ucrman

The persons that started this bidding system apparently liked their Standard major suit opening bid structure. Instead of opening 1C with 16+ points with a 5-card major and subjecting them to preemption, they can now open 1H or 1S. Also, it does limit the 1C opener's rebids in a good way. Do you like your bidding structure after a 1H or 1S opening?

A relatively popular system in my area is one with a strong club showing 16 to 20+, but the 1C opening denies a 5-card major. The opening 1NT is 10-12. The major openings are like Standard. The 1D opening is Precision and could be bid on a singleton diamond with a range of 11-15. The 2C opening is like a precision 2C. The strong bid is 2D. Did anyone ever hear of this system?

My Super Canape system is all about distribution first. Here is a summary: The super canape system divides the hands into four types: one-suiters, two-suiters, three-suiters, and balanced hands. One-suiters are opened at the one level in the suit. - A one-suited club hand has 6+ Cs with 11+ HCP and denies a side 4-card or longer suit. - A one-suited diamond hand has 6+ Ds with 11+ HCP and denies a 4-card or longer major and 5 or more clubs. If it is a 4-loser or less hand with 4 Cs, it is treated as a two¬-suiter and is opened 1C. - A one-suited heart or spade hand has 6+ cards with 10+ HCP and denies 4 or more cards in the other major and 5 cards in either minor. If it has a 4-card minor, it is treated as a two-suiter if the hand has 4 losers or less and is opened in the 4-card suit. Two-suiters (5-4, 6-5, 5-5, 6-6, and 6-4) are usually opened in the shorter suit. All 5-4, 5-5, 6-5, and 6-6 hands are considered two-suiters. 6-4 hands are treated as one-suiters (1) when the longer suit is a major and the shorter suit is a minor with more than 4 losers or (2) when the longer suit is diamonds and the shorter suit is clubs with more than 4 losers. 6-4 hands are treated as two-suiters (1) when the shorter suit is a major suit, (2) when the longer suit is clubs, (3) when the longer suit is a major and the shorter suit is a minor with less than 5 losers, or (4) when the longer suit is diamonds and the shorter suit is clubs with less than 5 losers. The only time it is opened in the longer suit is when there is a 6-card minor and a 5-card major -- the emphasis is to show the 5-card major. With 5-5, with one major and one minor, the minor is considered the shorter suit; with both minors usually treat Cs as the shorter suit; and with both majors, treat Ss as the shorter suit. But if there is a big difference in strength of the 5-5 suits, Cs may be treated as longer than Ds and Ss may be treated as longer than Hs. The rule of 20 (length of the two suits plus HCP) is good for determining opening bids. Two-suiters with secondary Cs are opened 2S, 2H, or 2D if less than 16 HCP and are opened 1C with 16 HCP or more. Three-suiters are opened 2C. You should have 12+ HCP (13+ HCP with short Ss). All 4-4-4-1 hands and 5-4-4-0 hands with a 5-card minor are three-suiters. 5-4-4-0 hands with a 5-card major may be treated as a three-suiter or a two-suiter. Holding 5-4-4-0 with a 5-card major and a 4-card major, the hand should in opened in the 4-card major if not treated as a three-suiter. Balanced hands (all 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, and 5-3-3-2) are opened as follows: 12-14 HCP open 1C. 15-17 HCP open 1NT. 18-20 HCP open 1C. 21-24 HCP open 2NT. 24+ HCP (4-3-3-3 and 4-4-3-2) open 1C. 24+ HCP with 5-3-3-2 open one of 5-card suit. Opening bids 1C - Shows one of following hand types, always guarantees 2+ Cs. - balanced hand (4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, 5-3-3-2) with 12-14 HCP. - balanced hand (4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, 5-3-3-2) with 18-20 HCP. - 6+ Cs without a side 4-card suit, 11+ HCP. - 4+ Cs and 5+ cards in another suit, 16+ HCP (secondary Cs). Could have 6 Cs and a 5-card major. - balanced hand with 24+ HCP, may have 5 Cs with 23+ HCP. 1D – 11+ HCP with 4+ Ds, shows one of the following types of hands: - 6+ Ds - 11+ HCP (usually ignore 4-card C suit unless very strong.) - 4+Ds and 5+ cards in another suit, 11+ HCP (10+ HCP with 5-5). Usually open 2D or 1C with 5 Ds and 5 Cs. Open 1D with 5-6 Ds and a 5-card major. - A strong balanced hand, 23-24+ HCP with 5-6 Ds. 1H – 10+ HCP with 4 + Hs, shows one of the following types of hands: - 6+ Hs - a good 10+ HCP, 6-7 loser hand, generally ignore 4-card m’s. - 4+ Hs and 5+ cards in another suit, 11+ HCP. Usually open 1S with 5 Ss and 5 Hs. - A strong balanced hand, 24+ HCP with 5 Hs. 1S - 10+ HCP with 4 + Ss, shows one of the following types of hands: - 6+ Ss - a good 10+ HCP, 6-7 loser hand, generally ignore 4-card m’s. Usually open 1S with 5 Ss and 5 Hs. - 4+ Ss and 5+ cards in another suit, 11+ HCP (10+ HCP with 5 Ss and 5 Hs). - A strong balanced hand, 24+ HCP with 5 Ss. 1NT - 15-17 HCP. All 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, and 5-3-3-2 hands with 15-17 HCP should be opened 1NT. 2C – 12+ HCP with 4-4-5-0 or 4-4-0-5, usually not a 5-card major, 13+ HCP with short Ss. 2D – 11-15 HCP with 5+Ds and 4+Cs. Ds are longer than or equal to Cs. 2M - 11-15 HCP with 5 cards in the M and 4+ Cs (10+ HCP with 5-5). May have 6 Cs and a 5-card M or a 6-card M with 5 Cs. 2NT - 21-23 HCP, balanced 3NT - Gambling, no outside A or K, solid 7 or 8 card minor. 4NT - Blackwood.

I have played the following: 1H=1NT 2S - relay to 2NT. ---2NT ------3m - Shows 4+ ms, forcing. ------3H - Shows 6+ Hs, forcing. ------3S - Shows 5Ss (5-6), forcing. ------3NT - Shows 5Hs, balanced, might have 4Ss. ------4m - Shows 6+Hs, singleton or void in ms, slam interest. ------4H - Shows 6+Hs, singleton or void in Ss, slam interest. 2NT - Invitational, might have 4 Ss. 3m - Shows 5-5, invitational. 3H - Shows 6+Hs, invitational. 3S - Shows 5-6, not forcing. 3NT - Shows 6Hs, balanced. 4m - Shows 6-5, slam interest. 4H - For play.

In the #3 version of the Super Canape system which I do not play with anyone, the 1NT response to 1D doesn't necessarily show 6 Cs. I play the single raise to 2D as inverted, 9+ HCP with 4+ Ds and the 3D raise as weak. I play the 3C response to 1D as 7 Cs with less than 9 HCP. Perhaps it would be better to play 1NT as showing 6+ Cs and less than 10 HCP and use 3C as a Diamond raise. I do have the Super Canape system version #1 in 30+ pages and an older version of #3. My new email is patternman52@yahoo.com if you would like a copy of this great system. It really works well. I have made changes to the system. For example, the 3NT opening is gambling. With 24-27 HCP balanced, I open 1C; with a 5-card suit and 24-27 HCP, I open 1D, 1H, or 1S in the 5-card suit.

It has been many years since I played Roman Club. The 1D, 1H and 1S openings were mostly forcing although some Italians played 1H could be passed with weak 4-card support, and some Brazil pairs played a Roman Club where these bids were not forcing. In response to the 1D and 1H openings, the Super Canape system has three deviations: I play #1 in club games and prefer #3 in ACBL games. 1. The negative step response (1D=1H and 1H=1S) is used to show 0-11 HCP but the 1NT response (1D=1NT and 1H=1NT) shows the negative step response 5+ card major with 7-11 HCP. This is not allowed in ACBL events but is allowed in our club games. 2. The major suit responses (1D=1H, 1D=1S and 1H=1S)show 5-card suits with 0-11 HCP, and the 1NT response (1D=1NT and 1H=1NT)shows 0-11 HCP without a 5-card major. 3. The major suit responses (1D=1H, 1D=1S and 1H=1S)show 3+ card suits with 0-11 HCP, and the 1NT response (1D=1NT and 1H=1NT) deny three cards in the major with 0-11 HCP.

I now call it the Super Canape system. It differs from Roman Club in several ways but is based on the Roman Club which I played back in the 60s. (1) Roman Club uses two bids - 2C and 2D - to show three suited hands. Super Canape uses only 2C. (2) Roman Club uses 2NT to show 5-4 in Ds and Cs with 11-15 HCP, but Super Canape uses 2D to show it. (3) Roman Club uses 1C to show strong hands with almost any shape, but under the Super Canape, the 1C, 1D, 1H, 1S and 2C openings are forcing and used to show distribution first with strength shown second. Super Canape uses No Trump bids as relays to show strength. (For example 1H=1S=2D shows 4 Hs and 5 Ds with 11-15 HCP but 1H=1S=1NT=2C=2D shows 4 Hs and 5 Ds with 16-19 HCP.)

The 2C opening bid is not too high and the responses to show the various patterns are at a reasonable level. Many people open 2D to show a three-suited hand, and that works well. The one bids are intended as forcing and may be passed. Bridge is a bidder's game. The two-level bids have worked very successfully so far. In fact many of our big gains have come from the two bids. The best bid in this system is the 1C opening, and it is the most frequent opening. I have updated this system with a 33 page document.

1. Are your 1 level openings forcing, since you include 23-24pt balance hands? Yes they are all deemed to be forcing as well as the 2C opening. 2. What do you open 4441's? The 2C bid shows all three suiters and is deemed to be forcing. 3. Your 2C opening as 5440 seems super rare. I'd be inclined to use that for something else that could otherwise improve your system.

I have a system that I call Super Canape with the opening bids as follows: 1C - Shows one of following hand types, always guarantees 2+ Cs. - balanced hand (4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, 5-3-3-2) with 12-14 HCP. - balanced hand (4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, 5-3-3-2) with 18-20 HCP. - 6+ Cs without a side 4-card suit, 11+ HCP. - 4+ Cs and 5+ cards in another suit, 16+ HCP (secondary Cs). Could have 6 Cs and a 5-card major. - balanced hand with 24+ HCP, may have 5 Cs with 23+ HCP. 1D – 11+ HCP with 4+ Ds, shows one of the following types of hands: - 6+ Ds - 11+ HCP (usually ignore 4-card C suit unless very strong.) - 4+Ds and 5+ cards in another suit, 11+ HCP (10+ HCP with 5-5). Usually open 2D or 1C with 5 Ds and 5 Cs. Open 1D with 5-6 Ds and a 5-card major. - A strong balanced hand, 23-24+ HCP with 5-6 Ds. 1H – 10+ HCP with 4 + Hs, shows one of the following types of hands: - 6+ Hs - a good 10+ HCP, generally ignore 4-card m’s. - 4+ Hs and 5+ cards in another suit, 11+ HCP. Usually open 1S with 5 Ss and 5 Hs. - A strong balanced hand, 23-24+ HCP with 5 Hs. 1S - 10+ HCP with 4 + Ss, shows one of the following types of hands: - 6+ Ss - a good 10+ HCP, generally ignore 4-card m’s. Usually open 1S with 5 Ss and 5 Hs. - 4+ Ss and 5+ cards in another suit, 11+ HCP (10+ HCP with 5 Ss and 5 Hs). - A strong balanced hand, 23-24+ HCP with 5 Ss. 1NT - 15-17 HCP. All 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, and 5-3-3-2 hands with 15-17 HCP should be opened 1NT. 2C – 12+ HCP with 4-4-5-0 or 4-4-0-5, usually not a 5-card major, 13+ HCP with short Ss. 2D – 11-15 HCP with 5+Ds and 4+Cs. Ds are longer than or equal to Cs. 2M - 11-15 HCP with 5 cards in the M and 4+ Cs (10+ HCP with 5-5). May have 6 Cs and a 5-card M or a 6-card M with 5 Cs. 2NT - 21-23 HCP, balanced 3NT - Gambling, no outside A or K, solid 7 or 8 card minor.

The 5C bid should ask for the Diamond Q. If partner has the D Queen, then partner also shows Kings. I like the idea of showing one king or two kings (i.e., 5H shows either the H King or the two black Kings; 5S shows either the Spade King or the C and H King; 6C shows either the C king or the S and H king; and 6D shows the D Queen but denies any side King.) The 5H bid should ask for Kings and shows all the keycards including the D Queen (5NT shows the H King or the two black kings and 6D denies a king).

I prefer to play the following in reply to 3NT: 4C - Gerber 4D, 4H - transfers to 4H and 4S respectively. 4S - transfer to Cs showing 5+ Cs. 4NT - Quantiative raise. 5C - transfer to 5D showing 5+ Ds.

The actual auction was 1H-1S-3S-4D. In this auction there was no slam try below 4H.

After the auction 1H-1S-3S-4C, does a 4H bid or a pass offer more encouragement to go on? 3S was a splinter in support of Hs.

Here are two summaries of the system. I renmaned it Super Canape. The Best Super Canape uses negative step responses to the 1D and 1H opening bids; otherwise, they are the same. bob's puter/my documents/super canape My link Super Canape.doc Best Super Canape.doc These are my attempts to show my system. If it doesn't work, email me at patternman52@yahoo.com and I will send you a copy including my Canape Club system.