Basic Precision: Awkward 3-suiters and such

[helene_t]

Another poll regarding basic Precision, not as you play it with your regular p but as you would play it with a pick-up p, having little time to make partnership-specific agreements.

 

There seems to be a small majority for playing 1♦ as natural, so now comes the question of how to deal with awkard 3-suiters. Traditionaly, 2♦ was 4414 or 4405 while 2♣ was permisible with even a bad 5-card clubs. Many people don't like to open 2♣ on a 5-card, especially a bad 5-card. If 1♦ is natural is might be acceptable to open 1♦ with 4135 or 1435, but hardly with less than 3.

 

2♦ is sometimes extended to cover 4315 and 3415. If 2♦ is not played as a three-suiter, I assume the only alternative is to play it as a natural weak two. Just to keep thing simple.

 

You could also ignore the problem and make up te smallest lie on the fly, such as 1M on a 4-card or maybe occasionaly 1NT with a singleton.

[Flame]

I think if you want a system you can play with a picked up partner you should go with the treditional way. This also works for the 13-15 nt range from the previous poll.

[han]

Strongly prefer 2C to always show 6. Too bad I can only vote once :D.

[MickyB]

I voted for 1♦ with 3 rarely, and as Gerben has said that is ok with 1435, less sure about 4135. Presumably this hand would want to rebid 1♠ over 1♥, could require some system to sort that out.

[david_c]

I also voted for the fifth option, but really it's more like this:

 

2♣ is the default bid on hands with 5 clubs and a 4-card major, but

• 2♦ is an option (normal, but not compulsory) for (34)15 hands;
  
• 1NT is an option for (24)25 hands;
  
• however, I will never open 1♦ on a 3-card suit in a "real diamond" system. (Note that our 1♦ opening will usually deliver a five-card suit: four cards is possible but relatively rare, so adding in some three-card suits is too far away from the expectation.)
  

[MickyB]

Yes, that's another good point, forgot this was a "real diamond" system...I like David's suggestion. 2♦ will normally be right on (43)15, 1NT sometimes right on (24)25. Strange, I feel like it is worse to open 1NT on 4225 than on 2425, even though 2♣ is probably more likely to bury a fit...

[Gerben42]

I voted for 2♣ showing 6 because it makes life so much simpler. However if your hand is an obvious ♣-based hand you can open it with 5 if you like. It's not like this is relay precision.

[DrTodd13]

I was surprised I didn't even have the option of saying I wanted to open 1♥ with these 4414 and 4405 hands. If you want something reasonably standard then move these hands into 1♥ and then use multi/muiderberg for 2♦ through 2♠.

 

DrTodd

[helene_t]

Todd: You could vote for the first option.

 

Maybe I should have included Multi as an option. I've seen many Bulgarians on BBO playing it and also some Chinese.

 

My problem with multi that you can't agree just to play "multi" since there are so many versions around. True, the same could be said about natural weak two's (RONF? Ogust? 5-card preempts?), but natural weak two's remain simpler.

[Double !]

3-suiters should be opened 2D, IMO, because this is least likely to cause confusion. And it can be 4414, 4405, or 43/3415. This seems to be the version that (as far as I know) more people are familiar with.

 

Until now, my strong preference has been to play 14-16 1NT openers and a 1 diamond opening as showing 2+ diamonds.

However, I have been studying the original Matchpoint Precision system where neither 1NT openers or 2C openers have 4-card majors, and the 1 diamond opener becomes even more nebulous. So far as I have read, I like a lot of it. Still have a problem opening a 4306 or 4207 hand with 1D: there needs to be another option (yes, I am aware of Canape), but overall this seems to solve several problems and to create a few new ones. However, few people (including me until a few months ago) appear to be familiar with the Matchpoint Precision modifications, so I am still playing the 14-16NT and 2+ diamonds.

[luke warm]

2c for 3 suiters with 2d for weak majors or strong balanced... this allows 2h/s to be used for one suited, limited hands... that can be a plus imo