Polish Club questions

[cwiggins]

I have several questions about the Polish Club. Assume that you are using starting from Polish Standard 2000 (see http://www.geocities.com/daniel_neill_2000/sys/index.html)

 

1) Does any software program include Polish Club as a bidding system?

 

2) In "The Polish Club" by Matula, he discusses using relays after 1C-2M-2D. When I looked at the cards of the Polish Pairs at Ecats Bridge, I did not see this mentioned. Do expert pairs sitll use relays?

 

3) 1C-3NT (12-16 balanced, no 4CM) is inelegant. Are other response schemes been developed?

 

4) If it correct that after 1C-1NT, you pass with 11-14 HCP and 4-4-1-4 or 4-4-0-5?

 

5) What are the systemic reasons for opening 1C rather than 1D when you hold 5332 and 12-14 HCP? Or when you hold the same HCP and are 4432 or 4333 with 4 diamonds? Are there experts who prefer 1D?

 

6) WJS seems to abandon MAFIA: 1C-2m is GF and may have a 4CM. Do expert pairs continue to use MAFIA?

 

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[the hog]

I have several questions about the Polish Club.  Assume that you are using starting from Polish Standard 2000 (see http://www.geocities.com/daniel_neill_2000/sys/index.html)

 

1) Does any software program include Polish Club as a bidding system?

 

2) In "The Polish Club" by Matula, he discusses using relays after 1C-2M-2D.  When I looked at the cards of the Polish Pairs at Ecats Bridge, I did not see this mentioned.  Do expert pairs sitll use relays?

 

3) 1C-3NT (12-16 balanced, no 4CM) is inelegant.  Are other response schemes been developed?

 

4) If it correct that after 1C-1NT, you pass with 11-14 HCP and 4-4-1-4 or 4-4-0-5?  

 

5) What are the systemic reasons for opening 1C rather than 1D when you hold 5332 and 12-14 HCP?  Or when you hold the same HCP and are 4432 or 4333 with 4 diamonds?  Are there experts who prefer 1D?

 

6) WJS seems to abandon MAFIA: 1C-2m is GF and may have a 4CM.  Do expert pairs continue to use MAFIA?

 

Thanks for any help you can provide.

1) Not to my knowledge

 

2) You have got this sequence wrong. I assume you mean 1C 2C 2D (?) If so I have a structure. Kwiecken-Pszkola play a relay structrure here as does Wojcicki. I have notes if you like. Relays are also played after 1C 1N 2D and 1C 2N 3D. All the pairs I have mentioned play them in the first mentioned sequence; P-K do not play them in the second sequence. 1N 2C may also be the beginning of a relay sequence. P-K play Doroszewicz asking bids after this, B-Z do not. Both play the 4D end signal.

 

3) No. Be aware that some play a 1D response to show 13-15 with (2)(3) 4 4 shape and show this later with a jump

 

4) Yes

 

5) The 1D opening shows a 5 card suit in many versions. This is a big winner in competitive auctions. Opening 1C with 2335 or with 2344 with 4Ds allows the 1D negative - how else will you have a neg if you don't open 1C?

 

6) There are 2 distinct schools here - Balicki/Zmudzinski who play strict Mafia, and the Strefa/Nasz school who do not. There are advs/disadvs to both sides. Mafia means having to contort some sequences, but you do get your Majors in quickly and there are ramifications and inferences if you bid 2m over 1m. Also playing Mafia negates the use of transfer checkback which a lot of Poles have adopted - (see my article in March Australian Bridge.) Mafia is definitely too complicated for the average PC player, hence you will note that WJ players don't use this style

 

Hope this helps, Chris. Feel free to email me if you require more information &/or want copies of systems. I have done a LOT of work in this area. Another point you may find interesting is that some Poles have now started playing relay style and or many transfer responses to opening bids. The Koski system is an example of this.

[mishovnbg]

 

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Hi cwiggins!

1. No

2. Yes

3. The reason is to not overload 1♦ response, as well as fast arriving to most common contract. Not so bad as looks like, because strictly limited hcp and distribution. Usage of relay for distribution and/or spiral scan for honours can improve bidding after 1♣-3NT, but as far as WJ2000 tend to remain natural system, it was not adopted there yet.

4. Yes

5. Most of experts prefer to open 1♦ with unbalanced hand only, because to fight for score with ♦ fit against their major fit you normally need distribution. There is some benefits in missfit boards, because 1♦-1♥/♠, 1NT: show sure missfit in major (2-cards) and can stop responder from ovebidding.

6. MAFIA bids are good in more limited system like precision. To play them in PC you need very large amount of conventions, while WJ2000, as I mention, tend to remain natural and simple - the reason MAFIA was not adopted.

 

 

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Misho

[1stpanda]

As far as (2) goes, I think you meant to ask what happens after 1♣-1M, 2♦. The "Relays" that Matula mentions in passing are really simple step responses, from what I've seen.

 

1 step - 4M, minimum

2 steps - 5+M, minimum

3 steps - 4M, 10-12

4 steps - 5+M, 10-12

5 steps - 4M, 13+

6 steps - 5M, 13+

 

This is all useful only in a MAFIA setting. As the previous poster noted, in WJ2000 it is not needed since a MAFIA 1M is pretty limited.

[cwiggins]

Thanks for all the replies!

[drinbrasil]

only one point more:

4) with 4-4-0-5 i open 2C. with 4414 of course pass over 1nt (in natural or 2/1 is pass =)