - 2H - 3C - 3H - 4NT RKCB (as 3H agreed H)
1NT - 2D - 3H - 4NT RKCB (transfer break agrees the suit)
1C - 1H - 2NT - 3C - 3H - 4NT Natural (4D agrees hearts)

There are some exceptions:
2C - 2H - 2S - 3S is F4NT so 3NT is used on balanced hand; 4NT RKCB
2M (weak) – 4NT is RKCB, as is 3M – 4NT
Double or triple jumps to 4NT by opener are usually RKCB in responder's major
(e.g. 1C - 1H - 4NT; 1S- 2H - 4NT) where it is inconceivable opener can have a natural 4NT bid.

Our section on the contested auction is longer, because there are many more possible meanings for 4NT than just natural or RKCB...