Carrot 1NT

The Carrot 1NT is a contract bridge convention, in which a 1NT opening bid shows a balanced hand 13-17 HCP. With 13-14 HCP, the opener may not have a 4-card major. With 15-17 HCP, all balanced hands (including those with a 5-card major) may be opened 1NT.[1]

While originally developed for the Carrot Club system, this opening bid can be adopted by systems using 15-17 or 14-16 HCP ranges for their 1NT openings.

It combines the preemptive advantage of a weak 1NT opening when opener lacks sufficient holdings in the majors, with the constructive effect of a strong 1NT opening.

To manage the wide 5-point HCP range, the response structure has been designed to distinguish between weak invitational bids (7-9 hcp, inviting the 15-17 hand only) and strong invitational bids (10-11 hcp, inviting the 13-14 hand and game-forcing to 15-17).

Responses to 1NT

  • 2/2 are natural weak (7-9) invitations with a 5-card major.
  • 2NT is a strong (10-11) invitation, which may also contain 4-card major(s) (opener will only pass with 13-14, in which case he cannot have a 4-card major).
  • 2 is Stayman on most other hands (7-9 weak invitational, or game-forcing strength) but is also used with a 5-card major and strong invitation, 10-11.
  • 2 is a relay to 2 with sign-off hands or certain game-forcing hands.
  • 3/ are natural invitation to 3NT with a long suit, 6-9. If minimum, the suit should have 2 top honors.
  • 3/ are natural invitation with 6-card suit, 9-11.
  • 3NT natural to play.
  • 4/ are transfers to 4 and 4 ("South African Texas").
  • 4/ natural to play.
  • 4NT is Blackwood 4 Aces.

Continuations after 1NT - 2 - 2

  • Pass/2 = Sign-off in major.
  • 2NT = New relay to 3 after which:
    • Pass/3 = Sign-off in minor.
    • 3/ = Game-force showing 3-card suit, singleton in other major, and 5-4 or 4-5 in the minors.
    • 3NT = 5-5 in the minors. Non-forcing with game-values.
  • 3 of a suit = Natural slamtry with 6+suit.
  • 3NT = Forcing slamtry with 5-5 or better in the minors.

Continuation after 1NT - 2NT

Opener will only pass with 13-14 hcp, thus denying a 4-card major.

With 15-17, opener can bid a 5-card major naturally, 3NT to play with no major, or use 3 to ask for a 4-card major. Over 3, responder bids 3 with 4, 3 with 4 or 3NT without major.

After opponents overcall 1NT

  • Double is negative, about 8-11 HCP, and forcing to 2NT (or penalty double).
  • 2 of a suit is constructive to play or possibly mildly invitational.
  • 2NT is Lebensohl-style and relay to 3. Responder can pass or correct to a suit lower than the overcall (or the suit overcalled, if overcall was artificial)

References

  1. Flodqvist, Sven-Olof (1978). Morotsklövern (Swedish). Stockholm: Jannersten/Bridgeakademien. ISBN 91-85024-52-X.
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