[borag]

Hi we are trying to simplify our 1♣ responses as much as we can

Maybe I misunderstood it but does Moss-Bathurst play something like;

1♣
..1♦ = 0-7 hp any
..1♥ = 8-11 hp M<5
..1♠ = 8-11 hp 5+M (I know it is 8+ hp 5+♠ in meckwell lite)
..1N+ = 12+

Or does anyone have a simple scheme ?

[olien]

Pretty common in these partnerships to play:

1H - 8-11 hcp, <5♠
1S - 8+ hcp, 5+♠
1NT - 12+ hcp 5+♥

However, I believe that Kranyak-Demuy play that 1S is 12+ 5+M with relay continuations. Not sure what Bathurst-Moss were playing. Their partnership was a last minute arrangement, so I imagine their stuff was relatively basic in terms of meck lite.

[perko90]

Just from watching the USBC over the weekend, the descriptions for replies to 1♣ were (as I recall):

1♦ = 0-7
1♥ = 8-11, <5 H's
1♠ = 8-11, 5+ H's

I didn't observe any other responses.

[borag]

What I really wonder is how easy for meckwell lite players to find 4-4 major fits.
We are struggling with it

[Kungsgeten]

I play a pretty simple strong club structure, based on Carrot Club:

1C---
1D = most 0--7
1H = 12+ any (with exactly 12 we decide if the hand is slam friendly or not)
1S = 8--12 catch-all: no 5+ major, no 6+ minor, not 5-5 minors
1NT = 8--12, 5+ spades
2C = 8--12, 5+ hearts
2D = 8--12, 6+ clubs
2H = 8--12, 6+ diamonds
2S = 8--12, 5-5 minors
2NT = 8--12, 5-5 majors
3X = We use this as a 7 card suit with 5--7 hcp

After 1C--1H we use natural continuations. After 1C--1S opener may bid natural 5+ suits at the two-level or make an asking bid with 1NT:

1C--1S; 1NT---
2m = 5-card suit
2M = 4 card suit, balanced or 4441
2NT = Balanced, no 4 card major nor 5 card minor

The rest is natural, though I guess you could play 2m+1 as a relay without too much complexity:

1C--1S; 1NT--2C; 2D---
2M = 4 card major
2NT = 5332
3C = 4 diamonds

1C--1S; 1NT--2D; 2H---
2S = 4 spades
2NT = 5332
3C = 4 clubs
3D = 4 hearts

[PrecisionL]

borag, on 2014-May-20, 12:52, said:

What I really wonder is how easy for meckwell lite players to find 4-4 major fits.
We are struggling with it

1♣ opener rebids in NT at the 1- or 2-level allowing responder to show a second suit.

[Cyberyeti]

PrecisionL, on 2014-May-22, 17:38, said:

1♣ opener rebids in NT at the 1- or 2-level allowing responder to show a second suit.

Well he does if the next hand doesn't overcall, at some vuls I'm going to be preempting on absolute air here as we get full benefit from the strong clubbers having exchanged no suit info.

[johnu]

Cyberyeti, on 2014-May-22, 18:36, said:

Well he does if the next hand doesn't overcall, at some vuls I'm going to be preempting on absolute air here as we get full benefit from the strong clubbers having exchanged no suit info.

I'm so terrified I think I'll give up the strong club

[Cyberyeti]

johnu, on 2014-May-22, 20:56, said:

I'm so terrified I think I'll give up the strong club

I know it's an occupational hazard, I used to play a strong club occasionally, but I feel this method intensifies the problems when you're vul and opps aren't.

[FM75]

1♣ - 1♦(neg) - 1♥ - opener has 4 card ♥ (and perhaps ♠) (in our Cambridge ♥ variation, the rebid is either natural or a subsequent NT bid will show a balanced hand and hcp range - and does not promise a 4 card major - likely looking for NT contract or a part score which might be a major)
1♣ - 1♥ - positive and 5+♥
1♣ - 1♠ (positive, balanced no 5c M) - 1NT (right-siding NT and asking for controls)
1♣ - 1N (positive and 5+ ♠ - various asking bids available including control ask or suit quality ask (agreeing spades as trump)
1♣ - 2m (positive, if has 4 card M, the hand is (24)(52), or has 6 card minor, or (13) or worse in majors.

Not Moss-Bathurst, nor Meckwell, but missing 44M is pretty infrequent,

[PrecisionL]

borag said:

1400611951[/url]' post='794848']
What I really wonder is how easy for meckwell lite players to find 4-4 major fits.
We are struggling with it

We (Keylime and I) struggle less with this issue because of MAFIA responses: the 1st positive response by responder shows a 4-cd Major: 1♥ (4+♠ or might be balanced 11+ with or without a 4-cd major), 1♠ (promise 4+♥), 1NT (promises 5-4 or better in the majors), or 2♣ (1 or both minors, denies a 4-cd major), and 2♦ is 8-10 balanced (May have a 4-cd major) {edited 5/30/14 & 6/8/14}.

[glen]

PrecisionL, on 2014-May-27, 18:22, said:

We (Keylime and I) struggle less with this issue because of MAFIA responses: the 1st positive response by responder shows a 4-cd Major: 1♥ (4+♠ or might be balanced 11+ with or without a 4-cd major), 1♠ (promise 4+♥), 1NT (promises 5-4 or better in the majors), or 2♣ (denies a 4-cd major).

the MAFIA responses combined with 2♦ 8-10 balanced is best of class

[Free]

glen, on 2014-May-28, 05:12, said:

the MAFIA responses combined with 2♦ 8-10 balanced is best of class

Do you have decent continuations after 1♣-2♦ 8-10 bal? These hands are very common...

[glen]

Free, on 2014-May-29, 00:39, said:

Do you have decent continuations after 1♣-2♦ 8-10 bal? These hands are very common...

the Meckwell approach is very good

[PrecisionL]

Quote

Do you have decent continuations after 1♣-2♦ 8-10 bal? These hands are very common...

Yes: 2M = SAB-3, 2NT is Transfer Stayman, and 3m = SAB-3.

[straube]

My foggy recollection of very very old Meckwell notes...

2H-5H
.....2S-2H
.....2N-3H442
..........3C-asks doubleton?
.....3C-4H432
.....3D-3H433
.....3H-4H333
2S-5S
.....2N-3S442
..........3C-asks doubleton?
.....3C-2S
.....3D-4S432
.....3H-3S433
.....3S-4S333
2N-asking
.....3C-hearts
..........3D-asks
...............3H-clubs
...............3S-diamonds
...............3N-3433
.....3D-spades
..........3H-asks
...............3S-clubs
...............3N-4333
...............4C-diamonds
.....3H-majors
.....3S-minors
.....3N-4m333
3m-6m
.....not 2/3/4/3/4. maybe relay for second suit?
3M-shortness, both minors

I think this is pretty awful. Any decent relay system will get you the entire hand pattern and the better ones will have these balanced hands as captain and allow opener to fully describe unbalanced hands..