Suggestions for 4 level responses to 1M opening

[hirowla]

Hi,

 

I'm after some useful suggestions for 4 level responses to a 1 Major opening (standard style). Here are some bids I don't want:

• 4 card suit raises (already covered)
  
• Standard splinters (already covered)
  

 

Just after some other options I hadn't considered or useful conventions.

 

Thanks,

 

Ian

[The_Badger]

The Swiss convention and all its derivatives were popular many years ago but seems to have gone out of fashion. Personally I liked Swiss when playing Acol.

 

Here is the link to the Bridgeguys page. http://bridgeguys.com/Conventions/SwissConvention.html

[spotlight7]

Void showing bids are 4 level new minor suit bids(and 1S-4H*)

 

 

1H-3S*=any splinter now.

 

1S-3N*=any splinter now.

 

 

Two tier splinter bids 1H-3S* shows the stronger range splinter.

 

Four of a minor is a lower range splinter.

 

 

1S-3N* shows the stronger range splinter.

 

Four of a new suit is a lower range splinter.

[fromageGB]

I am intrigued. If you have covered splinters and all four card supports with lower bids, then your methods seem remarkably condensed. Perhaps 4 levels could be jump fits? Sort of support plus a good 5 card suit, and if you go through a normal 2/1 with those, perhaps defining a shortage elsewhere?

[Lovera]

If you are retaining the preempt meaning, i have (already used by me) the Oklahoma convention re-named keycard Oklahoma: partner has a unbalanced with five cards support and 6-8 HCP. The reponses: 4♣= 1 keycard that is an Ace/King of trump; 4♦= 2 keycards A+A or A+King of trump; 4 M= 0 keycard.(Lovera)

[steve2005]

Two tier splinter bids 1H-3S* shows the stronger range splinter.

 

Four of a minor is a lower range splinter.

 

1S-3N* shows the stronger range splinter.

 

Four of a new suit is a lower range splinter.

It makes more sense to have 1♥-3♠ and 1♠-3N to be the weak splinter that way with no slam interest can sign-off without revealing splinter or allowing a free double to suggest a sacrifice

 

 

There is also a trick which allows 1♠-4♥ to be natural

 

Use 1♠-4♣ as either club or heart splinter which you can relay for if needed.

 

 

[steve2005]

If you have 4-card raises and splinter covered about the only thing left is some sort of natural pre-emptive freak. Your choice as to weak, semi-solid or solid.

[johnu]

Just say no to 4 level responses. :ph34r:

 

What about a fit showing bid showing a good 5 or 6 card suit with less than opening strength?

[spotlight7]

Steve2005 is correct that using the weaker version as 1H-3* and 1S-3N* would reduce Xs for a lead.

 

 

 

I played with a lady that claimed to play splinters. Our first auction went 1S-4H*

 

.

Trumps broke nicely 5 and 5, however, the 2-1 fit was still well beyond

 

my playing skill. We had a nice session after that first board.

 

 

 

I have never cared for 1S-4H as a natural bid.

 

Using 4C* as a two way bid would give the other

 

pair twice as many chances to double for the lead.

[msjennifer]

Steve2005 is correct that using the weaker version as 1H-3* and 1S-3N* would reduce Xs for a lead.

 

 

 

I played with a lady that claimed to play splinters. Our first auction went 1S-4H*

 

.

Trumps broke nicely 5 and 5, however, the 2-1 fit was still well beyond

 

my playing skill. We had a nice session after that first board.

 

 

 

I have never cared for 1S-4H as a natural bid.

 

Using 4C* as a two way bid would give the other

 

pair twice as many chances to double for the lead.

If 1S-4H is a heart x or a void,the opposition gets two free bids a pass showing tolerance for a club lead and double showing tolerance for a diamond lead.

[Winstonm]

This is not a direct answer to your question but an interesting twist of opener's 4-level rebid on his own suit is a great device to show a strong raise and a good suit: 1C-1H=4C*

 

*x, AQxx, A, AKJ10xx

[johnu]

This is not a direct answer to your question but an interesting twist of opener's 4-level rebid on his own suit is a great device to show a strong raise and a good suit: 1C-1H=4C*

 

I don't know about twist, but I thought that's what they were teaching in bridge classes these days.

[Winstonm]

I don't know about twist, but I thought that's what they were teaching in bridge classes these days.

 

I have no idea - I don't teach or attend. :)

[m1cha]

I'm after some useful suggestions for 4 level responses to a 1 Major opening (standard style).

Here's a recommendation from another forum a few months ago:

 

[Marty] Bergen further recommends that the jump shift to the other major shows any splinter raise. First step asks, show up the line. This leaves immediate 4C and 4D calls open, which he uses as:

4C - Balanced 3 card raise, stronger than 3NT (say 16-18) and

4D - Stronger preemptive game raise. Immediate 4M raise weaker.

Jumps to 4 of the other major are preemptive, natural, to play.

[fromageGB]

While the OP has specified that splinters are covered, the lack of detail leads me to suspect that they are not covered satisfactorily. In my view you need to be able to show at least three strength ranges of 4 card support with a singleton or void, whether you define the boundaries by hcp, losers, controls or whatever. The lower range at the 3-level can aid a "game or not" decision, while mid and higher range (if beneath 4M) can help the "slam or game" decision. I doubt in the OP's methods whether all of these are covered with bids lower than 3M, and if that is the case, my suggestion would be to use the space to do this.

[dave_beer]

(1) Natural

(2) Void-showing as opposed to singleton if your current methods don't do that

(3) Semi-preemptive slam-possible hands, Slam is possible opposite the right hand but you want to make it harder for the opponents to enter.

• 4♣ = unspecified void and good side suit, e.g., Qxxxx-xxx-KQxxx-{void}. I played it as denying an ace and not having control in the fragment but you don't have to do it that way.
  
• 4♦ = good trumps and bad side suit (at best Qxxxx), e.g., AQxxx-xx-xxxxx-x
  
• 1♠ = 4♥ as natural
  

[awm]

A couple that haven't been specifically mentioned:

 

1M-3NT as a "good 4M preempt"; something like 8-10 with five-card support, giving partner the chance to look for slam with a big hand.

1M-4OM as natural to play

[Cyberyeti]

We play them as void specific, and respond with voidwood responses except that 4 of the agreed major says "I no longer have my opening bid in the light of your void".

 

So 1♠-4♦-4♠ would show something like AQJxx, Qx, KJxx, xx and now 4N would be voidwood again. We play 1m-3higher suit similarly.

[Zelandakh]

For a simple solution, I would suggest playing standard splinters for 3M+2, 3M+3 and 3M+4 and using 3M+1 either to distinguish between singleton and void splinters or between normal range and maxi (~16-19) range. For a more complete set-up that allows for all splinter ranges - mini, normal and maxi - I will offer you:-

 

1M

==

2M+1 = mini or maxi-splinter

... - 2M+2 = relay

... - ... - 2M+3 = limit raise with shortness in suit bid

... - ... - 2M+4 = limit raise with shortness in suit bid

... - ... - 3M = limit raise with shortness in remaining suit (spades for 1♥, clubs for 1♠)

... - ... - 3M+1 = void maxi-splinter (then 3M+2 = relay)

... - ... - 3M+2 = singleton maxi-splinter (singleton spade if 3NT over 1♥)

... - ... - 3M+3 = singleton maxi-splinter

... - ... - 3M+4 = singleton maxi-splinter (4M should also be this hand; use it to differentiate between min-max or some other criteria if you prefer)

2M+2 = GF raise

2M+3 = limit raise } (reversing these two raises also works well; it just depends on which range you want to expand)

2M+4 = mixed raise }

3M = weak raise

3M+1 = void splinter (then 3M+2 = relay)

3M+2 = singleton splinter (singleton spade if 3NT over 1♥)

3M+3 = singleton splinter

3M+4 = singleton splinter

4M = weak raise

 

You do lose a step on J2NT auctions over 1♠ (3♣ becomes the GF auction) but I think it is worth it overall.