System Summary Form (SSF), 2024 Sam Amer Junior USBC - U26

Bids that Require Advance Preparation

***** Final ****** Openings (1/2): 1; Nebulous 10-14 — catchall. Non-forcing. Denies: - 5+ spades - balanced 12-14 (could be semi-bal though) - any 10-11 with 4+ - any hand that may open 2 (12-14 with 0-3 and no 5+m, and (54m OR 6 or 2722 shape) Includes: - 10-11bal, (without 4 hearts) - 12-14 unbal/semibal with 4 hearts - 12-14 unbal/semibal with 5+ and (5+m OR 4) - 12-14 unbal with extreme heart hand i.e. 8+, or 7(321). - 10-14 unbal or semi-bal with no 5+ card major; note that in the 10-11 HCP range, no more than 3 hearts are possible. 1: artificial, all hands with 15 or more HCP 1: 8-11HCP; 4+; could be canapé with any other suit, though in the 10-11 HCP range, we will prefer to open 1. No restrictions on shape. 2: 12-14 HCP; 0-3; Denies a 5+ card minor; Either: 5H4m, OR 6H (can have 4m) OR 2722. 2N: 55 or better in the minors; 0-7 HCP 3N: (65) or better in the minors; 0-7 HCP Openings (3/4): 1: (10)11-17 HCP; Denies: - 5+ card major; - good 15-17 bal; can be a bad bal 15 Includes: - minor oriented hands with major tolerance - semi-bal/bal hands that do not wish to pass in 3rd seat; We reserve the right to pass balanced with up to 14 or 15 HCP in 4th, and do so with moderate frequency. - fairly sound minor oriented hands, with preference toward playing in NT or partner's suit, if they have one. 1: all 18+HCP hands 2x (3rd seat only): extremely wide ranging, 5+ cards; May be canapé or have an outside major (including 5+ card majors) though if an outside major is present, the opening is likely to contain no more than 12() or 14() HCP. We may prefer to preempt a minor even when a major is present. 2 is less likely to be strong than 2; In particular, the minors may be opened with up to 17HCP in cases where we are not overly worried about missing a game; or are especially confident that the contract will generate a plus score. However most 0-15 counts with a 5+ card minor will open 2m unless another opening appeals, OR the hand has sufficient defensive values to believe the opponents could not make a game, AND poor offensive values, such that 2m is unlikely to make opposite a passed hand. 2x (4th seat): 11-17; typically 6+ cards; reasonable expectation of making the contract. 2N: 55 or better minors, (0-15 HCP 3rd; ~10-15 HCP 4th; may be lighter in 4th if 65+) 3N: (65) or better minors, (0-15 HCP 3rd; ~10-15 HCP 4th). Overcalls: Over your 1 opening, our 1 overcall is artificial, and promises 4+ (point range varies with vulnerability; may be canape) Over your 1 opening, our 1 overcall is artificial, and shows exactly 4, and an unspecified 5+ card minor. Over any opening that does not promise 5+ cards in a suit, our direct cuebid is either natural and (vul dependent) sound, with 5+ cards in the suit; OR a wide ranging 5+ card preempt, but usually 6+ cards in the next suit up. Continuing sequences: We play relay over most of our 1 level openings. We also have several F1 queries. We often have forcing passes in competition; relay is on thru 2 steps of interference. In relay we have agreements to query specific honors or stopper below game, and may take actions for the sole purpose of right-siding a contract, or placing a key late-round control. We play frequent negative freebids and transfers bids in competition. Except when both hands are limited, F1 bids that typically are used for negative through invitational hands, may also be used by distributional GF hands that wish to avoid relay. While our relay sequences are typically game forcing, if the describing hand is limited, the captain may reserve the right to pass below game. Over our 1/2 seat 1 opener, we play a modified Kaplan inversion with the following definitions 1: - F1 (0+HCP); - typically not GF unless avoiding relay; - Typically denies 5+ unless the hand is averse to playing 1N (i.e. 6+, or some 5-5 hands). - This is treated as a type of checkback bid for unusual 1 openers 1!N: - SF; - 5+; - May have 3+ if less than inv, but includes most inv. hands without 3+ We play 3-way transfer raises over both 1M openers (1/2) We use an artificial 2 GF over 1M and 1N (1/2) over our 1/2 1 opening, we reserve the 1 response as an artificial F1 bid that is typically game going; It is not strictly game forcing to accommodate balanced 10-11HCP openers, and may be light to avoid playing in 2N. We have multiple specific query bids (kaplan inversion style) over our 1/2 seat 2 opener, to query the presence of a minor, spade length, and in some cases to clarify playing strength. These are most often game going, and have optional relay continuations.

General Bidding Style

Our system varies significantly between 1/2 and 3/4. A stylistic summary is provided, followed by our style in 1/2 seat, then in 3/4th, and finally in competitive and overcall situations We play a relay structure in many game forcing auctions. We also play a lot of limited bids, and non-forcing freebids and new suits. We play some transfer overcalls, as well as other artificial overcalls, especially over your 1 opening, and tend to have an aggressive initial overcall style. Our 1 bid is always symmetric in the minors, and does not deny a long heart suit in 1st and second. In all cases, artificial or forcing passes may be overloaded to include a hand that wishes to penalize the opponents, including at the 1 level. In all seats, a 2NT opening promises 55 or better in the minors; this is a preemptive bid, in the 0-6HCP range. In all seats, a 3NT opening promises (65) or better in the minors. This is a preemptive bid, in the 0-6 HCP range. 1/2: We play a Strong (15+) 1 opening, including all balanced 15+ counts. We open all 10 counts in 1st and 2nd; All 8+ counts with 4+ hearts; and most 5+ count with a 5-card minor, except when we have a good major. We are especially likely to pass in first and second with 8-9 points and 4+ spades. Expected major length: 4+; 5+; hearts may be opened canapé in the 8-9 HCP range with Spades; or with a minor in any point range. Our 1 opening is a nebulous catchall for hands in the 10-14 HCP range. This includes: 10-11bal (2-3; 2-4); all (4441) shapes in the 12-14 range, and 4144 in the 10-11 range; unbalanced hands with 12-14 points and 4+ hearts except for hands that would open 2 — that is, 1 does not include (0-3; 0-4m; 5-7; with either 5H4m (exact) or 6; or 2722), but may include hands with 7+ hearts; or 5+ hearts and 4 spades; or 5+ hearts and 5+ of a minor. We make frequent and aggressive 2m openers with 5+m, 5-9HCP. These openings may contain a 4 card or longer major in the lower end of the range — 5-7HCP. We frequently open 2m on a 5332 shape. Our 2 opening shows 12-14 HCP with (0-3; 0-4m; 5-7; with either 5H4m (exact) OR 6 OR 2722) Our 12-14 1N opener may include a 5 card heart suit, but denies a 5 card spade suit. While our 1 opening is relatively standard, with 5+ (10-14 HCP), our 1 opening is 8-11HCP, with 4+, and may be opened canapé with any other suit. There are no restrictions on shape, though we will prefer to open 1 when it is available. 3/4: Our third seat openings are extremely wide ranging, whereas in 4th seat, we are generally quite sound, and may pass with a balanced 14 or 15 count. Expected major length is 5 in 3/4 for both majors. All 2 level bids are extremely wide ranging in 3rd, with 2x openings being common in the 0-15 or 0-17 HCP range (suit dependent), with as few as 5 cards in the suit. In particualar, we will rarely open 2 with more than 14 or a bad 15 count, as partner may have passed with up to 9 points with spades; However we may open 2 with significantly more, as partner holding 4 and 8 or more HCP would have opened. Similarly, 2m can be opened in an extremely wide range, especially with shortness in spades, as a result of our aggressive 1/2 seat actions. We open 1 with all 18+ HCP hands in 3rd and 4th. 1 denies a 5-card major in 3/4 Our 3/4 1N range is a good 15-17, may include either 5 card major, and may be semi-bal. OVERCALLS: Over your 1 opening, we prioritize finding any major fits quickly, and limiting auction space when possible. In particular, our 1 overcall shows 4+; and our 1 overcall shows 4 and a 5+ card minor. minor suit overcalls and positive actions by a passed hand often promise some number of spades. When that is the case it will be alerted. Except where your opening strictly promises 5+ cards in a suit, our direct cuebid is either a sound natural overcall, or a preempt in the next suit up. This is non-forcing, and responder will typically treat this as a natural overcall. Our jump overcalls and preempts may be considered unusually aggressive. Expected point ranges on aggressive actions are always vulnerability dependent, and overcalls may be based on playing strength.

Opening Leads AND Leads in the Middle of the Hand

Defensive Signals