Other Useful Adjuncts

[Guest]

Several adjucts which we have added to Moscito openings are as follows:

2H  5-9HCP any 5-5 shape

2S weak pre empt in either minor, which now means 3C/D are 7 to 2 of the top 3 hons, mbe with an outside card

 

Also useful are Raptor 1NT overcalls - we have gained heaps on these.

 

Ron Lel

[TheZerg]

about: 1nt raptor

 

seems a fun method, but how do u bid 15+ balanced hands?

 

i've played with a friend nt for takeout and powerdoubles (any 15+), but those doubles seemed to work as bad as possible (comparing with regular TO dbls)

 

maybe was our lack of experiences but i feel that bidding only points without shape information is quite bad in competitive auctions

[Guest]

Actually since I made the original post we have slightly changed our methods -

Over 1m 1NT = 15-18 and overcalls are canape - as per Bocchi/Duboin. (I know they have changed their methods to only do this over strong C/D, but at the moment we are doing it over all C/D openings. Had an interesting conversation with Onno Eskes - member of Dutch open team - about this. He says they are fun - it takes away the -ve X and opps rarely play in the 3 card BID suit even if the have an 8 card fit)

 

Over 1M overcalls are natural and 1NT is raptor

To show a good hand 16-18, the doubler can bid 1NT if it goes (1H) X (P) 1S (P)

Else over a S, doubler is forced to bid 2NT. This is ugly I know, however we have looked at the costs vs the gains of being able to get in on a raptor bid and have found that we have gained heaps - this would have been over about the last year or so of playing this.

 

If you want the full structure, email me.

Cheers

Ron

[hrothgar]

about: 1nt raptor

 

seems a fun method, but how do u bid 15+ balanced hands?

 

i've played with a friend nt for takeout and powerdoubles (any 15+), but those doubles seemed to work as bad as possible (comparing with regular TO dbls)

 

maybe was our lack of experiences but i feel that bidding only points without shape information is quite bad in competitive auctions

 

Like Ron, I'm a major MOSCITO afficienado.

Also, like Ron I favor Raptor NT overcalls and believe them to be a bid winner.

 

I haven't had too much trouble with Power doubles, however, this is probably largely a result of some other parts of the overcall structure.  Most noteable, we play Herbert negatives over the power double.  We will also

happily overcall 1M holding balanced hands with a good 4 card major.

 

For example, following a 1C opening on my right, I would happily overcall 1S holding

 

KQ86

K7

A652

742

 

or 1H holding

 

K72

AJ73

K2

862

 

Holding 15 HCP and a balanced hand, we will either overcall 1M or pass, trusting partner to balance when appropriate.  Eliminating the 15 HCP balanced hands removes some awkward hands from the power double.

 

It potentially worth noting at this point in time that their is NOTHING in bridge that i deplore quite as much as takeout  doubles bid on balanced crap.  I'm seeing more and more auctions like

 

(1D) - X on dreck like

 

AQ94

KT

752

QT72

 

If you are going to bid on this hand (and I think that its winning bridge to do so), a 1S overcall leaves you much better positioned than a double.

[mishovnbg]

I have great experience playing polish 1NT. Actually i play it with any unbalanced hand with 4 major, even with both majors. Very usefull convention. Dbl then not include wild distribution hands and can be easy passed. Also other overcalls not include side 4 major and make possible transfer answers. Problem of rebid of DBL hand with strong NT overcal have solution. Marshall Miles in his book "D.B. in 21 century" describe this rebid as "scrambling". Cheapest suit after p negative response in suit show strong NT without support in response suit.