Serious 3NT Serious 3NT Serious 3NT is a contract bridge bidding convention. It is used in game-forcing auctions where a major suit has been agreed upon. 1–2 if using 2/1 Game Forcing or 2–3 (Agreeing spades) The next bid indicates suitability for slam: Since Spades are the agreed trump suit, Three No Trump is not usually the best contract. Using Serious Three No Trump, a bid of Three No Trump says "I am Serious about slam", i.e. "I have a good hand". Bypassing bidding Three No Trump says "I am not Serious about Slam". Examples shown in the above auction. If one
Canapé (bridge) suit is held. Thus, eight-card or longer major suit fits are found right away and some otherwise difficult to bid hands are handled easily. If no major suit exists, the partnership can play in the opener's longest suit. Opening four-card majors frequently has a preemptive value because takeout doubles are less effective in cases where the opponents have not opened their longest suit. When four-card majors were popular in the United States, even the most adamant proponents of "natural" bidding opened four-card majors ahead of five-card minors on hands that presented rebid problems. The following examples apply to some canapé