November 17, 2005

Interesting Non-Systemic Conventions

This is a collection of interesting ideas that I have encountered over the years. This page is still under construction.

Modern Roman Keycard Blackwood

After the 03-14 (or 14-30, depending on your agreement) response to 4NT ask the asking bidder can bid the next higher suit, excluding the trump suit, to ask about the queen of trump. Lacking the queen responder bids the trump suit, with the queen responder bids an undisclosed king, or, lacking that, 5NT.

Alternative to Scrambling 2NT

Edward Sheldon sent me the next two ideas that I found interesting. Many players use 2NT in the auction:

 1S p 2S p
  p X  p 2NT

to ask partner to bid his cheapest four card suit in an effort to scramble to a playable contract. It would be used on something like 3424 shape. A more direct, flexible and less prone to be doubled approach is to have:

• 2NT be a puppet to 3C, letting responder now set the contract when he knows the right spot.
• 3C showing clubs and another.
• 3D showing the red suits.
• 3H showing hearts.
• 2NT followed by 3H showing a better hand with hearts.

Woolsey vs Notrump

Here is Kit Woolsey's defense against 1NT:

• X = a mystery 4-card major, and a mystery 5+ card minor (after you play this for a while, you can use the Tunafish variation: you also double with a decent 1-suiter in one of the minors) Over this, 2C says: pass if your minor is clubs, correct if your minor is diamonds. Then responder bids:
  • 2D asks doubler to bid his major.
  • 2M is natural.
• 2C = both majors (with equal length in the majors, advancer can bid 2D to ask overcaller to pick)
• 2D = a 1-suiter in one of the majors.
• 2M = at least five cards in that major, and a side minor suit.
• 2N = minors.
• 3m = natural.

Meckwell vs Notrump

I've heard that this is the Meckwell's defense against notrump openings:

• X = clubs OR diamonds OR both majors.
• 2C = clubs and a major.
• 2D = diamonds and a major.
• 2M = natural.
• 2NT = minors.

Hamman vs Notrump

Yet another possible defense against notrump openings is Hamman:

• X = penalty oriented with scattered values.
• 2C = strong (13+ point) hand with one of the majors. Partner bids 2D to discover which one.
• 2D = Stayman-esque, a good hand with at least one four card major.
• 2M = a long suit and a weak (8-12 point) hand.
• 2NT = minors.

'System On' vs Weak Notrumps

One approach to entering the auction against the opponents weak 1NT opening that looks promising is to use something very similar to the notrump responding structure, thus:

• 2C shows something in the majors (at least 43 I should think).
• 2D and 2H are transfers showing the next higher suit and giving overcaller another chance to bid. Responder accepts except bids something else with extra values.
• 2S is a minor suit takeout.
• 2NT is a very good hand of some sort.
• 3 of a suit is preemptive with little defense.
• Double is penalty oriented with scattered values.

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