My own dumb idea

[Antrax]

Let's say the rules of Bridge forbade bidding immediately after a non-pass bid*. i.e. if N bids E is barred and then S can respond and W is barred again. Essentially the side that opens the bidding has the bidding all to themselves until they decide on a final contract, and then the opponents are free to pick up by balancing and bidding up and so forth.

I wonder if this game would be playable. I have some ideas what would happen but they involve a lot of hand-waving. If I'm not the only one who thinks it's an interesting direction, I'll be glad to hear your opinions.

 

* the thread title did warn you

[Trinidad]

Seems like a fun game for an evening of odd bridge.

 

This means that you can only double in the balancing seat and, as declaring side, you can only run from the doubled contract in the balancing seat.

 

I would consider playing "splinter preempts" in such a game.

 

Rik

[kenberg]

It could be interesting to open a table with all four players having this agreement, but not tell the kibs. We would all quickly get on a list of people that the kibs swear that they never will play with.

[billw55]

If my partner has a sense of humor, we might form an agreement to make ten bids before looking at our cards, and call them all relays.

[CamHenry]

This might be an excellent idea for a round in a Director's Revenge event.

[jjbrr]

I would definitely pass some forcing bids and psych a lot

[TylerE]

Maybe allow doubles all the time? (But no advancing the X unless RHO passes obv).

[akwoo]

What's your bidding system, 1st seat?

 

Off the top of my head, assuming TylerE's variant:

 

pass: 15-17 or 23+ balanced or unilaterally game-forcing unbalanced

1♣: 12-14 or 18-22 balanced or 15-23 unbalanced or 9-14 in a minor (roughly T-Walsh style responses)

1♦/1♥/1♠: 0-8, 4+ (also 1♦ if 3334) (1N starts relay with opener describing hand, everything else scrambling)

1N: 9-11 balanced

2♣: 0-8, 5+ (2♦ starts relay)

2♦: 9-14, 2-suiter (Wilkosz-like)

2♥/2♠: 9-14, 6+

2N: 9-14, minors

 

I never thought I'd ever propose a bidding system with 4 ferts. :blink:

[jjbrr]

passing with a strong hand seems like a terrible idea.

 

we don't even have to guess what to do by preempting, we could open 1C and just keep bidding till we find a fit and judge how high to go before letting you in

[jjbrr]

the best system must be to open 1C as dealer and let partner relay

[Antrax]

jjbrr, that's what I thought, too. You always want to open the bidding and end up in the par contract for your side if possible. Then I gave it more thought, and I think the next stage would turn the game into poker, i.e. try to goal the opponents into doubling a making contract or taking a phantom sac, etc. That's as far as my thinking's gotten me, though, that you'd frequently psyche or have several different meanings for the relay responses to throw opponents off.