System Summary Form (SSF), 2021 JLall Online Teams #4

Bids that Require Advance Preparation

OPENINGS: 1. 1 opening: can be very short (4-4-4-1) because we need 5 to open 1. 2. 3 opening: at least 5-5 in the minors, 8-13 HCP (10-13 if Vul.). 3. 4m openings: at least 10 tricks with a solid suit in the corresponding major ( = ). RESPONSES: 4. After ALL 1-level openings (not just 1), we use TRANSFER RESPONSES to show an unbid Major: After a 1 opening: 1 = 4+ hearts (if GF, will have 5+ ) 1 = 4+ spades (if GF, will have 5+ ) 1 = catchall: no 4+ major, bal or unbal. After a 1 opening: 1 = 4+ spades (if GF, will have 5+ ) 1 = 5+ hearts. After a 1 opening: 1NT = 5+ : * if GF, will have 6+ or 5-5 shape. After a 1 opening: 2 = 5+ : * If < inv.: always 6+ * If inv.: 5+ * If GF: must have 6+ or 5-5 shape. After opening 1 we also use Kaplan Inversion: 1 = 0-4 spades (it's like a "forcing NT"). 5. 1M - 2PS: SPECIAL ALERT. This is a NF offer to play, but it's quite strong and could have only 2 card support. There are 3 hand types: a. Mixed raise (4+ trumps) (8-11 pts). b. 3-card limit raise (12-13 HCP) (3 in PS) (4+ cards in other major) (bal.) c. 2 card inv. (12-13 HCP) (2 in PS) (exactly 4 in other major) (bal.) 6. 1 - 1NT: "Forcing NT," but the range is 0-11 or 14-29 HCP. 4 card support is common, and 5 is possible with a GF. Most GF hands go thru 1NT, but it will never have exactly inv. strength (12-13). Includes all 3 card constructive raises, 4 card raises too weak for a mixed raise, and busts we choose to respond with, as well as normal "forcing NT" hands and most GF hands. 7. 1 - 1. Kaplan inversion, so it's the same wide-ranging "forcing NT" as 1 - 1NT. 8. 1 - 1NT: Kaplan inversion, so 5+ . Range is 0-13 HCP. 8. 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. 9. 1 - 2 or 2: TRANSFER to the Major. It's a two-way bid: either a WJS (5+ Major, 0-5 HCP) or a GF (canape: 4 card Major with a longer minor, unbal.). 10. 1 - 1NT: 0 to 13 HCP. Denies 4 but often has 4 . Tends to have 0-2 but can have support. Strongly tends to deny 6+ as Resp can show 6+ immediately with any strength. 11. 1 - 2: inv. raise (12-13 HCP, either 4+ or 3 with a singleton major) (can have 4 but denies 4 ). 12. 1m - 2: TRANSFER, 6+ . After a 1 opening it's GF, but after 1 it's inv+. 13. 1 - 3: wide-ranging raise (0-11 HCP, 3+ ) (can have 4 but denies 4 ). IN COMPETITION: 14. 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. 15. General Comp Philosophy: In comp, we give up many natural bids that normally would show a minor suit in order to have multiple, artif ways to: (a) raise partner's Major; and (b) show an unbid Major. When raising PS we usually can distinguish 3 vs. 4+ trumps, as well as weak vs. mixed vs. inv+. 16. In MANY competitive auctions our Responder uses TRANSFERS and/or SWITCHES. For example, we open 1m, you overcall 1M. Responder's bids are: * 2 (inv.+, 5+ cards in the other Major). * 2 (artif. GF) (bal., denies the OM). * 2 (inv.+, 5+ ) * 2 (inv.+, 5+ ). We use a nearly identical structure after we open 1 and you jump overcall 2S. 17. Transfer advances after we overcall 1M. 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 it's up to you." 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

OPENINGS 1. The base of our system is a 5551 structure: 5 card Majors, and 1 also promises 5. 1 can be a singleton (if 4-4-4-1), but it's usually 2+ . 2. When our opening bid shows a 5+ card suit, we open very light: our 1 and 1M openings include most 10 counts. However, our 1 opening (which can be very short) generally shows at least 12 HCP (rarely a very good 11). 3. OTOH, we have no strong forcing opening, so all 1-level openings are unlimited. They're not forcing (we do occasionally pass them), but we often respond very light, including with 0 HCP. 4. 1NT = 14 to 17 HCP (any 14). 5422 and 6322 shapes are common, but almost never a singleton. 5. Our 1 opening is usually a weak NT (12-13), could be very short. We open 1 on all balanced or semi-balanced hands out of range for NT without a 5 card side suit (so 12-13 or 18-21). It also includes all 4441s. When the 1 opening is unbal., there are three main hand types: (a) all 4441s, (b) 5431 with 5 and longer than ; or (c) 16+ HCP. Other unbal. hands in the 10-15 range with primary open 2, not 1. In 3 infrequent cases, the 1 opener can have 5: (a) < 16 HCP, 4-4-5-0; (b) < 16 HCP, 2-4-2-5; or (c) 18-21 HCP, 5332 or 5422. 6. All of our 2-level openings are intermediate and natural, 8-15 HCP: * 2 = 8-15, 5+ with some shape. Must have 6+ if only 8-11 HCP, but with 12-15 it includes some 5431s (only those where diamonds are longer than spades). * 2 = 8-15, 5+ , denies 4 but can have other side suits. Usually 6+ , but with 12-15 HCP, can be 5431 with 4 . * 2M = 8-15 HCP, 6+ M; denies 4+ in OM. * These 2-level openings remove certain hand types from our 1 and 1M openings, specificallY: 7. 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. 8. Our 1 opening usually delivers exactly 5 and usually denies 4 . To have 6+ , must have 16+ HCP or as a side suit. To have 4 , must have 16+ HCP. RESPONSES & LATER IN AUCTION 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. 11. 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).

Opening Leads AND Leads in the Middle of the Hand

Defensive Signals