System Summary Form (SSF), 2023 Open USBC


Team: Schireson Last Updated Apr 11, 2023 at 11:55
Players: Debbie Rosenberg - Max Schireson

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Bids that Require Advance Preparation


1M (P) 3D = 4 cd Limit Raise (or "good preempt, always planning to raise to 4M)

First seat favorable 3 level preempts are always bad hands, often only 6-cards, and can be complete joke e.g. xxxxxx,x,xx,xxxx could open 3S. 3C opening is a little more normal than others.

Other than that, preempt style, especially Weak 2 bids, is relatively sound (especially DR). We will often pass hands that feel "wrong" for an opening preempt.

General Bidding Style


5 card majors, 2/1 GF.

1N = (14+)15-17. we may "upgrade" due to seat/vulnerability or even mood, not always hand strength.
Offshape 1N common. 5-card majors or 6-card minors common, though usually not 5422 with 5-cd Major.

Open 1C with 3-3, and usually (not always) 1D with 4-4. DR more likely to open 1C with 4-4 than MS.
With unequal length, nearly always longer minor.

Opening bids sounder than modern average. May pass a bad balanced 12, especially if vul. Yet we may also upgrade a 4432 11 with good spots/honor placement.

Frequently respond to opening bids with fewer than 6HCP, especially non vul.

In competitive auctions: When a double might reasonably be treated as penalty or something else, we use penalty only where specifically agreed (rare).

Forcing passes apply only where clear.

When our artificial overcall (Michaels, Woolsey, etc.) is doubled, pass is a strong suggestion to play there. Redouble is scramble.

While 2N is sometimes scramble, we probably play more natural 2N in competition than most pairs.








Opening Leads AND Leads in the Middle of the Hand

Leads vs. Suits:

4th best. Low from xxx(x) unless length promised.

A from AKx(+) except at 5-level+.


Standard honor leads.

Leads vs. NT:

4th best. May lead high or second high from xxxx(x). Always high as opposed to second high if sequential. Usually high from xxx, except in partner's unsupported suit then low.

We do NOT lead 9 from H98x(x)

Standard honor leads. Ace asks for unblock or count. Q may be asking for unblock of J.

Defensive Signals

Upside down count and attitude, including upside down present count.

Standard suit pref.

Limited suit preference in trump. High-low asks for highest ranking logical suit, but otherwise trump spots are generally not signals.

Vs. trump contracts, suit pref at trick one any time we can't cash or set up more tricks in the suit led. Low and high are suit pref, middle neutral or encouraging.


Spot card shifts are attitude; the lower the card, the more we want it returned. However, we normally shift to high from a doubleton, and may shift to middle from xxx in a suit contract, if a ruff is still in the picture.