Crunch3nt

Hi Ben, I agree you play interesting methods and do appreciate that you share them on this forum. "Our drawbacks in comp bidding are a) opening 1NT with any bal 5M 12-14 V&NV This is a big penalty and is by far our biggest handicap, nothing come even close IMO." In crunch we duplicate 11-14 5332 major shapes in the relays, holder can choose to show as either a) balanced (ie in our weak 1NT opening) or b) as unbalanced single-suiters 1st step. This makes the 6322s and 6331s come out higher, but 5332s are so common we find the trade-off worth it.

So if partner had SJ and CJ instead of SQ, you would have got bottom in 5D?

In New Zealand in the 80's, medium pass (9-15) was played by 3/4 high quality pairs but it went by wayside quickly due to the preemption issues already mentioned. AWM, Here Strong Pass means 15/16+, not 13+, with 8/9-14 openings and a 0-7/8 1H fert.

To clarify Australia/New Zealand actual regulations, this is what they are: In matchpoint events HUM systems are banned in both countries, while brown sticker is banned altogether in NZ and in all but very top matchpoint events in Australia. This is much more annoying in NZ where 80% of tournament bridge is still matchpoints, while in Australia 90% of tournament bridge is imps. In team events, with matches of 8 or more boards, HUM systems are allowed in both countries, but the entire team loses its seating rights for the whole of the swiss qualifying (including the matches when the HUM pair are not playing in a 6 person team). Also you are not allowed to play the HUM system for the first 3 rounds of the swiss qualifying event, and then if you drop out of the top 3rd of the field in terms of your placing, you are not allowed to play it until you regain top 3rd. Also you need to lodge your full system notes with the directors 2 weeks before the event and provide a bona-fide suggested defence. One incorrect statement on here is that HUM systems are allowed in the Bermuda Bowl - they are not allowed in the qualifying round-robin at all, and only, in theory, can be used in the knockout stages. The reality is different. I play (and co-created) the dreaded T-rex mentioned by Hog, although we call it "Crunch!" now. In 2009 Crunch was submitted to the WBF by New Zealand to play in the Burmuda Bowl in the event we made the knockouts but the chairman of the WBF systems committee John Wignall (interestingly, a New Zealander) banned it from even the final stages! The Bermuda Bowl truly is a "no-fear" event.

"If you do this, you want to play the garbage stayman method where 1N-2♣-2♦-2♥ partner ALWAYS bids 2♠ when holding 3 spades and 2 hearts." We all play correcting with 3-2 down here in New Zealand. Garbage stayman is so popular here primarily because we all used to play weak NT. I read years ago the odds were as high as 60% that partner had a 4 card major but a good player whose maths I would trust didn't believe me when I told him that and he did his own analysis recently and he got 58%

So instead of bidding 4H, when East bids 3S followed by 4H, this does not show a slam-try (cuebid is game forcing) and instead just shows a HCP raise? ie a similar concept to when the auction goes (1S) X (Pass), 4H shows a distributional hand, and hyou have to go via 2S with bal HCP and hearts?

Hi all, The actual hand below: With over 50% going for the wrong lead, Maybe this is an allocate the blame problem? Perhaps East should have bid 3S or 3C instead of 4H? [hv=pc=n&s=sakq953hkj9d872c3&w=sthaqt54dkjt6c752&n=s8764h82d93ca9864&e=sj2h763daq54ckqjt&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=1s2h2s4h4sppdppp]399|300[/hv]

[hv=pc=n&w=sthaqt54dkjt6c752&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=1s2h2s4h4sppdppp]133|200[/hv] Please comment freely! I have no idea of best/percentage lead. Will post actual hand in 24 hours

[hv=pc=n&s=sk742hkdaqj43cqt5&n=sa8ha984dkt2caj96&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=1d1sdp1np3nppp]266|200[/hv] System is 15-17 1NT with 5 card majors, 4 card Diamond, Short Club South downgraded slightly rebidding 1NT with poor spade cards, soft values, and no clear alternative North couldn't see a good slam opposite a weak 1NT rebid. Who should have done what?

I can't bid grand other than punting it. I would have bid 5H over 5C rather than 6C, but that doesn't achieve that much. I am sure at the vulnerability given though, for better or worse, my partnership would be defending 3HX.

We have been playing 1H as 7-10 any shape for almost 10 years - responses (and escapes) well sorted. It is a big winner. We actually play 1S as relay over it (up 2 steps), but natural would probably work just as well. Yes the opener passer does need to balance with the strong hand all of the time. There is a big gain though. When opener in a strong club system passes, and LHO bids 2S, responder doesn't know whether their partner has 0-6 or 7-10 HCP. In our system responder assumes partner is 0-6 and thus does no act on those borderline hands. A big advantage. Mattias - Good advice thank you. Those principles 1C is 0-6 or 16+, and other bids can be wide-ranging both make good sense. Olien - Agree with the transfer openings in 3rd/4th with opener relaying with the strong hand - right up my alley. Agree P-1C; 1D being the strong hand and 1H response being weak. I would get rid of that 11-13 NT out of 1C though. Thank you.

According to Roy Hughes analysis, having the known hand as dummy rather than declarer is worth on average 1/3rd of a trick per hand. That is a serious negative to overcome, and why 1) is the most important. At this stage, I am still playing a 1D response to 1C as 8+ Balanced GF, not any GF. 1H is the negative (0-4 unbalanced with a major, 0-7 balanced or unbalanced no major) and the rest are unbalanced semi-positive or stronger with a major or GF unbalanced no major as we discussed when you were in NZ. I still think it is more important to show shape immediately and sort your range out later. After the auction 1C-1D; 1H, responder goes into exact shape and opener always relays. Relay breaks by opener are undefined at this stage - something to think about! The reverse relay structure is new and unique. It is not symmetric and is a pain to remember. I can email if you wish.

Hi all, I am looking for a clean slate, fresh, innovative ideas on how to respond to our 1st/2nd seat opening pass that shows: 0-6 HCP any shape or 16+ Unbalanced any shape, or 17+ Balanced. I am pretty happy with our 1st/2nd seat structure. Lets focus on the 3rd/4th openings only. (Positive comments are ok :-) We play moscito-ish openings with full relay. Our style is for balanced hands to include all 4432s and 5332s including with a major. Unbalanced hands can be 5422 or 6322 / 7222 but otherwise have a singleton/void. For the record the rest of the opening structure is: Pass = 0-6 or 16+ Unbal or 17+ Bal 1C = (10)11-15, 4+H, unbal, can have longer minor 1D = (10)11-15, 4+S, unbal, can have longer minor 1H = 7-10 Any shape 1S = 11-13 Bal 1NT = 14-16 Bal 2C = (10)11-15 5+/4+ Both Minors 2D = (10)11-15 6+ Diamonds, No Major 2H = (10)11-15 6+ Clubs, No Major 2S = Weak, 5 or 6 Spades 2NT = 5-8 5+/5+ Majors 3x = Pre It is obviously a HUM, and the responses can be as HUM as much you like. (I live in New Zealand, so obviously I can play this at my local club). Complicated / Memory issues shouldn't be a problem - but don't go overboard if you don't need to :-) Thoughts / ideas welcome please :-)

I am very late to this topic, and nothing revolutionary to add but for the record here is our latest thinking: There are three major conflicting principles when designing the shape showing part of your relay system: 1) You want the hand having its shape shown to be dummy 2) You want an unbalanced hand to show rather than ask 3) You want the strong hand to do the asking, rather than a weak hand I consider number 1 to be most important, and 2 to be next important & 3 least important (but still important). After 1C strong, 1D art GF: we play that 1H is relay, and 1S+ is reverse relay. The only only shapes shown by opener in the reverse relay are limited because of space to just those with exactly a singleton (not void) thus all 5431, 6421, 4441, 6331, 5521 shapes only. 76 shapes in total. We currently play these as unlimited. All shapes come out by 3H allowing a range probe at the 3 level. The 1H relay includes all balanced hands, 6322s, 5422s, 7xxx, 74xx, 5530 and 65xx single suiters. The crucial 1NT reverse relay is a little overloaded in stealing the NT declarership in that it shows S&H or S&C - but as we all know, its all about trade-offs...

I do think the 2C opening is brown sticker - Needs to be a King above average strength not to be.