Modified Fantunes

[borag]

What do you think about this system ?

 

1♣ 10+ unbal 5+♣-4x, 6+♣

     20+ balanced any

 

1♦ 10+ unbal 5+♦-4x, 6+♦

 

1♥ 15-17(18bad) balanced any

     15+ unbal 5+♥

 

1♠ 10+ unbal 5+♠

 

1N 11-14 bal, trash

 

2♣ 8-14 unbal 5+♥; no 4♠

 

2♦ 8-12 unbal 5+♦

 

2♥ 10-14 unbal 5+♥-4♠

 

2♠ 8-12 unbal 5+♠

 

2N  18(good)-20(bad) balanced any

[Free]

3 questions:

- what has this in common with Fantunes? :rolleyes:

- what's up with the ranges?

- what do you do with 4441's?

[borag]

Ok; let me explain

 

1-) 1 level openings are F1+

2-) 2D/2S are direct 8-12(1 point less then) fantunes openings

3-) 2C indirectly handles 8-12 5+H(1 point less then) fantunes opening

 

I just miss 2C

 

4441 shapes goes under 1C/1D and even 1N sometimes

 

1C=includes 10+ 4414 with both major

1D=includes 10+ 4441 with both major

 

1C=includes 10-16 (41)44 with both minors

1D=includes 17+ (41)44 with both minors

 

And 1C/1D/1S openings are 10+ because i believe(fantunes will join me:))

There are some hands which worths it (more then 29+zar point)

eg; AKxxxx xx KJxx x or ADxxxx x AVxx xx

[Gerben42]

I think they rarely open hands that weak on HCP on the 1-level.

For example Bermuda Bowl 2005, Final, 7th Segment Board 8 (W / None).

 

West hand:

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=sa63hdqj92ca97542]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

Opening with 31 ZAR: 2♣

[borag]

Hi Gerben,

 

Yes you are right, I guess they open them 1x if you change that QJ with K then it will be 32ZP

 

But these kind of hands are two strong in offence, that you can simply miss a game or even slam.

 

I believe, 8-12(26-29Z) is a better limit for 2x openings, means: partner, I want to play here :P

 

And these kinds of hands can be opened 1x (if you can afford it)

 

The sample u gave will be glad to play 4S/5D against a medium hand with 5+ card.

But they mostly pass with that and prefer to play 2C, right ?

 

Cause it might even be x Kxx D10xx AV10xx (I prefer this one :))

or worse Qxx x Kxxx KD10xx

[glen]

See: Change of Heart idea

 

Here 2♥ is just ♥s and 2♣ is both majors, while you have 2♥ as both majors, 2♣ as just ♥s - I looked at both ways, and decided I like 2♥ as as just ♥s, based on some research done years ago on using 2♣ as "two-way" Flannery (that is can be 5-4+ either way in the majors) - before the days of the Internet, so a system I published in photocopy form.

[awm]

As with any endeavor, you have to ask yourself what you're trying to accomplish. What are the issues with existing systems that you're trying to resolve?

 

Some reasonable questions to ask:

 

(1) How effective is it to play natural openings with 10+ points that are forcing? I don't know of anyone seriously doing this. Fantoni-Nunes openings are 14+, which helps substantially when it comes time to limit the hands. Most other systems play NF one-level openings. How do you plan to get to the best spot when responder could have 0-30 and opener could have 10-30 (mighty wide ranges)?

 

(2) Is it really better to open 1♥ with the 15-17 balanced hands rather than (say) 1m? It seems that opening 1m facilitates finding the major suit fits in non-competitive situations that you miss when opening strong NT, and also makes it easier to compete in hearts when opener has hearts and opponents compete.

 

(3) How light do you really want to go with the 2NT opening? At some point you start going down in 2NT/3M a lot when the field as at the one level, and it's not as though 2NT is a good slam-finding opening...

 

You could certainly change things up and reach the unassuming club structure via:

 

1♣ = 15+ balanced or clubs, or various super-strong hands

1♦ = opening-plus 4+♦ unbalanced

1♥/♠ = natural 5cM

1NT = 12-14

2♣ = 5+♣ unbalanced, 10-14

Else = 8-12, EHAA-style 2 bid

 

I'm not sure the structure you propose is really better than this, since in UAC you can pass the 1M openings (less issue distinguishing strong hands), and you're free to compete in a major suit when you have a fit there (unlike over your 1♥ call), and all the 2-level openings are preemptive and potentially passable.

[Free]

I play a modified version of Fantunes (opening structure till 2NT is the same, responses are different) quite frequently, and I know it's already hard sometimes to distinguish strong and weak hands. Basicly the limits are set at 14/18/23. With 14-17, responder with 8-9 will invite, so we won't miss games. With 10+HCP openings, this becomes a very difficult problem imo. What's the next stage? 14? 15? ... And then what? Opener can't show his range tight enough to let partner make a good decision if it's ok to continue or not. I guess you don't use Fantunes-negatives for responder, otherwise you get 1X-p-1Y as 0-13 which is imo impossible to cope with! And 2/1GF will rarely come up.

 

Since I play Fantunes, I've realised a lot of things about their system. The solid openings are just necessary to handle the really strong hands. This causes the 2-level openings to be 10-13, also not a huge range, to let partner decide what to do. In the long run they win, probably because those hands have some playing strength (unbalanced and a 5 card suit) combined with the preemptive effect of intermediate hands (similar with the weak 1NT opening). The biggest disadvantage they have is that they don't have weak two's. But that's not a huge loss: just open these at 3-level if the vulnerability is right. And otherwise bad luck. ;)

 

It seems like you want to combine the good structure with light openings and some weak possibilities. I advise you not to do this, because your system gets overloaded and there probably isn't a good solution to handle all ranges from 10HCP up. Not to mention what to do if opponents intervene...

[borag]

Thanks alot awm and Free :)

 

Free, yes u are right.

 

What I try to accompolish is:

 

1)Open good and distributional hands; rich in controls, with playing tricks 1x.

But 8-12 bad points(lots of jacks and quens) 2x(Partner that is where I want to play when I look at this hand).

 

And I m trying to find best spot using zar(26-29 2x, 30+ 1x)

 

-They can even start from a good ten points, that is what I mean with 10+, not all hands having ordinary 10 points :( awm

 

-I believe u will not get in so much trouble with them while limiting yourself or even in competition.

 

-Cause if u take a closer look at the offensive strength of these hands, you might be in very good playable contracts despite the honor count.

(Eg. Today I had axx v10xx av10xxx - and played a slam against xx arxxx rx xxxx and made :) and they competed)

 

-And I m sure u will join me that a hand having even 14/15 points might be weaker in offense compared to these hands

 

-Nobody will let u to talk freely these days so deciding how offensive a hand is a very important.

 

-And opening such good hands 2x sometimes might cause your partner to misbehave

 

-10-13 is too wide for 2x openings and you will never know if partner has;

 

axx - djxx axxxxx(Free your example from fantunes)

dxx x rxxx rdvxx

 

-You will be in a better position in judgement when there is competition (With the hands above)

 

-Bridge nowadays are not only played with honors :) So if you can take some tricks then system will be ok to cope with light but good hands

 

 

 

2) Seperate balanced hands as soon as possible from the rest.

Knowing that your partner have a distributional hand is very important.

By the way what I say balanced is only 5x332, 4432 and 4333

 

-We have seen lots of conventions being played cause we open 11-14 balanced hands 1x, then when the competition is fast and u mostly asked to question to bid something at three level right ? (Even good old t/o is invented for that I guess)

 

-So playing 11-14 1N is best most of the time (1/2 positions in 3 not, 4 ok). You are at the safe place u wanted to arrive. But then with hands having 15-17 u will have another problem(similar to 11-14 above but u will have more 3x doubled contracts :) and more space to opponents to overcall with 1m)

 

-And that is why I believe seperating them will help but awm u are right; it is not easy. You can loose some part scores and might got too high. That is something I m trying to solve for(maybe playing 15-18=1H and 19-20=2N)

 

3) Bid your longest suit at the first opprtunity u have if you are unbalanced.

Say your suits first, tell if you are balanced and how offensive you are :)

Points will come :)

 

So I will never will like to play one of those strong clubs that u might have to say your longest suit at a high level

 

But maybe Nightmare (awm the one u offered reminded me that) combined with 2d/h/s 8-12 and 2N=18-19 again.

Sorry good 18 ;)

 

Thanks alot for your comments, believe me they are helping

 

And also let me add that 1x have some relay parts to learn shape and strength.

For example 1D/M-2C are game-forcing relay rest is limited etc

 

Regards

 

Bora

[borag]

I just recognized your post related to Change of Heart, I will check that.

 

Thanks officeglen