Whats the funniest system you have played?

[Poky]

8-11 system. Not only fun, but this is also a very good aggressive system (if you are skilled well enough to handle competition after 1♦ opening, because all other openings are +EV by themselves, including mini 1NT).

 

1st/2nd:

1♣ = 18+ any or 12-14 balanced

1♦ = 12-17, many hands (including 15-17 balanced/5+M)

1♥/1♠/2♣/2♦ = 8-11, 5+ cards (1M may occasionally be 5M332 with 12-13)

1NT = balanced: 8-11 NV, 10-11 Vul

2M = 5/6M, no 4oM, 12-14

2NT = both majors, 12-14

3♣ = 5+♣4+♦, 12-14

3♦ = 6+good♦, 12-14

3M = 7M, 12-14

 

After partner passes, openings are:

1♣ = 18+ any

1♦/1♥/1♠/2♣/2♦/2♥/2♠= natural, up to 17

1NT = 15-17 balanced, no 5M

2NT = 5♦5♣

3any = to play

[Poky]

- not sure what a 3NT opening should mean, I am open to suggestions. Maybe a more extreme major twosuiter.

Specific ace(s) ask.

I think Zia plays it that way...

[ggwhiz]

When I first started to play a very good local player booked me for a monthly friday night game where we played pin the tail on the donkey. No Stayman, Blackwood, NOTHING and no taking your time either.

 

Great fun and great learning experience from the post mortems at the bar.

[the hog]

Specific ace(s) ask.

I think Zia plays it that way...

 

To the best of my knowledge it was invented by a Momma Poppa pair in NSW. Ron Kliger saw this on their system card, liked it and popularised it.

[helene_t]

3NT as specific ace ask is ok but not in a Goulash. The whole point of the Goulash system is to get your suits in before opps do. Whatever 3NT means, partner must be able to make an informed decision over a 5-level overcall.

[georgeac]

forcing pass

[Fluffy]

I played once a 5 card minor best major structure, combined with strong pass. We reached a lot of stupid contracts, but best was to see opps face when we alerted pass(forcing)-1♠(best major)-2♠ as:

 

-Opps you seem to have game, and its very likelly it is in spades!

[32519]

The funniest (or craziest) system I have ever played against attempted the following –

1. The opening bid was completely artificial, stipulating only the HCP range of the hand. The opening bids are (were):

..a. 1♣ = 12 HCP

..b. 1♦ = 13 HCP

..c. 1♥ = 14-15 HCP

..d. 1♠ = 16-19 HCP

..e. 1NT = 20+ HCP

2. First round responses showed the number of losing tricks (LTC). The first round responses are (were):

..a. 1 Step = 11+ LTs

..b. 2 Steps = 10 LTs

..c. 3 Steps = 9 LTs

..d. 4 Steps = 8 LTs

..e. 5 Steps = 7 LTs

..f. 6 Steps = 6 or less LTs

3. Only beginning with the second bid from each partner did they start looking for a suit fit. How they tried to untangle this (with or without opposition intervention) remains a mystery. The premise was that based on the LT step response, there wouldn’t be any problem

4. The 2-level was used to open all biddable hands below 12 HCP; promising a singleton or void in the suit opened, yet denying a 7-card or longer suit. A further minimum requirement was that the bid had to guarantee at least one 5-card suit (4441 holding therefore excluded).

The responses to a 2-level bid were even more bizarre. Responder had to bid his/her shortest suit first up, where after a part (or game) score was attempted in the two remaining suits.

5. 3-Level bids were standard pre-empts promising a 7-card suit below opening strength.

[gwnn]

What about

 

1NT=specific ace ask

2NT=specific king ask

3NT=specific queen ask

4NT=specific inquiry for jacks (somehow it sounds better this way)

 

?

[Zelandakh]

What about?

Let's fill in the gaps...

Pass = 16+ any

1♣ = 12-15 any

1♦ = 9-11 any

1♥ = 6-8 any

1♠ = 0-5 any

1NT = specific ace ask

2♣ = clubs, or diamonds and a major, PRE

2♦ = diamonds, or hearts and a black suit, PRE

2♥ = hearts, or spades and clubs, PRE

2♠ = spades, or clubs and diamonds, PRE

2NT = specific king ask

3suit = transfer preempt (spades for clubs)

3NT = specific queen ask

4♣ = Gerber!

4♦ = hearts, PRE

4♥ = spades, PRE

4♠ = Gerber for queens!

4NT = specific inquiry for jacks

5♣ = Gerber for jacks!

 

Sadly, this system is severely lacking in terms of HCP accuracy in comparison with 32519's. On the other hand, Gwnn's inspired 4NT opening gives unprecedented accuracy in finding partner with the correct knave! Naturally getting 3 forms of Gerber into the opening structure is the biggest win though, thus allowing both specific and number of all aces, kings, queens and jacks to be transmitted no higher than the 5 level.

[gwnn]

I like the psycho suction preempts.

[Zelandakh]

I like the psycho suction preempts.

Even more than the 4♠/5♣ Baby Gerber openings?!

[brian_m]

I remember trying out the Fa'had relay system, after David Bird had written something about it in some of his Abbot books. This involved every opening and every response being a transfer, amongst other things.

 

I played something along these lines with an Aussie expert for a while, we didn't do too badly, but the partnership didn't last. I'm a bit hazy on the details, but I know that a simple bid of the next (i.e. opener's real) suit was forcing, while a jump raise of openers real suit was pre-emptive.

 

My own favourite is TRS, which I played briefly with another partner from Down Under

 

Pass = any 11-15 HCP not fitting the other openers

1C = 16+ unbalanced,, 17+ balanced

1D = any 0-10 HCP not fitting the other openers

1H or 1S = 7-10 HCP, either 0-2 or 5+ cards in the suit

1NT = 14-16 balanced

2C = 7-10 HCP, 2 suited, not clubs

2D = 11-15 HCP, 3 suited short hearts OR 3-7 HCP, 5+ hearts

2H = 11-15 HCP, 4-4-4-1 with 4 hearts

2S = 7-10 HCP, 2 suited with clubs OR 3-7 HCP, 5+ spades

2NT = 20-21 balanced

3 of a suit = natural, preemptive

3NT = (lst & 2nd) 4 level preempt in a minor (3rd & 4th) to play

4C and 4D = (lst & 2nd) Texas for hearts/spades (3rd & 4th) natural

[kriegel]

Not something I've played, but when I was at the Youth NABC last year in Toronto, some of us were joking around about silly systems, such as the Phantom Club, where you bid as if your RHO has opened 1♣, and "One Club Strong; Two Clubs Stronger."

 

Shortly thereafter playing in some unimportant event, I glanced at the opponents' convention card. Their 1♣ opening was 17+, and their 2♣ opening was 19+. I was amazed.

[mikestar13]

Com on guys, if your are looking for a funny system, how can you pass up 4NT as a specific jack ask?

[brian_m]

Though it's only a system of two bids, not a full system, I guess someone should give Durham's "Bacon Torpedo" a quick plug in this thread.

 

http://www.dur.ac.uk/bridge.club/BACON/

 

Guaranteed to get a reaction from almost any opponent when meeting it for the first time. Generally one of sheer disbelief. :)

[dake50]

The funniest ('funny' strange) system I've played

AGAINST is tempo-adjusted StAm. eg.

(hesitate) 1C p 1H p, 1NT:10-12

(in tempo) 1C p 1H p, 1NT:13-14

(hesitate) 1C p 1H (hesitate) p, 1NT:15-17

Three ways to show bal opener,

all seeming the same auction.

And responder knows what to continue on: 13? 11? 8?

[mikl_plkcc]

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.

 

I haven't tried any artificial system yet, but I would like to try the following natural system, apart from my currently used one, in MP events:

- No forcing opening.

- 1-level opening shows 12+, 3+m / 5+M and is non-forcing

- all 2-level or above suit openings are preempts, with our usual strict agreements on the quality

- 1NT = 15-17

- 2NT = 22-24

- 3NT = 25-27

- 1/1 and 2/1 are non-forcing and shows 5 of the suit, but a jump shows a game-forcing hand and at least 5 of the suit.

[Gerben42]

With one partner I used to play Fantunes with psycho suction two-bids (i.e. 2♣ = 9 - 12 with 6+♣ or at least 5 - 4 in the reds, etc.)

 

The other most funny thing is the weak 2NT opening (13 - 14 NT) 1st 2nd seat favourable.

 

Anyway, in the pre-2008 rules in Germany, playing 2♣ as ♣ or reds was allowed if you always follow rule-of-18. And we played this system in a tournament led by one of Germany's top TD's. When the auction then went 2♦ Double all pass, overtrick, the TD was called on our system and the TD banned it, only to come back to apologize during the next tournament...

[Furlan]

The funniest ('funny' strange) system I've played

AGAINST is tempo-adjusted StAm. eg.

(hesitate) 1C p 1H p, 1NT:10-12

(in tempo) 1C p 1H p, 1NT:13-14

(hesitate) 1C p 1H (hesitate) p, 1NT:15-17

Three ways to show bal opener,

all seeming the same auction.

And responder knows what to continue on: 13? 11? 8?

 

I'd love to play against that system... with screens.

 

South: (fast) 1♣

Me: (10 seconds) pass

North: 1♥

East: pass

South: (fast) 1NT

Me: (10 seconds) pass

North: 6NT!

East: pass

South: pass

Me: (10 seconds): Double!

(all pass)

 

(10 seconds) ♦A

(10 more seconds) ♠A

(another 10 seconds) ♦K

 

South: Director! He gave my partner unauthorized misinformation!

[ash1968]

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

I have played two non serious systems on a club night that I enjoyed:

1. 
    
   
2. Play the opponents system but you are not allowed to refer to their system card or ask and you are not allowed to make it easy for partner by making a non systemic bid to help him/her. Eg if you think they are playing 2C Multi (just like a 2D multi) and you open 2C with a weak 2 Major. Partner bids 2D (which if he thinks you have opened a multi asks for your suit but is a negative if he thinks you have opened a strong 2C) you can't bid 2S with the Multi version and 3S with the GF version to help him. It is unfortunate that the pre-alerting regulations have destroyed this system.
   
3. Symmetric Anticipation where you assume partner has 1/3 of the remaining values and shape and bid what you think you can make. Partner makes a similar assumption from his side. You don't play many 4-4 fits and you open 2NT a lot!
   

 

I have also seen approaches where (1) you are allowed to make no more than two bids (incl double) by each player in your partnership and (2) where your side is not allowed to start bidding until you are in the pass out seat.

 

Cheers, Stephen

[blackshoe]

Hm. The most fun I've had at bridge was back at college some forty plus years ago. We often played "cutthroat" bridge. Here are the rules I remember, in no particular order:

 

1. If you have <13 HCP, you cannot open.

2. If you have ≥13 HCP, you must open.

3. Once the bidding has been opened, the next bid by any player must be at least game.

4. Psychs are encouraged. This includes opening on <13 or passing with ≥13.

5. After a game bid, bidding proceeds according to normal rules.

6. There are no "partnerships" as such - see #8 below - and bidding is not "an exchange between partners".

7. All four players use the same bidding system (this being the mid-60s to early 70s, we used Standard Goren).

8. When the bidding is opened, after three passes the last player to bid becomes declarer. He chooses which player shall be his dummy. That player exchanges seats, if necessary, with the player sitting opposite declarer.

9. The newly chosen dummy gets to choose whether he will "accept" or "reject" the choice. If he accepts, he gets declarer's score on the hand. If he rejects, he gets the defenders' score. See item #4 above. :-)

10. Scoring is similar to an individual in that the scorer keeps a running tally for each player. IIRC, we dropped the trailing zero in scoring (so -50 would be scored as -5).

11. If a hand is passed out, the deck is not shuffled; the next hand is dealt as a goulash, 5-5-3 (any order) the first time 7-6 or 6-7 the second (if the first goulie is passed out). After that, go back to shuffling.

 

You could probably run an individual tournament this way, say at a club, but I'd bet an awful lot of today's players would object so strongly on hearing the idea that club management would not even try it.

[han]

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

 

I would recommend putting your 9-card minors elsewhere.

[the hog]

Chameleon was a common youth system in club events. You pick up the opponents' system card and play their system.