LukeG

I play Meckwell Lite and am always trying to pick up some pointers by watching the system in action on VuGraph, so the recent USBC trials were great viewing for me. On board 118 of the finals, the Greco-Hampson auction started 1C-1S-2C-2S. Opener's 2C was alerted as showing hearts (his shape was 0=6=2=5) and responder's 2S was alerted as showing 0/1 heart (his shape was 6=0=3=4). The 2C rebid, showing hearts, is the way Meckstroth and Rodwell show suits in strong club auctions and is a familiar technique. I have two questions: 1) Does anyone know how Greco and Hampson define responder's other bids on this auction? 2) Do they use the Meckstroth-Rodwell suit showing technique in other auctions? Thanks for any info you can provide ... Luke

Why are using the Windows client instead of the Web interface? I'm also using Ubuntu 10.10 and just love the Web version. The Web version does need Flash support, which can be a hassle to get working. If you need help then contact me. Luke

If you want a pretty complete but complicated method then check out pages 209-213 of the ETM Gold system notes at Glen Ashton's "Everything That Matters" website. The URL for the notes is: http://www.bridgematters.com/etmgold.pdf.

I like to play that transferring to a major and then showing a minor indicates slam interest. So I would just bid 4♥ Texas, or whatever method you use to sign off in 4♠.

Playing strong jump shifts, I like to use the 2♥ response to 1♦ as a two way bid - either a "normal" SJS or balanced 10-11. Opener normally relays with 2♠ after which 2nt by responder is the balanced invite and anything else is the SJS. Any other rebid by opener is game-forcing opposite the balanced invite. If opener wants to signoff in a minor he must first relay with 2♠.

If you want to play in your own major suit at the three level then bid that suit at the two level, which is pass/correct. Partner will correct and you then rebid your own suit at the three level.

At trick two, third hand would not play the 7 of hearts from 87x so he must have a doubleton. The opening leader should read declarer for 6-2-1-4 shape and play another heart at trick three, after which there is no need for guesswork.

My word, what do people need to pass the double! I expect to get 800 or more at least 60% of the time. I'll apply one of the first lessons I learned at the rubber bridge tables many years ago: When in doubt, carry them out.

I usually don't listen to music wnen playing. If I do I like something soothing such as Strauss Waltzes or Rhapsode in Blue.

Bid 4♠ asking for trump queen and side kings. If partner bids 5♦ I'll pass. If partner has the queen I'll bid 6NT if he has the ♥K, 6♦ otherwise.

In my experience, many people who play "help suit" game tries use the bid only to discourage a lead in the "help" suit, sort of a mini-psyche. So put me down for a ♥ lead.

Peter Weichsel has a good set of agreements for handling 2NT jump rebids. For Bridge Today subscribers, see the October 2004 issue. His basic suggestion when responder has bid 1H or 1S is that 3C is a Wolff signoff and that 3D is checkback Stayman. The sequence 1C-1S-2NT-3C-any-3NT shows a mild slam try in clubs. If responder bids 4C instead of 3NT that's a serious slam try in clubs.

Yes, I'm interested but will need some time to absorb it all.

[hv=n=sxxxxhqxxxdjxxxcx&s=sjxxxxhdcakqj10xxx]133|200|[/hv] This hand occurred about 30 years ago at the old Boston Chess Club which, in spite of its name, was almost exclusively a bridge and backgammon club. South was one of my contemporaries, and North was far and away the best rubber bridge player I had ever seen, a man who represented the country twice in World Championships. NS were vulnerable and South opened 1♠! I have forgotten the exact bidding sequence, but EW bid strongly and South, at his second turn, bid 4♣ and North naturally returned to 4♠, which was doubled quite firmly by East. South now decided that his spades were a little thin to play opposite a somewhat forced preference and retreated to 5♣ which was doubled by West. North agonized and finally bid 5♠ which was DOUBLED by East, ending the auction. West led a red card and declarer ruffed. At trick two our intrepid hero played a low ♠ from his hand and West showed out! Fortunately for him, West did not realize that East, with ♠AKQ10, was about to draw trumps and claim for down 10 and 2900. West "signalled" with red cards on the first two rounds of trumps before realizing what was happening, so the defense collected "only" 2300. North, meanwhile, was quietly seething but said nothing. Until, that is, South asked "Well, at least I bid it right, huh"?

I think that 2♠ should show a strong hand with 5 spades and 6 clubs, in which case responder should raise to 4♠ since there is a nine card fit.

To repeat a quote I have seen numerous times in the Bridge World MSC, "Why lie when you can tell the truth"? 2NT without a club stopper is silly. You have easy continuations if you bid 3♥. If partner bids 3♠, raise to 4. If partner bids 3NT, pass. If partner bids 4{DI], bid 4♠ showing a doubleton.

I find myself playing with an increasing number of partners and having trouble keeping myself on track as to what I'm playing with each one. Does anyone have a suggestion for organizing multiple sets of system notes? And does anyone have experience with the commercial software named HCS System Notebook?

If you are looking for a light read, consider Bridge with the Blue Team by Pietro Forquet. It has many beautiful deals, and is the sort of book that you can pick up for a few minutes to read about just a hand or two.

I would not open any of the hands, and for me it's not a close decision. I usually play 2/1 and find that I get better results using sound opening bids. These hands may become very easy to handle by passing first - especially the 2nd and 3rd which would be textbook examples of a passed hand takeout double of spades and a two-suiter with both majors.

The Bocchi-DuBoin 2♣ response to 1M is very similar to Garozzo's Ambra system, so you may want to check out those notes. See Dan Neill's web site for the info.

Here is my experience, admittedly limited, regarding interference after a Swedish style two-way club system. As a practical matter, very few of your opponents will have even heard of these systems and none of your opponents will have discussed their defenses to same. Since any forcing 1♣ opening is GCC-legal here in ACBL-land, as long as you promise 10+ HCP, you are under no obligation to provide suggested defenses. Most opponents would banter back-and-forth and then decide to treat the 1♣ bid as natural. My team played Florida in the GNT, and one of their players consulted with Eric Rodwell re: suggested defense. Rodwell told him so play Mathe - double for the majors and 1NT for the minors. So even one of our top international players has given very little thought to this subject.

Swedish style Precision systems use the 1♣ opening as a two-way bid - either balanced 11-13 or any hand with 17+. 1NT is 14-16 and the 1♦ opening is always 4+ diamonds in an unbalanced hand. I played Svan, one of these systems, last year and liked it. See Dan Neill's web site for the notes.

After Multi 2♦ is doubled, I like to play (from Barry Rigal's "Precision in the 90's") pass = diamond tolerance (5+ cards) redouble = bid your major, no interest in going above the two level 2♥ = pass/correct, interest in bidding to three level in ♠ 2♠ = pass/correct, interest in bidding to three level in ♥ (normal meaning) Responder can also redouble to escape into 2♠ or 3♣, allowing the direct 3♣ to have some other meaning. I also like to play that if next hand overcalls 2♥ 2♠ = pass/correct, no interest in going above the two level double = pass/correct, interest in going to the three level in ♠

Hello all, I have been interested in non-standard systems for a few years now, and played Svan in last summer's GNT event at the Long Beach NABC. Currently, I am interested in Strefa, which is very similar to 2/1. The major difference is that the 1♣ opening is forcing and shows either a normal hand with 4+ clubs or a balanced hand outside the 1NT opening range: 12-14 or 18-22. Opening all balanced hands with 1♣ or 1NT means that the 1♦ opening shows 5+ diamonds (can be 5-3-3-2) unless the pattern is 4-4-4-1. Strefa uses Multi 2♦ and Polish-style (5-5) 2♥/2♠/2NT opening bids. If you are interested in playing Strefa then get in touch with me. Luke

[hv=n=sakt92ha96dqt74c6&w=sq53hkt72dk63c832&e=sj86hq4daj82cjt54&s=s74hj853d95cakq97]399|300|Scoring: Imp N is the dealer 1♠ P 1NT P 2♦ P 2NT P 3♥ P 3NT AP [/hv] The game is IMPs, both white. EW lead 4th best and use odd/even first discard. West led the ♥2. East won the Q and returned the suit. Declarer won the Ace in dummy and led a third round of ♥s. East discarded the ♣4, ostensibly showing strength/interest in ♦s. West shifted to a low spade. Declarer made nine tricks - 2 ♠s, 2♥s, 5 ♣s. Assign a percentage of the blame to West and East.