I will assume the rest of the system is five card majors and a 2/1 game force structure, though there won't be much difference if not. The arguments for or against the weak notrump fall roughly into five categories:
- Inferences when 1NT is not opened
- Offshape 1NT openings and rebids
- Playing the wrong partscore
- Advantages of opening 1NT generally
- Going for a number
3 comments:
I will assume the rest of the system is five card majors and a 2/1 game force structure, though there won't be much difference if not.
I think it makes a huge difference. Weak notrump and 5-card majors is a very different beast from weak notrump and 4-card majors.
The former is a very playable system, the latter seems fundamentally unsound despite being what everyone is taught in the UK.
My argument is that a weak notrump is better than a strong notrump when playing five card majors, and also when playing four card majors.
If you mean that four card majors is unsound with a weak notrump but sound with a strong notrump, then you'll need to tell me why.
I've seen it argued that 4-card majors are incompatible with a strong NT. I'm not convinced by the argument, but I'm sure that playing the weak NT is at least easier. I don't think any combination is "fundamentally unsound", but each has (different) special cases and dangers that need to be handled. I think those that arise from a weak NT are easier to deal with regardless of whether you're playing 4- or 5-card majors.
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