Good ERKC agreements?

[wyman]

Anyone have voidwood/ERKC agreements they wouldn't mind sharing? We've discussed a few options but are interested in what others are doing.

 

This whole discussion stems from the auction

 

1N 2D

3H 4S

 

which one of us thinks should be erkc [non-kickbackers here for now] and the other thinks should be a splinter. So we decided that we'd better write down some meta-rules for handling this.

 

Thanks.

[han]

We play that when a fit has been agreed a jump above game is exclusion.

 

By the way, you wouldn't have this problem if you and your partner wouldn't be so careless with your space. Superaccept by bidding 2S. For example you could then play:

 

2NT = game try.

3C = slam try, no shortness.

3D = retransfer, after which a new suit is a natural slam try.

3S, 4C, 4D = splinter.

3NT = choice of games.

[sailoranch]

I play Exclusion as one level above a (game forcing) splinter or a control showing cue. This normally takes us above four of our suit. 3♠ would be a cue, so 4♠ is Exclusion. With the singleton, you'd just cue 3♠ (if you're playing second round controls).

[andy_h]

I normally play that a jump to the 5 level is exclusion.

 

Alternatively, you could play as Han suggested to have the superaccept bid at a lower level. If not, then I suggest that over 3H to use 3S/3NT/4C/4D as None/Low/Middle/High shortages.

[Zelandakh]

The most common rule seems to be what Han wrote: a jump above game with a suit agreed. Note that this is also gives a potential rule for adding limited Kickback - if 4♠ would be Exclusion with hearts agreed (ie if it is a jump) then invert 4♠ and 4NT. Note also that Han's is not the only structure possible after a super-accept. For example, after 1NT - 2♦; 2NT you might play

 

3♣ = void somewhere (3♦ asks)

3♦ = puppet to 3♥, then 3♠ = slam try; 3NT/4m = serious cues

3♥ = game try

3♠/4m = singleton

3NT = cog

 

Or switch the voids and singletons around, or use 3♣ to show a second suit (and not differentiate between singletons and voids), or whatever you like really. There is so much extra space if you use 2♠ or 2NT for this. If you were to use 2♠ as the super-accept and 3♥ as the game try, you have 2NT free in Han's scheme which probably gives you more bids than you can find hand types to fill them with.