Monday, May 23, 2011

Sardine Run-out Bids

I just looked back over this blog, and I realized that I promised a couple of times to post something about a run-out system when your opponents double a weak 1NT (or micro 1NT in our case.) So here it is, the Sardine runouts (named after a BBO user Sardine)

After 1NT (X)

2C = 2-suited, clubs & hearts
2D = 2-suited, diamonds & hearts
2H = 2-suited, hearts & spades
2S = 2-suited, spades & clubs
XX = 1-suited hand (forces opener to bid 2C. After this, responder bids his or her suit)
Pass = FORCING! This forces opener to XX, which responder can pass or bid out a weaker hand
XX = automatic
2C = 2-suited, clubs & diamonds
2D = 2-suited, diamonds & spades
2H = 0-4-(54) shape
2S = 4-0-(54) shape

To force to game, we divide potential responders' hands into three categories: 1-suited, 2-suited, and 3-suited.

After 1NT (X)

2NT = 2-suited hand (forces opener to bid 3C)
3C = automatic
3D = diamonds & hearts
3H = hearts & spades
3S = spades & minor
3NT = clubs & a red suit
XX = 1-suited hand (forces opener to bid 2C)
2C = automatic
2NT = Game-forcing (forces opener to bid 3C)
3C = automatic
3D/3H/3S = shows the 5+ card suit
3NT = shows 5+ clubs
Pass = 3-suited hand (forces opener to bid XX)
XX = automatic
2NT = Game-forcing (forces opener to bid 3C)
3C = automatic
3D/3H/3S = singleton in a 4441 shape
3NT = 4441 shape with singleton club

In a running situation, 2-suited can sometime mean 4-4 as finding a Moysian fit is better than playing 1NT X sometimes. A 1-suited hand can be a good 4-card suit as well. For the game-forcing hands, 2-suited means 5-5, and 1-suited means 5+ cards.

If the balancing seat doubles, the opener has a chance to talk about his concealed 5-card minor. If he doesn't have one, then he passes and lets partner run.

After 1NT - P (X) P - ?

2C = clubs and diamonds
2D = diamonds and hearts
2H = hearts and spades
2S = spades and clubs
XX = Forces opener to bid 2C
2C = automatic
Pass/2D = 1-suited in that minor
2H = hearts and clubs
2S = spades and diamonds

These bids are a lot to learn, but once you do, you will never be afraid of the opponents doubling your weak 1NT again! In fact, I look forward to playing 1NT XX sometimes and making it for a big score. Now, on the other hand, you will occasionally be looking at a 4333 hand with no points and no bid to get out of 1NT X. Those are the times you just gotta bid your 4-card suit (using XX) and hope they decide to bid.

Sorry that it took so long to post this. I hope you enjoy, and happy bidding!

A GOOD Short Club System

Nowadays, it seems everyone is perfectly content to say, "could be short" when his or her partner opens 1C. I asked someone about the reason they played it, and she told me it was so that opening 1D promises 4 or more. "Sounds fascinating! What else?" I asked. Then when I received a confused look and a shrug, I realized that this system of opening a short club wasn't fully utilized. Plus Meg and I were looking for a system that isn't so different from the field for Matchpoint play (we'll keep playing Precision at big tournaments and team events.)

When I thought about what opening a short club meant, I realized that it could have 3 meanings: 1. any 5+ club hand, 2. balanced hands that don't fit 1NT (or 2NT) opening range, and 3. 4441 shape hands with a singleton diamond. This allows the 1D opening to promise 4 or more diamonds, which makes for an easier time raising in competition. But everyone plays this, and I wanted to give it an advantage over all those partnerships who don't talk about what a short club means. So here's the fun: a weak 1NT (12-14) AND a special set of responses to 1C.

I realized early on in my experience with natural 5-card major systems like SAYC and 2/1 that the sequence 1C - 1D showing a natural diamond response was not a helpful dialogue nor was it obstructing the bidding for the opponents at all, so I made the 1D response artificial meaning responder has at least one 4-card major. This opens the 1H and 1S response to mean 5+ cards in that major! This certainly is something these other bidding systems lack, a way to show a 5-card major by responder in the first bid. Naturally, the opening rebids needed to tell partner how much support he has for that major. After careful consideration, I finally came up with a Short Club system that isn't too hard to learn and would help out a great deal of bidding problem hands.

MG Short Club

Opening Bids
1C = 2+ clubs (includes 15-19 HCP, balanced hands, 5+ club hands, and 4441 hands with a singleton diamond)
1D = 4+ diamonds (unbalanced!)
1H = 5+ hearts
1S = 5+ spades
1NT = 12-14 HCP, balanced
2C = Strong (4 or fewer losers)
2D = Flannery (specifically 11-15 pts, 5 hearts & 4 spades)
2H/2S = Weak
2NT = 20-21 HCP, balanced
etc.

Responses to 1C
1D = at least one 4-card major ALERT
1H = 5+ hearts
1S = 5+ spades
1NT = 6-9 pts, no 4+ card major
2C/2D = 10+ pts, 5+ card bid suit (no 4+ card major)
2H = 5-9 pts, 5-5 in the majors ALERT
2S = 10-12 pts, 5-5 in the majors ALERT
2NT = 10-12 pts, balanced (no 4+ card major)
3C/3D = weak, 6+ good bid suit

Bidding after 1C - 1D
1H = 4 hearts
1S = 4 spades (no 4 hearts)
1NT = 15-17, balanced (no 4cM)
2NT = 18-19, balanced (no 4cM)
2C/3C = min/max, 6+ clubs (with 5-4 in C-D, we open 1D)

After 1C - 1D - 1H
1S = 4 spades (no 4 hearts)
1NT = 4 hearts, ALERT
2H/3H/4H = To play (weak point range with 4/5/6 hearts)

After 1C - 1D - 1S
1NT = 6-9, 4 hearts (no 4 spades)
2H = 4 spades, ALERT
2S/3S/4S = To play (weak with 4/5/6 spades)
2C/2D = 10+ pts, 5+ card suit (with 4 hearts)
2NT = 10-12 pts, balanced (with 4 hearts)

A little further...
After 1C - 1D - 1H - 1S
1NT = 15-17 balanced
2NT = 18-19 balanced
2C = minimum, 5+ clubs & 4 hearts
3C = maximum, 6+ good clubs & 4 hearts
2S = 15-17, balanced with 4-4 in the majors ALERT
3H = 18-19, balanced with 4-4 in the majors ALERT
2D = minimum, 4-4-1-4 or 4-4-0-5 shape
3D = maximum, 4-4-1-4 or 4-4-0-5 shape

After 1C - 1D - 1H - 1NT
2C = minimum, 5+ clubs & 4 hearts (not 4-4-0-5)
2D = minimum, 4-4-1-4 or 4-4-0-5 shape
2H = 15-17, balanced
2NT = 18-19, balanced
2S = maximum, 4-4-0-5 shape
3C = maximum, 5+ clubs
3D = maximum, 4-4-1-4 shape

After 1C - 1D - 1S - 2H
2S = minimum, 5+ clubs & 4 spades
2NT = 15-17, balanced
3C = 18-19, balanced
3D/3H = maximum, 5+ clubs & 4 spades, short in bid suit
3S = maximum, 4-2-2-5 shape

Now, after 1C - 1H/1S, we want to differentiate (when we can) between 3- and 4-card support for partner's major. I tried to keep it as intuitive as possible.

Bidding after 1C - 1H
1S = 4 spades (doesn't promise 3 hearts)
1NT = 15-17, balanced (with only 2 hearts)
2NT = 18-19, balanced (with only 2 hearts)
2C/3C = min/max, 5+ clubs (0-2 hearts)
2D/3D = min/max, 4 hearts ALERT
2H = minimum, 3 hearts
3H = maximum, balanced with 3 hearts
2S = maximum, 4-3-1-5 or 4-3-0-6 shape

Bidding after 1C - 1S
1NT = 15-17, balanced (with only 2 spades)
2NT = 18-19, balanced (with only 2 spades)
2C/3C = min/max, 5+ clubs (0-2 spades)
2D/3D = min/max, 4 spades ALERT
2S = minimum, 3 spades
3S = maximum, balanced with 3 spades
2H/3H = min/max, 3-4-1-5 or 3-4-0-6 shape

Of course this is the way I would like to play this system after 1C. The bids for the other openings are pretty much standard fare (enter your own system of responses and conventions.) For us, we play a non-forcing 1NT response to opening 1 of a major, weak jump-shift over 1D, control responses to the strong 2C opening, and the Sardine runout bids over 1NT doubled (see earlier post.) Also notice that we play Flannery, and I think that this is a must-have convention for those who play a standard wide-range opening system like this. The only thing I haven't written about is the control responses to 2C. Here they are:

Responses to 2C
2D = 0-5 pts, 0-1 control
2H = 6+ pts, 0-1 control
2S = 2 controls
2NT = 3 kings
3C = 1 ace + 1 king
3D = 4 controls

By control, I mean an ace is worth 2 controls and a king is worth 1. If you count them all up, you get a total of 12 controls. In general, I think that means with 10 controls you might have a slam (missing only 1 ace or 2 kings), and finding a slam after opening 2C is one of the real weaknesses of the standard system in my opinion, such as it is.

On a personal note, I know that my obsession with bidding systems and theory drives my regular partner crazy, but she has always been a good sport in learning them. I do believe that a great bidding system is no substitute for sound play and defense, and this is something I need to work on. Meg, you will always be my #1 partner in bridge and in life.