Acol for Standard plays

[shevek]

I witnessed these Acol auctions recently. It made me think that many recent Acolytes don't understand negative inferences from the weak notrump.

 

1)

1♥   1♠

3♠

 

West had

♠QT65   ♥AQJ6   ♦AQ4   ♣J9

 

I think this is a raise to 2♠. In my mind, that shows say 14-17 TP. Standard players are used to raising with weaker hands and think they need to jump with this.

 

2)

1♦   1♠

3♣*

 

3♣ was a mini-splinter. This is a reasonable treatment that makes some sense playing a strong notrump. The down-side is that 2♣ instead is forcing, which pressurises the auction, since responder must bid on weak hands that prefer clubs and opener has to play catch-up with strong jump shift hands.

 

West had

♠JT65   ♥AJ4   ♦AQJ75   ♣9

 

Again, I submit that - while 3♣ is okay - this is a raise to 2♠ in a weak notrump system, when combined with a forcing 2NT from responder.

On the actual, 3♠ was one off

 

3)

[hv=d=w&v=b&w=saq8hjt654d7caqj3&e=sjt952hk7dkt43c95]266|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

1♥   1♠

2♠   No

 

I like 2♠ though 2♣ would have worked. East might pass 2♠ if not vul but this hand is clearly worth an invite Vul at IMPs. Yet East passed quickly, coming from a Standard background.

[manudude03]

I'm in the school of raising on slighty weaker hands (I would usually play raises as 12-16 TP). It just seems that if you play stronger raises, you will have to suppress 4 card support too often. After 1H-1S, it doesn't make sense to bid 2S on both of:

 

AJxx AQxxx xx xx and

AKxx AJxx Qxx Qx

 

Add a Jack to the first hand if you're not opening it. Whatever style you play also affects what hands you invite on. It is easily possible that an invite opposite the second hand will prove too high for the first.

 

One of the basic ideas of playing a weak NT is that a weak NT is the most common opening hand type. It means all hands that aren't opened 1NT are unbalanced or 15+ HCP. With the first hand, you're a little stuck if even 2S is an overbid, and I don't think partner will want to watch you go down in a 5-1 or 5-2 fit when they could play a 4-4 or 5-4 fit instead. While there are some 16 counts I would simple raise on, they would be few and far between (something like KJxx AQxx Kxx QJ)

 

 

I would agree with your initial point though that a lot of new acol players don't think about what they've already denied though.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 3S, using the LTC

#2 2S, using the LTC

#3 2C, ... 2S is ok.

 

The LTC was certainly heavily used in the past

by Acol players, so I would say, if oyu want to

raise only to 2S in #1, this is a new thing

Bidding 3S in #2 is just overbidding.

There is one thing beside the weak NT, Acol is

a light opening sytsem, i.e. if you require that

raise includes hands with 17TP, than you make

the single raise very wide ranging.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[foo]

One of the advantages of playing WNT''s us that the auctions

1m-1M;2M and 1m-1M;3M can be far more accurate compared to SNT systems.

 

Playing a WNT

1m-1M;2M shows a SNT or 15-17 Dummy points.

1m-1M;3M shows 18-19 Dummy points.

 

Also, playing a WNT, you =strain= to not raise Responder's M with less than 4 card support.

 

Therefore,

 

a= ♠QT65 ♥AQJ6 ♦AQ4 ♣J9 => 1D-1M;2M

 

b= ♠JT65 ♥AJ4 ♦AQJ75 ♣9 => 1D-1S;2S

If you play that 1D-1M;3C! is some sort of shortness, it's a 18+ Dummy point hand. Not this.

 

c= ♠AQ8 ♥JT654 ♦7 ♣AQJ3 => 1H-1S;??

An important hand.

Playing WNTs, you have to make a stylistic choice which affects how you bid this hand.

If 1H-1S;1N= a SNT, Then 1H-1S;2S shows 15-17 Dummy Points and you can not raise ♠'s unless you have 4 card support or enough extras to make up for having only 3 card support.

If 1H-1S;1N does not show extras, you have more latitude on what hands you can raise ♠'s on.

 

Playing either style, since I'm a shape purist whenever possible and I have an easy rebid, my sequence with this hand is 1H-1S;2C

I do not raise ♠'s with this hand.