Positive Responses

[ansoe]

I have been working on a set of responses where the first bid by responder shows game values and distributional features. I would welcome comments. It goes like this

1C

1H One five card or longer suit (any) no singleton/void

1S No five card or longer suit

All other responses from 1NT to 2 H are transfers showing 5+ and an undisclosed s/v

 

Responding hands with two suits 5+ start with 2S (minors)

or 2NT( at least 1 M)

 

Opener can relay for distribution/controls if desired or bid naturally.

[hrothgar]

I have been working on a set of responses where the first bid by responder shows game values and distributional features. I would welcome comments. It goes like this

1C

1H One five card or longer suit (any) no singleton/void

1S No five card or longer suit

All other responses from 1NT to 2 H are transfers showing 5+ and an undisclosed s/v

 

Responding hands with two suits 5+ start with 2S (minors)

or 2NT( at least 1 M)

 

Opener can relay for distribution/controls if desired or bid naturally.

 

 

Regretfully, I must say that this scheme seems to be flawed. Terribly, terribly, flawed.

 

The easiest way to understand is to consider the following:

 

Hands with a 5+ card suit and no sinlgleton or void make up ~32% of all hands. Your system proposes describing ALL of these with a 1H response.

 

Hands with no 5+ card suit make up approximately 35% of all bridge hands. Your proposed system trys to describe ALL of these with a 1S response.

 

If nothing else, you'll want to flip the definition of these two bids.

 

I'm more concerned that

 

A. You're going to get preempted like crazy after your 1H and 1S responses.

 

B. You aren't coming close to the appropriate frequencies.

[mishovnbg]

If u like to know how polish many years ago solve problem of distributional responses look for "Delta" answers to strong pass opening. U answers are not so terrible as respond Hrothgar . Often bid 1HE/SP is good idea because save bidding space. Preempt over same bids are not so good for opp, because if u know that u p dont have wild distribution u can simple dbl them. In case u p show singleton/void opp just can help to discover it. I play 15 years ago same way with sucsess several years(after strong pass)