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As mentioned recently, I wrote down roughly how ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
atreic and I (aim to) bid. I think there's at least one error (something to do with overcalling a 1NT bid?), so I'd be grateful for comments, but you might find this helpful, too, if you've not standardised your bidding yet...
ETAI appreciate that 1NT-4C would often be Gerber, but that's a "maybe in future we might want to consider this", so I didn't include it.
ETAAdjusted range of 3NT response to 1-level opener [to remove overlap with 2NT]
atreic and I (aim to) bid. I think there's at least one error (something to do with overcalling a 1NT bid?), so I'd be grateful for comments, but you might find this helpful, too, if you've not standardised your bidding yet...* Executive summary: Acol, 12-14 1NT, Strong twos, transfers, roman key card blackwood * Magic numbers: Part score: 19-24 points 3NT / Major game: 25+ Minor game: 27+ Suit small slam: 31+ 6NT: 33+ Suit grand slam: 35+ 7NT: 37+ * General notes: new suits often force for one round jumps to game are usually "shut up" "invitational to x" means bid x if maximal for previous bid "support" is usually 4 cards if you make a limit bid, you usually shut up unless forced ** Opening ** Opening points are 12, and/or rule of 20 (points + lengths of two longest suits); 11 or 19 if you feel aggresive / it looks good 1 [suit] promises at least the above - generally pick the longest suit 1NT is 12-14 points balanced (limit) 2C is 23+ points, at least 5 quick tricks. Usually game-forcing 2 [other] has one 6- or two 5-card suits, >=8 playing tricks. 1r force 2NT is 20-22 points balanced (limit) 3 [suit] pre-empt 7-card suit 7-9ish points 3NT pre-empt solid (AKQ at least) 7-card minor "Weak Gambling 3NT" 4 [suit] pre-empt as 3, but 8-card suit (with 15-19 points balanced, open 1[suit] and rebid xNT - see below ** Replying ** * Reponse to 1 [suit] pass - <6 points 2 [suit] - support, 6-9 points (limit) 3 [suit] - support, 10-12 points (limit, invites game) 4 [suit] - pre-empt. 5+support, 6-10 points (to play) xNT - denies support for partner (other responses do not) 1NT 6-9 points (doesn't need to be balanced), no 2-level bid (limit) 2NT 10-12 points, balanced (limit) 3NT 13-15 points, balanced (limit) 1 [new] 6+ points, 4+ cards, 1-round force 2 [new < suit] 8-9+ points, 5+ cards, 1-round force jump [new] 16+ points, 5+ cards (or support), game force * Response to 1NT pass - <11 points, no long suit 2C - Stayman (bid 2 of a 4-card major or 2D if none) 2D/2H - Transfer (3 of next suit if 4+card and maximal, 2 of next otherwise) [a break (3 of unexpected suit) shows maximum and xx in bid suit] 2S - 11 points or long minor (bid 2NT if minimum, 3C if maximum) 2NT 12 points; invites game if opener maximal 3 [suit] - 5 cards in suit, forcing 1 round [in a minor, this is a thinking-about-slam bid, in a major, aiming for 3NT if you have 2 in the suit, 4[suit] with 3 or 4 cards] 4H/4S - 6-card suit. to play 3NT/6NT - to play 4NT - invitational to 6NT if maximum 5NT - invitational to 6NT unless minimum * Response to 2NT 3C - Stayman (as before, but forcing to game) 3 [suit] 5-card suit, forcing to game others, as per 1NT * Response to 2C (all game-forcing except 2C-2D-2NT (23-24 balanced)) 2D - negative (<8 points) 2NT - balanced, 8+ points, game-force 2 [suit] 5-card suit with an honour ~7+ points. game-force 3 [suit] decent 6-card suit. game-force * Response to 2[suit] 2NT - negative [new] - 5+ cards, 8+ points. game-force 3[suit] - 3+support, 5-8 points. game-force 3NT - 8-11 points, flat hand * Response to pre-emptive 3 pass - <15 points, no support 4[suit] - 3+support new suit (forcing) / game[suit] - 16+ points ** Rebidding ** * Rebidding after 1-level opening * Minimum rebid own suit - 5+cards, 12-15 points jump rebid own suit - 6+ cards, 15-19 points, very invitational new suit < old suit - 12-15 points (old suit >= length new suit) new suit > old suit [a reverse] - 16-19 points, 1-round force [first suit bid should be best suit when reversing] jump new suit - 16-19 points, 1-round force raise responder - 4+cards 12-15 points single jump raise - 4+cards 16-18 points game jump raise - 4+ cards 19 points * NT rebids to show a balanced hand of 15-19 points * [you opened 1[suit], and partner has replied at the 1-level] 1NT - 15-17 balanced (limit) 2NT - 18-19 balanced (limit) [you opened 1[suit], and partner has replied at the 2-level] 2NT - 15-17 balanced (limit) 3NT - 18-19 balanced (limit) ** Later bids ** * 4th suit forcing * The bid of the fourth suit at 2-level is forcing for one round. Responder uses it where they lack a natural bid, but think the partnership should go higher. It forces for one round, and opener bids (in preference order): raise responder's first suit with 3+support NT with a stop in the fourth suit raise the 4th suit with 4 cards in it make the most natural rebid * After the transfer * e.g. after 1NT-1D-1H: pass - weak hand 2NT - invitational to part-score or game in H or NT 3H - promises 6 hearts, invitational to game new suit - promises 5-4 or 5-5, game-forcing 3NT - option to move to 4H or stay in 3NT 4H - promises 6 hearts, to play * After a 1NT-2S transfer * opener bids 2NT if minimum: pass or bid a minor suit opener bids 3C if maximum: pass, bid 3D, or 3NT ** Slamming :-) ** *Roman Key Card Blackwood* 4NT once a suit has been agreed asks for the 5 key cards (trump K + aces): 5C: 0/3 key cards 5D: 1/4 key cards 5H: 2/5 key cards no trump Q 5S: 2/5 key cards with trump Q *Cue bids* These are a bit advanced, so we might not want to bother, but. Once a suit has been agreed explicitly or implicitly (e.g. 1NT-3S) and you're thinking about slam, bid of a side-suit shows first-round control of that suit, which might be a void. A return by either partner to the trump suit is often an end to the process e.g. 1NT-3S-4D shows the first bidder to have 1st-round control in Diamonds (and no such control in clubs); you can continue on to 2nd-round controls if you like. ** Overcalls ** Against a 1-level bid, 1NT shows 16-18 points and a stop in the bid suit (you may bid stayman on top if relevant), unless in fourth place where it is 12-14 as normal e.g. 1H-p-p-1NT. With more points, double, then bid NT next time. 1[suit] overcall is 5+cards, 8-16ish points 2[suit] overcall is 6+cards, 12-15ish points a game overcall in a major with 6+cards 17+ points can be worth a shot ** Doubles ** Takeout double needs about 13 points, shortage in the opponents suit. Double then bid suggests more like 17+ points Double then jump suggests a killer 21+ point hand A takeout double is forcing unless you are very strong in the bid suit: pass [!!] 8+ points, good in trumps, requesting trump lead suit - your best suit jump-suit - 8+ points 1NT - 8-11, stop in bid suit 2NT - 12-13, stop in bid suit 3NT - 14+, stop in bid suit A low-level double when the doubler's partner has passed is nearly always a takeout. "A double of a suit call below the four level is for takeout when made at the player's first opportunity of doubling, providing that the doubler's partner has not bid" NT doubles are always penalty doubles of suit escapes from doubled NT are always penalty doubles of openings up to 3[suit] are usually takeouts doubles of overcalls up to 2S are usually takeouts
ETAI appreciate that 1NT-4C would often be Gerber, but that's a "maybe in future we might want to consider this", so I didn't include it.
ETAAdjusted range of 3NT response to 1-level opener [to remove overlap with 2NT]
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You omit what you are supposed to do if you wanted 2C but can't because it has special meaning (not bid? 1C? 3C?).
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I still can't play strong twos. It's all about who taught you and the habits you've formed.
OTOH, weak twos won us a duplicate contract and put us in second place for a tournament years ago - because we're not afraid to bid a minor suit if it's great, we wound up in the contract that makes the slam and no one else did - they all stayed with the major on principle. Which only made 5.
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Reminding myself from google, it looks your system is very much based on standard acol, even when it wasn't what I expected (I was nominally taught ACOL for a little, but now I'm much more familiar with the specifics of what SGO and UBC people play, and no longer really remember any of the details), so anything I don't understand I shouldn't attribute to you :)
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I think strong 2s are more natural, and therefore simpler to learn, though.
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I would suggest, if you often play with someone who forgets transfers, to leave them out (and the same for anything else you don't think they're going to remember). I don't know if I'm right -- I think transfers are definitely useful, but I don't think they add any benefit until the weaker partner definitely feels "ok, I know what contract I'm trying to get to here, but I don't have the tools to do the job, I wish we were playing transfers"...
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I have never ever found any hand where I'd have found Gerber useful, or had it used against me successfully. I have gained lots of points on many occasions in tournaments by people attempting Gerber against me, and failing to rememeber it, and ending up in absolutely the wrong slam. My conclusion to this is to not play Gerber. And there are sometimes hands you really want a natural 4C bid.
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In any other situation Gerber is madness and even more likely to be confused, particularly if the suit/NT hasn't been definitively agreed, or clubs have already been bid. I've even found pairs that play *any* bid of 4C anywhere, in *any* situation as Gerber. Rather them than me, frankly.
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< -THIS is my cute icon for "the previous comment is wrong" (Which, I am purely using in this particular comment to show you the icon, nothing else is meant by it here)
Which reminds me, all of my icons are several years old now, and I really should find time to make new ones. Mainly cute and friendly ones. Maybe I need an icon for bridge?
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This happens even if the last time I did exactly the same thing was only an hour ago or something.
Not that I necessarily think you need to change it, but, you know, iconchat.
(none of my icons are particularly thematic of anything).
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Yeah. I understand why people want to do this; they want to completely avoid ambiguity (and honestly, you don't often REALLY want to play in 4C, and these people are probably not using cue bids). But if they're not sure whether they want to be ace asking or not, ace asking probably won't help them...[1] As we say, it's rare that gerber is actually useful (I suppose it does have the advantage of letting you ace-ask a bit lower than 4NT, but that's most useful for bidding a club slam, when Gerber is the worst possible convention :)).
It's even more common to assume any 4NT is blackwood: most partnerships haven't agreed how strong a natural/quantitative 4NT should be anyway, so they almost never do use it for anything else, but it's still problematic to assume 4NT is ALWAYS Blackwood. (If only because it encoourages you to treat other conventions as pattern-matching a particular bid, rather than knowing what you expect your partner to be saying.)
[1] I'm sure I heard of someone playing roman key-card gerber, with the obvious meanings, although I don't know if they really did :)
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Having said that, sometimes if one bends the rules one can bid and make a small slam on just 27 points, like on Saturday. The rules need to be bent to fit the hands in question at times.
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Suit small slam: 31+
Suit grand slam: 35+
I think those point ranges are iffy. The problem is that points just break down as a method for evaluating hands at high levels, and you need to be counting losing tricks or some such thing. There are plenty of 27 point hands with a minor suit fit but no game possible, and similarly for 31/35 point hands and slams.
"support" is usually 4 cards
"Support" is a lot more flexible than that. First round support is usually 4 cards, but later on much less would be needed. Perhaps one might say, "'Support' is usually enough cards that together with the smallest number of cards partner can have in his suit, the partnership have at least 8 of that suit".
1 [suit] promises at least the above - generally pick the longest suit
Always pick the longest suit.
2C is 23+ points, at least 5 quick tricks. Usually game-forcing
I've never seen anybody else include the second part of the condition, and I don't see the point of it.
Many people pre-empt with much weaker hands than 7-9 points, but perhaps those people are reckless fools.
The response to a transfer over 1NT is always 2 of the relevant suit. Transfers are often used on very weak hands, when you're not seriously expecting to make even 2, but think that a suit contract will be less bad than 1NT. You wouldn't ever want partner to bid 3. If your system does allow partner a choice to bid 2 or 3, then you need to alert the bid instead of saying "transfer to X".
Also, with 6-11 points, you would pass 1NT even with a long suit, unless you had 11 points and your long suit was a major.
An opening 2 of a suit is passable with a very weak hand. Your system seems to suggest that with 0 points, partner should convert a winning 2S to a losing 2NT.
ETA Also, any positive response to 2C suggests slam possibilities.
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