Questions to help in agreeing on things necessary to describe bidding systems and defensive methods. In it I discuss options and my preferences.
This is presented in the order found on the new ACBL Convention Cards.
1. Overall System.
I prefer playing 2/1 game force with fairly light openings and strong 2 ♣ Opening bids.
2. Minor Suit Opening Bids
2.1. Toucan short ♣ Opening bids.
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1 ♣ Opening bid denies a 5-card major suit, and has at least two clubs. This is frequently a 11-14 point weak notrump hand, Transfers are on after the 1 ♣ Opening.
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1 ♦ Opening is a distributional hand with 4+ diamonds. Generally this will have a singleton or void, but may have 6 diamonds with no shortness.
2.2. Standard minor suit opening bids and responses.
This is pretty vanilla with inverted minor responses.
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1 ♣ 11 → 19 HCP, no 5-card major, minimum 3 clubs.
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Responder requently bypasses 1 ♦ unless holding opening values.
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Responder’s 2 ♣ response is game forcing unless Responder rebids clubs.
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Responder’s 3 ♣ response is invitational with 6+ clubs.
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1 ♦ 11 → 19 HDP, 4 or more diamonds unless 4=4=3=2.
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To be discussed are variations on inverted minor responses.
3. Major Suit Opening bids.
Overall pretty standard 2/1 Major opening bids with 1NT Forcing responses. I can play several systems of major suit responses. My preferences which all use 1M 3M as a weak raise are:
3.1. Hardy Major Raises
Hardy Major Raises* are described in Max Hardy’s books [ 1 ] and [ 2 ] . http://bridge.celestial.com/HardyMajorRaises.html/ I like these as they easily distinguish limit raises as bad or good with or without shortness, and has several options for Responder to describe game forcing hands with or without shortness.
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1M - 3M Weak raise of opener’s major
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1M - 4M Weak Raise of Opener’s major, usually 5 card with shortness. With a similar hand and an A or K, bid a forcing 1NT then jump to 4M at the first opportunity.
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1M - 1NT - 3M (Weak Limit Raise with 3-card support with no shortness)
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1M - 3 ♣ good (Limit Raise with 3-card support with shortness or 4-card support with no shortness)
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1 ♥ - 3 ♦ or 1 ♠ - 3 ♥ (Under Jump Shift) Limit Raise 4-card support with shorness where Opener may ask for shortness with slam interest. Responder can show shortness suit and distinguish between singleton or void.
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1 ♥ - 3 ♠ or 1 ♠ - 3NT (Over Jump Shift) 12+16 HCP 4+card support and shortness. Opener may ask about shortness.
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1M - 4 ♣ 12+-16 HCP no shortness, good major suit (4-cards with two of three top honors or 5-card with A or K).
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1M - 4 ♣ 12+-16 HCP no shortness, lessor major suit.
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1M - 2NT 16+ HCP Jacoby Transfers. I prefer using standard responses by Opener showing shortness, 2nd suit, or no shortness with 3M the strongest and 3NT for other balanced 1M Opening leaving room for slam exporation with 1st or 2nd round control bids (like Non-Serious 3NT).
3.2. Reverse Bergen Raises
These differ from standard Bergen Raises with the 3 ♣ and 3 ♦ responses reversed.
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1M - 3M Weak raise of opener’s major
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1M - 4M Weak Raise of Opener’s major, usually 5 card with shortness.