System adjustments II

[han]

This thread is a reaction to Roland's thread on system adjustments forced by super light openings. Yesterday Arend (Cherdano here) and I got together to play f2f and we decided to play a system that would work with light openings. This is what we played:

 

1m: Quite sound, 16-18 HCP's if balanced.

 

1M: May be super light. If balanced either 16-18 or less than a good 12.

 

1NT: 12+ to 15. Mandatory with any balanced hand (including 5-card majors).

 

2C: strong, may be only 8-tricks in a major, responding Inquiry-style (where 2M may be passed).

 

2D: 19-21 balanced (responses as described by someone in "Italians and Mexican" thread).

 

2M: sound weak-2. (so when we open 1M with 6, we have an honest opening hand).

 

2NT: both minors, preemptive.

 

Over 1M:

 

1NT: 7 to bad 13 but not forcing. denies 3-card support. (opener passes with minimum balanced hands, and can bid 2NT with 16-18 balanced).

2C: either GF or 3-card limit raise.

2/1: GF unless opener bids 2M next which shows a minimum and denies a 6-card suit. After that responder may pass any bid by opener, but responder's bids are forcing. Opener's rebid of 2NT would show a 6+ suit, and opener would rebid 3NT with 16-18 balanced.

2M: 6-10, 3 or 4 card support.

2NT: inv+ at least 4-card support.

JS: natural, 11-12 HCP.

jump raise: preemptive.

 

That's basically what we played. The super-light opening came up a lot and we had lot's of fun! Any further ideas of improving this system? Anybody who would like to play this system sometime with me on BBO?

[han]

Addition to 2/1 auctions:

 

We agreed that we don't have to rebid 2M with a minimal opening hand if we can make a natural call lower than 2M. In that case, responder can bid a non-forcing 2M which would show 2 or 3-card suport. So anytime either player goes beyond 2M that shows a full GF, and any bid of 2M shows a minimal hand.

 

Examples:

1S-2C-2H-2S

nonforcing, either 2 or 3 spades. Opener should not pass with a normal opening.

 

1S-2D-2S-2NT-3D

non-forcing. Opener has shown a minimal hand with spades and diamonds. 2NT was forcing.

[pbleighton]

I have recently started playing a somewhat similar system. We call it Major Mania :)

 

Opening Bids

 

A light opener is defined as a decent 8 to 11 (bad unbalanced 12) hcp. A sound opener is defined as 12 hcp or better. It includes strong 11s and exceptional 10s.

 

1 of a minor = 12-37 hcp, 3+ cards. Will only have 3 cards if balanced.

1 of a major = first two seats - 8-37 hcp, 4+ cards. If light, may have a longer minor, and won't have a decent 6 card suit. If sound, will have at least 5 cards.

1 of a major = 3rd and 4th seats - 12-37 hcp, 5+ cards

1NT = 11+-14 hcp

2 of a minor = 5-11 hcp (8-11 in the second seat), 5+ cards (6+ if vulnerable in the first two seats)

2 of a major = 5-11 hcp (8-11 in the second seat), 6+ cards (may be 5 in the third seat)

2NT = 20-21hcp

3C and above - 3-10 hcp, may be 6 cards when NV and in the 3rd seat vul

 

A light opener in the majors won't have a reasonable 6 card suit. When light, 6+ card major suits are opened at the two level or above, except with a bad suit. They are always opened at the one level when sound (decent 11 or better).

 

For light openers: 4441s, hands with 4 of a major and 5+ of a minor, and balanced hands with a 4 card major may be opened in a major, as may hands with 5 or a bad 6 card major suit. Two suiters with hearts and spades are opened in the longer suit when 5-4. If 4-4, open hearts. If 5-5 or 6-6, open spades. If 5 spades and 6 hearts and not strong enough to reverse (14 hcp with this distribution), open 1S.

 

Suit quality requirements for a light opener:

None with 5 cards, or when not vulnerable.

When vulnerable with only 4 cards:

1) When 4333, open only with a good suit (AK, KQJ)

2) When 4432, open with an OK suit, (A, K9, Q10, J109)

3) When unbalanced, open with a Q or J10

These requirements may be shaded a bit with an 11 or (especially) 12 count.

 

Bidding after 1 of a minor is fairly standard.

 

Bidding After 1 Of A Major In The First Two Seats:

 

1H/1S - 4+ hcp, 4+ cards, forcing for one round.

1NT - 4+ to mediocre 12 hcp. May have 3 (but not 4 unless flat and vulnerable) trumps if less than 8 dummy points

Raise to 2 of a major - 3+ cards, 8-12 dummy points

Raise to 3 of a major - 4+ cards, 0-7 dummy points. Usually not made with 4432 or 4333 shapes when vulnerable.

Raise to 4 of a major - 6+ cards, 0-7 dummy points. Can be made with 5 cards and a singleton when not vulnerable.

2/1 responses - 13 or a good 12, forcing for one round

2NT - 4+ trumps, 13+ dummy points

Jump shifts - 16(15)+, 5+ cards (6+ for 1S/3H), forcing to game

Double jump shifts - splinters, 4+ trumps, singleton or void in the suit, 17+ dummy points.

 

After 1M-1NT, a light opener always passes. Any other bid shows a sound opener. Responder can then comfortably invite to game with 10-12 hcp.

 

1H/1S is the bad sequence in the system, as a 1NT rebid shows 15-17, and thus we may have to rebid a 3 card suit. 1NT is 15-17. 2H shows a sound opener. 2m and 2S are ambiguous.

 

After one level responses, reverses are 17+, jump rebids and jumps in responder's suit are 16(15)-18, and jump rebids are 19(18)+ and forcing to game. A rebid of 2NT is 16-18. A rebid of 3NT is 19-21.

 

After 1M-2NT, the opener revalues his hand in light of trump support. Rebids are:

1) 9-10 points - 3C

2) 11-12 points - 3D

3) 13-14 points (forcing to game) - 3 of the bid suit

4) 15+ points (forcing to game) - 4 of the bid suit if no singleton or void, otherwise bid the shortage - 3 of the other major or 4 of a minor.

 

After a 2/1 response, the opener's rebids are:

1) A rebid of a suit shows 8-mediocre 11 and 5 or bad 6 cards, not forcing

2) A jump rebid of a suit shows decent 11+ and 6+ cards, forcing to game

3) 2NT shows 8-mediocre 11 and exactly 4 cards in the bid suit, not forcing. May be unbalanced if necessary.

4) A raise to the 3 level in partner's suit shows 8-mediocre 11 and 4+ cards, or 3+ cards with 1S-2H, not forcing

5) A new suit at the two level is forcing, and may be any strength

6) A new suit at the three level is forcing to game, and shows a decent 11+.

7) 3NT shows exactly 4 cards in the bid suit, and 12+ (occasionally unbalanced decent 11)

 

In a 2/1 auction, responder will almost always show 3 card support for partner's first suit in the rebid, unless the rebid is 2NT, which denies 5 cards.

 

Peter

[han]

Hi Peter,

 

I like the idea of passing 1M-1NT with all subminimal opening hands. However, I would be something uncomfortable doing this with 5-4 (or worse: 5-5) in the majors. In fact, I would hate passing with any 5-5. What's your solution to this problem? I like the name of your system, I wish I could think of a good name...

 

Two more questions:

 

What are your experiences so far with the lack of a forcing opening?

Do you let vulnerability guide when deciding to open very light?

 

Thanks!

Han

[pbleighton]

"However, I would be something uncomfortable doing this with 5-4 (or worse: 5-5) in the majors. In fact, I would hate passing with any 5-5. What's your solution to this problem?"

 

Three things:

1) 5-5 in the majors is an enormously powerful shape. You have something in the neighborhood of an 85% chance of a major suit fit. It's almost 80% with 5-4. So we will stretch for a rebid. We would certainly rebid 2H with 5-5 in the majors with a 10 count, and possibly with a perfect 9. With a 5S-4H shape, we are a point up from that. With 5H-4S, after 1H-1NT, you don't have a fit, unless pd has 3 and < 8 dummy points, so we pass.

2) Let's say you pass a 5M-5M 9 count, rather than opening it, because you are worried about having to pass. If pd has a mediocre 12 or less, what chances do you have of showing your shape? Very little. This brute force approach works in spite of the shape suppression (as it does with opening with 4M6m), because you (AND THE FIELD) will rarely get to show it anyway. Passing it a great shape suppressor :(

3) I don't worry about playing 1NT after pd has passed me out with an unbalanced hand. If the opps have half the deck, they'll run a suit on you frequently, and an unbalanced hand mean you have a better chance of a suit of your own. You can also get some VERY helpful leads. There may be a better contract than 1NT available, but if you pass, will you find it?

 

This type of system doesn't treat the light opening hands as well as disciplined, strong club light opening systems. However, it doesn't have the problems of the strong club opener.

 

It doesn't treat them as well as the traditional approach to light openings in a "natural" system, which is to just open light, and be a bit conservative in inviting and driving to game as a responder. In a natural system, the openings at or near the bottom of the range are treated the best by the system, and other hands as a group are treated progressively worse, the stronger they are. When you open Rule of 18 (as I have), unbalanced 15-18 point hands as a group become problematical (I should say more problematical - they are not a delight in standard).

 

My system (which is essentially a lunatic mutation of The Science) sacrifices some performance in the light openings, though they are still effective. In compensation, about 2/3 of "normal" opening hands are opened in the sound 1m openings or 1NT or 2NT, where the light openings don't affect bidding accuracy. The balance of the hands are opened 1M, and 1M-1NT-x guarantees a sound opener. This helps a lot, thoough the sound 1M hands do suffer a bit.

 

"What are your experiences so far with the lack of a forcing opening?"

 

It hasn't been a problem so far. If it becomes one, we can always use 2C as strong.

 

"Do you let vulnerability guide when deciding to open very light?"

 

Yes. As stated:

"Suit quality requirements for a light opener:

None with 5 cards, or when not vulnerable.

When vulnerable with only 4 cards:

1) When 4333, open only with a good suit (AK, KQJ)

2) When 4432, open with an OK suit, (A, K9, Q10, J109)

3) When unbalanced, open with a Q or J10

These requirements may be shaded a bit with an 11 or (especially) 12 count."

Thee requirements are a work in progress. We will tighten up further on the balanced/4 cards, if necessary.

 

And of course, 2 bids and preempts vary as well.

 

Peter