Precision : Responding to limited bids

[modaddy]

I've been playing a friend's "homegrown" precision for a few months now.  One question that the system notes does not address (and is a common problem across Precision systems) , is how "heavy" are your passes in response to 1H and 1S openings?  

 

For example, with 9 points and a misfit, do you bid, trying to get to a better strain, or do you pass and hope that  the opponents get into trouble, not realizing that they almost certainly have less than half the deck?

 

With a balanced 7-8 points and a good (3-4 trump), do you bid, or do you walk the hand, trying to entice a double or push them to a level where you can whack them?

 

Thanks for your comments...

-Michael

[brian_m]

I certainly pass 1M openers with a misfit when I'm sure we don't have enough for game, that's probably somewhere around the 9 HCP threshold, although obviously it depends on the hand.

 

One thing you should be doing, though, is to alert these *possibly* unusually strong passes unless you're absolutely certain that your opponents are familiar with your system, it's grossly unfair to let opps walk into trouble if they don't understand that your pass could be that strong.

 

As regards your question about the 7-8 HCP hands with support, this depends on your system. My preferred methods are to go via the forcing 1NT for a "normal" raise, and to play 1M-3M as pre-emptive and 1M-2M as very strong, game forcing and a slam suggestion, and this sequence starts off our asking bids.

 

Brian.

[hrothgar]

Different bidding systems have radically different philosophies regarding how responder should show a misfitting hand that lacks game invitational values opposite a limited opener.

 

Playing precision, responder has two real choices:

 

Holding appropriate hands, responder can use a forcing NT response, intending to pass opener's rebid or correct to responder's long suit.

 

Responder also has the option of simply passing.

 

I dislike both of these choices.  Neither option puts sufficient pressure on the opponents.

 

Passing provides the opponents with the option of balancing at the 2 level and inevitably forces the last guess on us.  Forcing NTs lead to long, slow auctions and provide the opponents with too many opportunities to clarify their strength and shape.

 

I very much prefer MOSCITO's approach.

 

Here, responder's 2/1 is natural and non-forcing.

A 2/1 bid is natural, showing 5+ cards in responder's suit, however, it is also a weak bid that promises approximately 7 - 11 HCP.  Opener has the option to pass with an appropriate hand.

 

These responses are very common and also very difficult to bid over.  Suppose there is an auction like

 

(1H) - P - (2D) - ???

 

The opponent in direct seat knows that opener has

4+ spades and ~ 9 - 14 HCP.  He knows that responder has 5+ diamonds (and is denying 3 spades), however, there is no way of knowing whether there is a diamond fit.  If there is, the hand will likely be passed out in 2D and you'll never have the chance to clarify hand type.

 

Suppose that you hold a typical hand like

 

QT42

KQ52

62

A64

 

I don't think that you have any good options in this auction.

 

Here is an example from BBO

 

Last night The_Hog and I were playing arround with MOSCITO.

 

I opened 1H, promising 4+ spades and ~ 9 - 14 HCP.

Ron was dealt

 

72

J9873

2

AK654

 

Happily, he was able to bid 2C, which lead to a nice controlled auction.

[brian_m]

MOSCITO versus Precision is another question entirely, Richard.  :o  

 

I might well even be on your side as to which is the better system, but unlike certain minor Nordic deities, when I try to answer someone's question, I try to do so within the parameters that they've set, rather than to tell them they should be playing a totally different system.  :)

 

Given the original poster is asking about Precision, I'll stick with my answer. Yes, you do have the two options you mentioned (some kind of artificial run-out sequence or pass), but the poster was looking for opinions as to which was preferable.

 

Q: Tell me, Richard, which do you prefer, apples or oranges.

 

You: Bananas.

 

 

Brian.

[mishovnbg]

Main advantage of limited openings like prec is freedom of responder to make "tactical" bids like u mention. To bid or not to bid havent clear answer as in life :-. But my favorite expert Mike Lawrence writed, that "bridge is not for hunters and waiting in ambush is not wining method of play ;D. So my advice for u is to bid, bid, overbid... Ofcourse is such case u must be best friend with dummy :). Else better to pass, pass, underbid...