Balancing convention

[gwnn]

I saw Norberto Bocchi use an interesting convention on vugraph.

 

1♠-p-2♠-p

p-3♣*

 

showed 4 clubs and 5 hearts. What's the complete structure (do you need to play raptor nt for it to work)? Does anyone play it? General impressions?

[Cascade]

I like the idea - i want to know what it is too.

 

Anything that makes it less likely that partner will balance on crap sounds good to me after my recent 3♦ -5 experience.

[pclayton]

I've seen this before too, and not just by the Italians.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

This may just be a "logical" conclusion.

 

#1 X, should show 4 hearts and another suit

(a minor)

#2 2NT, should show at least 4-4 in the minors

 

And if you assume that weak hands with a 6 card

suit would have bid the round before, or because

of frequency issues, and if you exclude 5332 shapes

(no big loss), than you can certainly strengthen the

definition of the 3C and 3D bid, and the definition

of the t/o X.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Edmunte1]

I think that shapes that should be covered are:

-5m+4♥

-5♥+4m

-one suiter ♣/♦/♥

-5-4 minors

 

One possible way to cover all this possibilities is:

-x=5-4 minors or one suited minor -2NT shows ♦preference, 3♣ shows club preference, partner corects with one suited hand

-2NT=5m+4♥, 3♣ is pas/corect

-3m=5♥+4m

-3♥=6♥

But i'm not sure about BD structure, just guessing

[jtfanclub]

I think that shapes that should be covered are:

-5m+4♥

-5♥+4m

-one suiter ♣/♦/♥

-5-4 minors

I don't think you need to show a one-suiter. One suiters should bid over 1 spade or keep shut forever.

 

4333/4432/5332 just pass.

1-4-4-4 bids over 1 spade or passes (if you didn't have the strength with perfect shape the first time....)

 

That leaves:

 

X: Four hearts, longer minor. 2NT asks which.

2NT: Both minors, 5-4 or better or 4-1-4-4.

3♣ Clubs with longer hearts

3♦ Diamonds with longer hearts

 

Did I miss any shapes with that?

[joker_gib]

I don't think you need to show a one-suiter. One suiters should bid over 1 spade or keep shut forever.

Well I don't agree.

 

There are one-suiters that you can introduce now because you are in balancing situation and opps have limited their hands...

 

This is standard, isn't it ?

[paulg]

Bocchi-Duboin play 2NT as a single-suited hand in this position. The vugraph operator did not glean any further info but did well to report this.

 

I do not believe they play raptor.

 

p