Cole

[pclayton]

I'm playing around with adding Cole (1♦ - 1 major - 2♣) to my weak NT partnership. I can't find any respources for it, however.

 

Anyone out there play it?; What's your opinion and what is your rebid structure?

 

Thanks in advance.

[pbleighton]

I found this googling rec.games.bridge. There were 560 responses for "Cole". Try google.com, then groups, then rec, then games, then bridge for more. I've never played it, and after looking at it, I don't think I'd want to :)

 

abbreviations used: m = minor

om = other minor

M = major

OM = other major

relay = one bid higher (including NT)

GF = game force

+ = that bid OR HIGHER

[] = typists comments

 

The convention treats openers 2C rebid after 1m - 1M as an artificial

force.

 

Responder relays with 2D unless a descriptive bid can be made. RELAYING

with 2D says NOTHING about responder's strength!

 

COLE is off after any non-pass by opponents.

 

COLE is on regardless of which seat opener is in.

 

OPENER'S POSSIBLE HANDS:

 

Minimum raise of Major - 3 card support

rebid 2M over 2D

2NT is now a puppet to 3C

P/3D SIGNOFF

3m natural FORCE (invite would not relay)

 

Long Clubs

must be prepared to play at 3-level to complete description

if opening 1D -- 5-5 in minors

if opening 1C -- 7 clubs or very strong 6 clubs

rebid 3C over 2D

3M = FORCE (invite would not relay)

 

Strong NT count unsuitable for NT opening

(often because of singleton in responder's Major)

rebid 2NT over 2D

3m SIGNOFF

3M FORCING

3om relay

3D 4D + 6C

3H maximum heart holding

(2 if 1M=Hearts, 4 if 1M=Spades)

3S 6 card minor (ie 6331)

3NT 5431 or 5422

 

All other rebids after 2D relay describe difficult to bid hands

 

3D game forcing / long broken minor / 0-2 in M

3H relay

3S highest singleton

3NT middle singleton

4C lowest singleton

3S asks 3NT unless middle singleton

3NT asks PASS unless highest singleton

else bid 4C

 

3H game force / solid minor / lower singleton

does not deny 3 card support!

3S asks for 3 card support

 

3S game force / solid minor / higher singleton

does not deny 3 card support!

4C asks for 3 card support

 

3NT solid minor / singleton in M / ~10 tricks

(too strong for immediate 3NT rebid)

 

4m Singleton showing SPLINTER raise

4C = om

4D = OM

 

2OM any hand not previously described

2S to play opposite 3 card invite

2NT relay

3C a) if 1C -- min 64

(4H if 1S, 4D if 1H)

:lol: if 1D -- GF -- 6D+4C or 5D+4C+3M

OR if 1S maybe 6D+4H min!!

 

responder assumes the weak

hand. opener continues

with the strong variety

 

1D 1H

2C 2D

2S 2N

3C GF!

3D asks

3H = 1354

3S = 2164

3N = 1264

 

1D 1S

2C 2D

2H 2N

3C GF or weak 64

3D to play!!

P = QED

3H = 3154 GF

3S = 2164 GF

3N = 1264 GF

3H/3S to play!!

opener pass or bid

using similar code

3D Invite + 3 card support

6331 or if 1D may be (31)54

 

3H asks

3S = stiff om

3N = stiff OM

3S if 1S then = signoff

3NT signoff

 

3H GF + 3 card support 6331

[? or if 1D may be (31)54 - ah]

 

3S asks

3N = stiff om

4C = stiff OM

 

3S GF

a) if 1C -- 5D + 6C

B) if 1D -- 5+D + 5C

(corollary: 1C then 2D & 3D = INV)

 

3N 6322 with 3 card support

INVITATIONAL or better [? ah]

 

4m VOID showing SPLINTER raise

4C = om

4D = OM

3m to play opposite 6331 invite

 

OPENER'S AUCTIONS THAT DO NOT USE COLE

 

1m - 1M - 2M guarantees 4 card support

next step artificial relay

(2S/2H or 2NT/2S)

STEP 1 some 4432 with 2=om

relay asks

3H = lower 4 card suit + min

3S = higher 4 card suit + min

3NT= lower 4 card suit + max

4C = higher 4 card suit + max

STEP 2 4432 with 2=OM (complete shape now known)

relay asks

3S = min

3N = max

STEP 3 5422 min

STEP 4 4333 min

STEP 5 4333 max

STEP 6 singleton somewhere

relay asks

4H = lower singleton

4S = higher singleton

4D 5422 max

4H = lower void

4S = higher void

 

1m - 1H - 2H - 2NT game try with spade length

 

Reverses/Jump Shifts are always REAL suits (4+ suit)

 

otherwise use COLE

 

intended as forcing but sub-minimum responder may

choose to pass knowing of the 4+ second suit

 

RESPONDER'S AUCTIONS THAT DO NOT RELAY OVER 2C REBID

 

1m - 1S - 2C

2H natural NONFORCE (weak 55 in majors)

2S normal rebid

2NT natural invitational / denies 5 spades

(else relay to hear about 3 card support)

3C natural invitations / denies 5 spades

3D[/3H] 5-5 FORCING

3S natural invitational (same as after natural rebid)

 

DISADVANTAGES

 

loss of natural 2C rebid forces awkward 1NT rebids after minor

suit openings, particularly hands with a singleton

(example hands are included)

 

some of these problems are handled via

1m - 1M - 1NT

2C checkback

2D/2H transfer

(followup structure is stated to be complex)

 

minimum 3-suiter with spade void is another problem hand.

1C - 1S - 2D! normal reverse OR 0445 minimum

2H relay

2NT = 0445 mimimum

else = real reverse

 

Al's Comments:

 

1) Auctions not mentioned are unchanged from 'standard' and left to

the reader to extrapolate.

 

2) As far as I can tell, EVERY bid when playing COLE is alertable. This

includes 1m - 1M - 2M because of the AGREEMENT that it guarantees

4 card support

 

3) Kit does not talk about whether the partnership always raises (via

COLE) with 3 card support. If you choose that treatment --

that must be part of the explanation to the alerted 1NT rebid

(ie denies 3+ support)

 

4) Kit explains the articles are not a complete description, highlighting

slam followups being tricky. Especially troublesome is defining

which suit is trump for key card purposes. He leaves it to us

to figure out the rest.

 

5) BIG CLUBBERS -- this has limited value IF ANY. Those 2C rebids after

1D - 1M rebids are carrying too much weight as it is. The

rest can only apply within the context of having a limited hand.

I just can't see it. [but willing to be converted]

[laughter]

I have played Cole for a while in my strong NT system.

 

The rebids are more or less the same as outlined in the above post, a bit simplified to make it playable.

 

The advantages are mainly that partnership can easily uncover their 5-3 majors fit when one exists, and escapes into 3m when there is only 4-3 fit.

 

I think it is quite tricky to install this toy into a weak NT base system.

Playing weak NT, opener can only rebid 1NT with extras, and he can't safely use a 1NT rebid as catch-all to handle those hands that he originally plans to rebid 2C, but he can no longer do so due to the adoptation of this toy.

E.g. x-KJx-KJx-Axxxxx, has you opened 1C and hear a 1S response, you can't rebid natural 2C, nor can you try rebidding 1NT (extras), and you are stuck. You either have to rebid 2C then 3C, committing to 3 levels with weak C, or try opening an ugly weak NT as first bid. I guess you may encounter a system fix more frequently than a strong notrumper.

 

Anyway, this toy is fun, and you may get a better grasp of it by reading Kit Woolsey or Steve Robinson, both of them are the leading US players who have tried this toy.

 

Good luck!