System Summary Form (SSF), 2018 USBC

Bids that Require Advance Preparation

OPENINGS: 1. We open 1 on all balanced or semi-balanced hands out of range for NT without a 5 card side suit. 2. Our 1 opening not only shows 5+ , it also denies 4+ unless Opener has 16+ HCP. We open 2 with 5+ and 4 . 3. We do not have any strong, forcing opening bid (other than a never-comes-up 4m to show a self-sufficient Major with 10+ tricks in your own hand), so all of our 1-level openings are unlimited. They're not forcing and we do occasionally pass them, but we frequently respond very light, including 0 HCP. 4. All of our 2-level openings are intermediate and natural, 8-15 HCP: 2 = 8-15, 5+ , not 5332 or 5422 (must be 6+ if 8-11 HCP) (and won't have 4 if 12-15 HCP, but can if 8-11). 2 = 8-15, 5+ and 4 (must have 6+ if 8-11 HCP); 2M = 8-15 HCP, 6+ card suit, denies 4+ in OM. 5. 3 opening: at least 5-5 in the minors, 8-13 HCP (10-13 if Vul.). RESPONSES: 6. After ALL 1-level openings (not just 1), we use TRANSFER RESPONSES to show an unbid Major: After a 1 opening: 1 = 4+ hearts 1 = 4+ spades 1 = catchall: no 4+ major, bal or unbal. After a 1 opening: 1 = 4+ spades 1 = 5+ hearts. After a 1M opening: 2 = usually 6+ cards in the other Major (can be a 5 card suit if exactly inv.). This response is wide ranging: 0-13 HCP (< GF). After opening 1 we also use Kaplan Inversion: 1 = 0-4 spades (it's like a "forcing NT"). 1NT = exactly 5 spades (usually), and either < inv. (0-11 HCP) or GF (14+). Can only have 6+ if GF. The GF hand will have lots of shape: either 6+ or 5-5 with either minor. 7. After we open in either minor, we play Michaels (or Flannery) against ourselves! 1 - 2: Resp has 5 and 4+ , with less than a GF (0-13). 1 - 2: Resp usually has exactly 4 and 5+ , with less than a GF (0-13). 6 and 4 is common, but can only be 5-5 if invitational. 8. 1 - 2 or 2: TRANSFER to the Major just above the suit bid. It's a two-way bid: either a WJS (5+ Major, 0-5 HCP), or a GF (exactly 4 cards in the Major, canape with a longer minor, unbal.). 9. 1 - 1NT: 6 to 13 HCP. Denies 4 but often has 4 . Tends to have 0-2 but 3 is possible. Strongly tends to deny 6+ as Resp can show 6+ immediately with any strength: 3 (0-11) or 2 (12+). 10. 1 - 2: inv. raise (12-13 HCP). May have 4 but not 4 . Usually 4+ (bal or unbal), can only have 3 if unbal. 11. 1m - 2: TRANSFER, 6+ . After a 1 opening it's GF, but after 1 it's inv. or GF. IN COMPETITION: 12. Many unusual doubles including in common, 1-level auctions. X is often NOT a Negative X. Sometimes it's a transfer; other times it shows a strong balanced hand; etc. If we alert a double, we strongly advise you to ask. 13. General philosophy: in comp, we give up many natural bids that normally would show a minor suit in order to have multiple, artif ways: (a) to raise partner's Major; and (b) to show an unbid Major. When raising PS we usually can distinguish 3 vs. 4+ trumps, as well as weak vs. mixed vs. inv+. When showing an unbid Major, we usually can distinguish both suit length (exactly 4 vs. 5+) and strength. We almost always also have some call that shows values with no Major. 14. In MANY competitive auctions our Responder uses TRANSFERS. Typically the cheapest available suit bid shows inv.+ with 5+ cards in the unbid Major (or "Jacoby Transfers" if both Majors are unbid). This applies any time we open at the 1L and you overcall 1 or any black suit through 3. Example, we open 1m, you overcall 1M: Responder bids 2 to show 5+ cards in the other Major, inv.+. To show (inv.+) he'd bid 2, while 2Q shows ("switches"). 15. We also use TRANSFERS to show inv.+ with a 5+ Major any time we've made a T/O X and the auction is at the 2L by the time it reaches our Advancer. With inv.+ and a 5+ card Major, Advancer makes a "Jacoby transfer" at the 3L. He uses our version of Leb to show values with exactly 4 cards in an unbid Major or no Major ("slow shows Major"). 16. Transfer advances after we overcall 1M. 17. 1m - [1 or 1 overcall] - 1: Responder has 12+ HCP with no Major that Opener can have, and no long minor. May or may not have a stopper. This is an example of a call that shows "values" and no Major, without showing any specific suit. Similarly, 1m - [1 overcall] - 2: Responder has 12+ HCP with no Major to show and no long minor. May or may not have a stopper. 18. If our auction has already created a GF, we use Pass-Double inversion. Pass = clear decision (either penalty or a slam try), while X = doubt / unsure. If we've found a fit already, the X often means, "I'm leaning toward bidding one more but I'm not sure." This does not apply if we simply bid game under pressure, only if we made a GF call below game or Q-bid to say "it's our hand."

General Bidding Style

1. We FREQUENTLY use judgment about what shape to show, as well upgrading or downgrading HCP ranges (unlike many pairs, we sometimes do downgrade). For example, with 5431 that includes a stiff honor, we might show 5422. Likewise, with Jxxxx or xxxxx in a Major, we often show it as a 4 card suit (this includes opening 1 instead of 1M, as well as choosing a response or replying to a relay). 2. The base of our system is a 5551 opening bid structure: 5 card Majors, and 1 also promises a 5 card suit. 1 can be a singleton (if 4-4-4-1), but it's usually 2+ . 3. When our opening bid shows a 5+ card suit, we open as light as Precision pairs: our 1D and 1M openings include most 10 counts. However, our 1 opening (which can be short) generally shows at least 12 HCP (maybe a very good 11). 4. As mentioned earlier, we have no strong, forcing opening so all 1L openings are unlimited. 5. 1NT = 14 to 17 HCP (any 14). 5422 and 6322 shapes are common, but almost never a singleton. 6. 1 opening: usually it's BAL (12-13 or 18-22). Occasionally it's any 4441 or 4=4=0=5. It can be unbalanced with primary s and at least 16 HCP. Finally, it can be unbalanced with 12-15 HCP and primary s, but with most of those hands in the 12-15 range we'd open 2 (only open 1 if a convenient 1-level rebid is sure to be available if partner responds by transferring to a Major: so with 4 or 3-4-1-5). 7. 1 opening: 5+ . Deny 4 unless Opener has 16+ HCP. 8. 1M opening: tends to show exactly a 5 card suit. Opener can only have 6+ M if: (a) 16+ HCP; or (b) 4+ in OM. 9. We do NOT use 2/1 methods. There's always an artif. GF response, while most 2-level responses are conventional and weaker. Lots of relays. 10. We never make control bids in slam try sequences. Instead we use asking bids to pinpoint partner's shape, HCP range, key cards, etc.

Opening Leads AND Leads in the Middle of the Hand

Defensive Signals