pickabidp

Alternative: Playing 4way transfers.. 2S to Clubs If opener has 'good' clubs (you will have to make up your own decisions as to what is good-bad, depending on your other limits) he will bid 2NT..this gives you a choice between 3c (to play) or knowing clubs will run to bid 3NT. With the shown hand I would have bid 3C.

Any comments in light of the 1NT openings with singletons in the Vanderbilt? Also more info: http://bridgewinners.com/article/view/fantunes-in-action/ thanks

Thanks to all the responders.. mostly because no one has asked why would you want to open with a singleton. :) System design goes like this: For 1st/2nd opening..for team game..not pairs. 1C..Prec 16 UNB/17BAL 1D..11-15 may be short 1H..or..1S... 11-16 1NT 11-13 2C..11-15 5C if 4H/S or 6+C 2D..11-15 4441 or 5440 But <> We really want to have the 1H/1S show 14-16 That is the reason to open 1NT with the singleton!!! To get to be able to open 1H/S 14-16 we have to get rid of the 11-13 hands.. extreme distribution is not problem or 4333 type 5431 is problem.. 24 possible: Scenario 1: hands with 54 in minors want to open 1D. 1-3-4-5 1-3-5-4 3-1-5-4 3-1-4-5 open 1D (4) With 5C and 4Maj..11-15 1-4-3-5 3-4-1-5 4-3-1-5 4-1-3-5 open 2C (4) Leaves 16 hands with singleton that we would open 1NT. Scenario 2: Add hands that have 4S-5H Or 5S-4H 4-5-1-3 4-5-3-1 open 1H (2) 5-4-3-1 5-4-1-3 open 1S (2) Leaving 12 to open 1NT.. Scenario 3: Open all that have 5 S..1S 6 have 5 Spades..2 are already included so (4) 5-4-3-1 5-4-1-3 5-3-1-4 5-3-4-1 5-1-3-4 5-1-4-3 So that leaves 8 hands with a singleton to open 1NT with 1-5-4-3 1-4-5-3 1-5-3-4 3-4-5-1 3-5-4-1 4-1-5-3 3-5-1-4 4-3-5-1 There was an early post that had suggested to open 'ALL" 11-13 1NT..Well some of the extreme examples ?? seem extreme. But , once again , if the system design leaves..no choice.. Why can't you open 1NT with the singleton. Answer seems to be..It is OK but you can NOT agree to do so..??? Well we know pairs that do open with a singleton, usually an Ace. So they have an agreement, but if they don't 'admit' to it.. it is OK?? So how tight/specific do you have to be to design a system where you 'MAY' have to open with a singleton even though you 'generally' have a balanced hand. We have 'no agreement' or way to find out about the singleton unless responder continues on toward slam and subsequent cue bids might reveal - what else could it be - a singleton. Too bad I don't live in Europe..:)

Agree. But we all know very advanced players who would acknowledge that their partner (will-might-sometimes)open 1nt with a singleton. Advance agreement? So does this then override: "There is not now, nor has there ever been, any regulation which prohibits a player from opening (or overcalling) a natural NT with a singleton if sound bridge judgment dictates doing so." Or? A system in which unbalanced NT is part of. Supposing -"sound bridge judgement" decides that opening with the singleton is : Players may use their bridge judgment to open or overcall a notrump with a singleton provided that: It is a rare occurrence (no more 1% of the time, partner expects you to have at least two cards in each suit, and there are no agreements which enable the partners to discover a singleton.) OR From ACBL convention chart: A no trump opening or overcall is natural if not unbalanced (generally, no singleton or void and only one or two doubletons). Once again 'generally'.. So can you propose a 'system' to ACBL (or directors) and have it deemed 'sound bridge judgment"?

Thanks for the link to that article. The use of terms- ( in that article) " no more 1% of the time"(assume that means) (no more 'than' 1%) "sound bridge judgment " "When a NT opening hand contains a singleton or void, the Director needs to look into the overall system to determine whether an infraction has occurred." Re system: We play Precision (form of) with a weak NT opener in 1st or 2nd seat. Openings (1d,1h,1s,2c,2d) are 11-15. We would like to try to make the 1H/S opening show either 14-16 or distributional hand (5-5) To do that we need to be able to open 1NT with a 5 card major. The problem hand, 1345. Hands with singletons: 5431 type 1-5-4-3 1-5-3-4 1-3-5-4 1-3-4-5 1-4-5-3 1-4-3-5 3-5-4-1 3-5-1-4 3-4-5-1 3-4-1-5 3-1-4-5 3-1-5-4 4-5-1-3 4-5-3-1 4-3-5-1 4-3-1-5 4-1-5-3 4-1-3-5 5-4-3-1 5-4-1-3 5-3-1-4 5-3-4-1 5-1-3-4 5-1-4-3 = 24 Exceptions: 1-3-4-5 1-3-5-4 3-1-5-4 3-1-4-5 open 1D (4) 4-5-1-3 4-5-3-1 open 1H (2) 5-4-3-1 5-4-1-3 open 1S (2) 1-4-3-5 3-4-1-5 4-3-1-5 4-1-3-5 open 2C (4) = 12 Hands with 5K Majors: 5-4-3-1 5-4-1-3 5-3-1-4 5-3-4-1 5-1-3-4 5-1-4-3 1-5-4-3 1-5-3-4 3-5-4-1 3-5-1-4 4-5-1-3 4-5-3-1 = 12 This leaves us with 12 hands that we would open 1NT on with singleton. (maybe opening all hands with a 5 card spade suit 1S might be an addition to exceptions) percentages: Distribution 5431 12.93% of time HCP You get 11-13 points 23.88% of time you would get 11-13 in 1st 12% 5431 ( 13% of 12%) = 1.56 % Help?? No idea if this math works.. but it seems that you would open 1NT with a singleton 'rarely. And if it is part of a system, does it qualify as 'sound bridge judgement'? Is there a place to present this, probably in a better format, to see if it would be allowable. Partner 'does assume' the 1NT is balanced and 'maybe' in a slam seeking auction Responder 'might' be able to deduce a singleton. Any further input appreciated, TIA

Please..not to question the answers so far.. but I can actually find nothing that says you can not..?? found this : http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/55040-off-shape-1nt-opening-bid/ Not sure which answers were actually agreed on. I could not get the link to Mike Flader article to work. Is 'generally' a limiting factor? Is this than some percentage. So if you did open 1NT less than (lets say ) 5% with a singleton (any singleton)would that still be 'generally'. There is no 'agreement' on how responder can 'ask' if you have a singleton. There is no agreement that you always have to open a 11-13 hand with a singleton 1NT. Not trying to disagree but I just can not find anything in the Alerts or Convention charts that specifically says you may not.

Can you open 1NT with a singleton? Would you have to alert or add to announcement. As in 11-13 may be unbalanced. Can not seem to find a definitive answer in the ACBL Convention Chart. Under definitions: 1. 'A no trump opening or overcall is natural if not unbalanced (generally, no singleton or void and only one or two doubletons). I did not find an ACBL Laws forum, not sure this is right spot to ask question.