spotlight7

Playing Fantunes style I would have 14+ to open at the one level(unless 5-4+ Ms). The good news is that I will also be opening @10-13 at the 2 level against you.

Bad 12HCP hands often are worth 11. I open 1 and 4 playing 2/1. Playing Precision style I open all of them. For close decisions, I like A=4.3 K=3.1 Q=1.7 and J=.9 If the math is a problem, an Ace balances one Queen. A King balances one Jack Spotcards(10s and 9s) also can help decide whether to open.

Delayed bids show extra values. Immediate bids show shape and minimum values.

1D-1H-4D shows that hand long strong Ds and 4H 1D-1H-4H should be @18+-19 and balanced

Leaping Michaels and Non Leaping Michaels show a good 5-5+ type hand. 2S-4 minor shows Hs plus the bid minor. After 3S-4D* would show 5+H and 5+Ds as a possible bid. You do wish to discuss these bids with partner ahead of time.

Playing 4 card major systems needs a lot of prior work to score well. Blue Team uses the 4D* convention to narrow some hands that are raising. Goren would open xx AKxx AKxxx xx 1H to have a rebid. 5 card major bidding may open a 3 card minor, however, bidding 1H and next 2D is more distorted IMHO. Bergen raises are not difficult. I teach them to intermediates "when I am asked." I prefer to not use them when I play, however, it is a trade off. I do like Jacoby 2NT* when playing 5 card majors. Playing MPs and "not out bidding" the field is losing tactics IMHO. Bidding a game that others miss has a big reward. I would not be concerned with a -200 after opening a weak NT, it is more than balanced out from players stepping out and finding themselves doubled after 1NT is opened. When playing MPs a failure to make an overtrick or two often is rewarded with a zero or near zero score. If you play MPs, you often double the other pair "to protect your partscore." A fair number of these type doubles result in them making and a result that scores much like a -200 result.

Sabine Auken uses two NT ranges. One if NV 10-12 and the other when vul. and 3rd and 4th seats. 14-16. She also uses 4M and canapé into minors only. I played a lot of Blue Team Club. 4M and they canapé into other suits. They use a 13-17 1N, however, it tends to be a strong NT since the 13-15 range hands are limited by showing specific non 4M holdings. Schenken Club used a 16-18 1N and 4M.

Precision Style base 10-15HCP I open all of them 2/1 Style base, I pass all of them

Goggle Soloway Jump Shifts for a good explanation of strong jump shifts. Italian jump shifts start at about 12+HCP and a good suit. English jump shifts start at about 16+ American jump shifts tend to be stronger. Your mileage can and will vary. B) Opener is game forcing so 19+HCP and often less HCP values with better shape. C) Jump shifts in competition are normally not strong. Weak jump shifts are common. You might like Fit Showing jumps.

Support with support. I like 3S. 3H could be a number of hand types, some without spade support. 4S shows 19+ balanced. If some bid 4S with this and and 4S with balanced 19+, how would your poor partner cope with a 5H bid?

Long minor suits start with a transfer(4C* with Ds and 4S* or 4N* to show long clubs.) Two minor suits use 3S* asking for a 4 card minor. Opener bids 3N without a 4 card minor. Responder over 4m bids 4M* with shortness or 4N* with 1-1 majors. Over openers 3N-4m* shows 6+ in the other minor. 4M* is shortness with 5-5. For two suiters(after a major transfer) use 4N* by opener to attempt to sign off. I like to use Kickback style RKC*(bidding one above a suit is RKC) Opener can agree a suit by making "an advance cuebid" 2N-3D*-4m or 3S shows slam interest. 2N-3D*-3H-4m bids in the unbid suit agree the minor. I like JackFit for virtually all balanced slam auctions. A combined 31+HCP(without any jacks) should make for decent slam 'if a fit is found. 2N-3H*-3S* or 2N-3H*-3N* have shown slam interest and responder can pass if they needed extras. 2N-3H* asks opener if they have a slam suitable hand "after subtracting HCP for jacks." 3H*-3S* shows a sub minimum hand. 3H*-3N* shows I still have my opening range and 4m* upwards shows a +1HCP or better hand. Using JackFit, other auctions make 4N* a non ace asking bid. To use JackFit, you change your Jacoby auctions somewhat. 2N-3D*-3H-3S* confirms responder holds hearts. Not bidding 3S* shows the major transfer shows 5+ Spades.

HALLOWAY gets you an intermediate player that is not Maureen hallway gets you the profile of Maureen

hallway runs BIL. Send a message by BBO mail to that nickname and she will help you.

"Power Precision"(from the late 70s) used a Precision base with a 15-17 1N. "Precision in the 90s" presented the basic system and in the second half of the book he suggested many options. "Viking Precision" is a more modern version using a lot of relay bidding.

I played several decades with John as a partner. We mostly played KS. I do not recall why we switched to Precision. I had been playing Precision with a 15-17 1N. When we started Precision, the 15-17 1N range was continued. John is an excellent player and writer. I played several decades of 12-14 KS style 1NT with him and several more years of Precision style. The 1N range rarely matters, it is more a choice of what you enjoy playing. I also played 9-11 and 10-12 1N as well as 17-20 in The Power System. I currently use 14-16 1N with 1C*-1D*-1N as 17-18 and 1C*-1D*-1H*(Kokish style)-1S*-1NT 19-20.

You might want to look at Revision Precision by John Montgomery at Dan Neils site. He used a 16-18 NT. I played Precision with John using a 15-17 1NT. You will likely find Ax is not "as good as a singleton." Partner tends to devalue KQx opposite a singleton. Opposite Ax you have 3 winners. Also a singleton opposite zero values is often making more tricks. You are using a 30 point deck and game/slam makes with less HCP.

I play that bidding Ds first shows game forcing values. 6-11HCP hands bid the major first. 12+ hands with 5+Ds and 4S bid diamonds first. 1C-1D-1H-1S* in my methods is used for 4th suit forcing. Since partner has a game force and 5+DS and 4Ss to bid diamonds first, 1C-1D-1H-2S* shows the game force hands and 5D+/4S shape. If you bid up the line, auctions like 1C-1D-(2S*) create problems finding your heart fit. Unless you do have game force values to bid diamonds first, even 1C-1D-(2H) auctions will test your agreements.

There are two main styles for skipping over/bidding 1D holding a 4 card major. The first group is hands worth a later invite(10+), these tend to bid 1D and they tend to invite next. The second group bids 1M with 6-11H+CP hands. With 12+ and 5+ Ds, bidding 1D first and a later bid of a M shows 12+ The 'up the line' bidders tend to bid 1D which sometimes has problems finding a major fit when the other pair competes.

This suggests that most contracts will be played in NT when the opposite is mainly true. Rebidding 1N after 1x-1y-1N with Axx Axxx Ax AJxx is a bit much for me. Partner with xxx xx KQxxxx xx will sign off with 2Ds never dreaming 3N is best. If you want to fine tune bidding, try A=4.3 K=3.1 Q=1.7 and J=.9 As and Qs 'balance out' and Ks and Js also balance out. You tend to upgrade hands with aces and kings and tend to downgrade hands with Qs and Js.

I use 1N-3H* as JackFit for virtually all balanced hands. We have a combined 30+HCP and partner shows his slam suitability. 1N-3H*-3S* suggests slam is poor unless partner has extra values. Slam with '31+HCP and no jacks' is normally a decent contract 'if' a fit is found. The replies to 1N-3H* 'subtract jack HCP from the HCP count to show bad, average and plus 1 slam type values. 1N and a transfer to clubs followed up by 3S* (shows 5+Cs and 4Ds)with an unbalanced hand.

Decent intermediate or better players are playing 'almost' all low level doubles as card showing, support Xs or TO Xs. A double of 2D should find you 3 card H support, partner showing long clubs, bidding 2N or even passing with a suitable hand.

1N-2C-2S-3H*(0-1 Ss)-4D-5C*(Last Train Style)-6D

Many play 2D*-2S as an invite in hearts. You could end up in 4Hs if partner plays this way.

Put your mouse over your 3S bid and it states 6+Ss and 17-18 total points. You were a spade short and you were also short in total points. Blaming GIB after you overbid in both trump length and your total points is not a good idea.

I also can play Aunim Club(what Sabine Auken plays with her female partner) Roth-Stone, Phantom Club and Purple Club(opening bids are 'overcall' style 8-15/16) Robert