Whats the funniest system you have played?

[Chris2794]

Just want to know what you have enjoyed the most :D

[ArtK78]

The funniest system I ever played was "The Ubiquitous Spade." We opened 1♠ on almost every hand unless it fell into some very specific definition of some other bid. It was so long ago that I don't remember what the other bids meant. I seem to recall that a 1NT opener was 11-18 - in other words, either a weak NT or a strong NT - to be clarified by subsequent bidding.

 

This was during the short period of time in the mid 70s when the ACBL had an anything goes policy on bidding systems.

[TylerE]

EHAA is always fun, especially if you throw in a little bit of modern insanity. Overcall Structure goes great with it, and keeps with the flavor of 4 card one level bids and very light initial actions. It's honestly not terrible either. I've won club games playing it.

[bluecalm]

I would really love to try the following system:

-No bid is forcing unless it's jump in new suit then it's game forcing and showing 5+ (this means that 1/1 and 2/1 are not forcing)

-every bid expect 1NT-...-2NT openers is natural; 1/1 shows 5+cards, 2/1 same;

-openings: all 1level openers shows 5+suit and are 12+hcp

-1NT/2C/2D/2H/2S/2NT are all balanced hands with 12-14, 15-17-, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23 and 24+ respectively.

-3/4 level openers = preempts

 

I think it's "reasonable" by that I mean it's possible to achieve good score on most deals using it and it can have some benefits as auctions like 1S - 3NT or 1D - 2H - 4H - 6H are standard and you often play "fast 3NT" having some 5-3 or 4-4 fit which makes for big variance and some fun.

[mtvesuvius]

I think playing 3 card majors would be a blast, but I haven't worked out too many of the details.

[helene_t]

1♣=11-13 bal or natural 9+

1♦=14-16 bal or natural 9+

1M=9-16, 5+ in suit

1NT=17-19

2♣=various strong hands

2♦= roman

2M= strong , NF

 

The light openings make it great fun. Phantom Club and mtvesivius' "magic pass" are great fun for the same reason.

 

Also the "AWM Club" system that I play with gwnn is great fun:

 

1♣=15+

1♦=natural, 10-14

1♥=5+ clubs or 4=4=1=4, 10-14

1♠=5+spades, 10-14

1NT=12-14

2♣=5 hearts and 4+ minor or 5+ hearts and 4 spades, 10-14

2♥=intermediate

[the hog]

I think playing 3 card majors would be a blast, but I haven't worked out too many of the details.

 

One of the Swedish systems played in the BB was based on 3 card Ms.

 

The most enjoyable system I have played is WOR. Weak Opening Relay

Pass = 13+

1C = 8-12 Hs

1D = 8-12 S

1H = 0-7

1S = 8-12 ms

 

The oddest system I have played is Noisicerp. (Backwards Precision)

1C = catch all

1D = H

1H = S

1S = 16+

2D = always undiscussed, so could be anything, even B'wood. Also 2D had to vary from bid to bid.

[helene_t]

I think playing 3 card majors would be a blast, but I haven't worked out too many of the details.

We had some discussion about this a long time ago, possibly before you joined the forum:

http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/20638-a-3-card-major-system/

Unfortunately the thread got hijacked by the usual ACBL legality nonsense but there were some good ideas from AWM and Gerben on how to work out the responses to the multi 1♦ opening.

[Cyberyeti]

Some of us decided to create a system to push the EBU's licensing restrictions as far as they would go to leave a playable system that was legal for playing in club bridge. The EBU's licensing is in the orange book, so it became known as clockwork orange. Every opening bid was designed to be alertable and so were as many of the follow ups as possible. This was tremendous fun to play once you'd learned it.

 

The 1 level structure was (IIRC, it's at least 15 years since I played this and it's now illegal) :

 

1♣ - 10-12 bal with a 4 card major, 16-18 or 21+ bal, <17 nat 4 or 5 clubs if max, 13-16 6+ diamonds or 13-16 diamond/major canape

1♦ - 13-15 or 19-20 balanced, <17 nat 4 or 5 diamonds if max, 13-16 6+ clubs, or 13-16 clubs/major canape

1M - possible canape, don't canape both majors

1N - 17+ unbalanced

 

1♣ was forcing with a 1♦ negative, and we passed 3334/3343 12 counts systemically.

[Flameous]

9-Ball

 

Strong pass system with two-way openings:

 

P = 15+

1♣ = 9+ cards in minors or majors or any 3-suited

1♦ = 9+ cards in reds or blacks

1♥ = 0-9(10 bal)

1♠ = 9+ cards in pointed or rounded suits

1NT = 11-14 Bal

2♣ = 5-9 4M, 5+m

2♦ = 5-9, 5M, 4+m

2♥ = Weak in either major (nat vul)

2♠ = Both majors with better ♠ (Nat vul)

2NT = ♣ pre or bad ♦ pre

3♣ = Minors

3♦ = Good pre

 

Note that first bid that promises the suit is 2♠ :D

 

1♣ opening could be AKxxxx AQxxxx x - or as well - x AQxxxx AKxxxx and even xx AQxxxxxx AQx -, usually opps will bid their suits and tell what the opener really had :lol:

Everything is followed by relays and I can tell you that they are pretty damn effective. I often get full shape at 2NT or even below.

 

Another one is Two-way transfers, which follows somewhat in the footsteps of magic ♦.

 

1♣ = 12-16 without 4+♠ or strong bal

1♦ = 4+♥ unbal, 8-11 or 4+♦ or ♠, 17+ unbal

1♥ = 4+♠ unbal, 8-11 or 4+♥ or ♣, 17+ unbal

1♠ = 12-16, 4+♠, unbal

1NT = 11-14

2♣/♦ = 5+, unbal, 8-11

[Free]

A system I've had much fun with was this extremely agressive one (3X openings only when NV vs V in 1st seat):

1♣ = 16+ any

1♦ = 10-15, no 5M (0+♦)

1M = 10-15, 5+M

1NT = 8-10 balanced

2m = weak, 4+m, 4+M

2♥ = weak, 4+♥, 4+♠

2♠ = weak, 5+♠

2NT = weak, 55+m

3X = 0-7 (not good 6/7), 5+X

 

I think we opened over 80% of the hands, pass was usually 5440, 4441 or 4333. :D All 1-level openings had full relays, the 2m/♥ openings also had pretty good relays available.

 

Another system I really enjoyed was MOSCITO. It looks crazy but it isn't. It's still one of my all time favorites but I no longer play it.

[gordontd]

I played a version of Vienna, known as "Stern" at the Jain community centre in Mombasa. It used the Bamberger 7-5-3-1 point count, so players would say things like "well I couldn't open it - it was a very poor 18-count". Other features were five-card diamonds, distributionally strong three-bids, and (I think) a forcing artificial 1NT opener. Very few auctions started with a bid other than 1♣ - even when they could, players seemed to forget about the other openings.

[han]

Indian notrump:

 

3NT = I'll play 3NT.

3S = You'll play 3NT.

Double = penalty.

 

Other bids are not allowed, except when they double our 3S or 3NT. If you play against this system you are sure to get some very tough defensive guesses.

[kenrexford]

"Funny" is contextual, at times.

 

I played for a couple of years with a lady who was a family friend. She was known for being extremely timid. So, to counter that, I talked her into a light initial action system with 0+ overcalls, RUNT (weak 1NT for takeout), and a Kamikazee 1♦ (either 8-10 balanced with 3+ diamonds or any 3+ diamonds not otherwise covered by an intermediate minors opening or a short semi-canape tendency 1♣ opening).

 

This had several permutations of hilarity, not the least of which was the reaction of the opponents after our auction 1♦-P-1M, alerted all around as 8-22 or so opposite 3-15 or so and non-forcing ON OPENER! Opener might pass, and yet opur combined range at this point is somewhere between 11-37.

 

I also enjoyed strange bids that were enabled by forcing her to overcall (even at the two-level) with 0+, assuming proper shape. We would have auctions like 1♦-P-1M-2♦, where my 2♦ call was natural with 3+ (as we ALMOST ALWAYS had a diamond fit in this auction if I had 3+ diamonds, especially if I could read the rest).

 

We had the auction where I found a 6-2 spade fit, for a 4♠ final contract, knowing that I could pick up the announced 5-0 split (RHO had opened) despite partner simply overcalling a minor, because her pass, vulnerability, and her mind meant that she had to have 5422 pattern with two Aces. (2245 and 2254 were not possible to open with only two Aces.)

 

I ended up helping her across the LM line using this approach. The lady who would not overcall without 13, would not bid game without 27, and would not bid slam without 34 was suddenly feared by the field as she approached with her 0 HCP takeout 1NTs, 8 HCP opening bids, and 0 HCP 2-level overcalls. If you knew her, this would be a clear candidate for most funny system ever, contextually.

 

BTW, I also occasionally played a version of this for a couple of years with a young man from DC, Mike Kitces, a regular partner of Kevin Bathurst at that time. So, the system had a following, of sorts. LOL

[Chris2794]

lol guys all the systems posted sound really funny :)

[gwnn]

cf. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/40103-craziest-convention

[BunnyGo]

I had a good time playing phantom club (not that it's particularly funny), but it's not GCC legal in ACBL land. I'm looking forward to trying Midnight special which was specifically designed to be GCC legal, but require as many alerts, pre-alerts, and long explanations as possible. The name derives from playing it at the ZIP KOs.

[MickyB]

I played a Hackett-style [four-card majors, 14-16 NT, 2/1 GF] but with three-card majors in a fairly normal English event, having noted that we were not allowed to use conventions after opening 1M. This was fine until we realised, half-way through the session, that takeout doubles are conventional.

[manudude03]

I played Valentine with someone in a speedball. Everything was forcing unless one of the pair bid some number of hearts.

[semeai]

Funniest in retrospect: The way some friends and I played after reading some books, playing some at school, and showing up to the local club. I remember bidding 2♥ weak, partner tanking and bidding 3♥, and then me tanking and bidding 4♥. Our opponents were quite taken aback. The director was called, and she explained to the opponents that 3♥ was our invite.

 

Funniest at the time: Somehow playing forcing pass was always the most hilarious, though I haven't tried in a while and don't remember specific systems I used.

 

Most enjoyable: Actually having quality agreements in a mostly natural framework.

[Echognome]

Have played "guess the system" where you and your partner pick a system separately and act as though your partner is aware of what you have chosen and take their bids accordingly. You have to guess what system partner has picked in the fewest hands possible. I have only played that online.

 

In a real tournament in Ireland, I played with some of the university players and the most exotic thing we played was psychosuction openings and psychosuction responses.

[deannz]

"Your Card'

 

In pairs events you arrive at the opponents table and ask "what are you playing" and play that.

 

Then at the end you ask them

"Did we bid this correctly".

 

D./

[helene_t]

There was a Dutch pair who often played the "your card" system, but also sometimes the IBYP system. The pre-alerts would typically go like this:

 

A: We play IBYP

B: Who? What is that?

A: I beg your pardon?

B: I asked, what is IBYP?

A: I beg your pardon?

 

etc. They claimed the record was seven times.

[Vampyr]

"Your Card'

 

In pairs events you arrive at the opponents table and ask "what are you playing" and play that.

 

Then at the end you ask them

"Did we bid this correctly".

 

D./

 

As it happens, I was just discussing this method yesterday. The problem, of course, is when you meet a pair who are playing the same system as you.

[Hilver]

Revison (modified) by John Montgomery

 

Jan