[steve2005]

Has anyone read Milkwood (WBF Compliant): A Strong Club System of Bidding for Tournament Play at Contract Bridge by Tomas Dullen 2016
Has anyone read this and know what it covers?. I was looking for a summary of system online but couldn't find. As says is WBF compliant I am assuming this might be a European system

[wank]

steve2005, on 2018-May-28, 06:11, said:

Has anyone read Milkwood (WBF Compliant): A Strong Club System of Bidding for Tournament Play at Contract Bridge by Tomas Dullen[ 2016
Has anyone read this and know what it covers?. I was looking for a summary of system online but couldn't find. As says is WBF compliant I am assuming this might be a European system

america is part of the world too.

[FelicityR]

In jest only. Milkwood is a system that was invented Welsh Professional Bridge Players after reading Dylan Thomas

[steve2005]

http://www.english-l...r-Milk-Wood.pdf

[PrecisionL]

Yes, I have the book, published 2017, 2nd edition.
MILKWOOD, A Strong Club System of Bidding for Tournament Play at Contract Bridge.

Complies with England's BLUE BOOK: Handbook of EBU Permitted Understandings.

1♣ = 16+ hcp, unless one of the below applies:

2♦ = 21-22 Balanced
2♠ = 21+ and 4441, No singleton Ace
2NT = 21+ and 1=4=4=4

Responses to 1♣:

1♦ = 0-7 hcp
1♥ = 8 hcp
1♠ = 9-10
1NT = 11-12
2♣ = 13-14
2♦ = 15-16

2♥, 2♠ = 0-4 and 6-cd suit

2NT = ?

3♣, 3♦ = 0-5 and 7-cd suit
3♥, 3♠ = ?
3NT = 17-18
6NT = 19-20
7NT = 21+

Enough already, can't find the missing bids easily in the book. Benito Garozzo said "Distribution is King." Thus, showing hcp or controls to a 1♣ opening is NOT the modern approach used by many in their Strong Club Systems.

[wank]

PrecisionL, on 2018-May-28, 14:08, said:

[/indent]Responses to 1♣:

1♦ = 0-7 hcp
1♥ = 8 hcp
1♠ = 9-10
1NT = 11-12
2♣ = 13-14
2♦ = 15-16

2♥, 2♠ = 0-4 and 6-cd suit

2NT = ?

[indent]3♣, 3♦ = 0-5 and 7-cd suit
3♥, 3♠ = ?
3NT = 17-18
6NT = 19-20
7NT = 21+

omg

[cherdano]

Wow

[kuhchung]

wtf

[manudude03]

Sounds like a dream for one of my partners who believes knowing points is more important than distribution.

[DozyDom]

manudude03, on 2018-May-29, 15:15, said:

Sounds like a dream for one of my partners who believes knowing points is more important than distribution.

And a nightmare for the rest of us...

Is this seriously from something published only two years ago? Or indeed, this millennium?

[manudude03]

DozyDom, on 2018-May-29, 15:51, said:

And a nightmare for the rest of us...

I've posted details of my partner's 1C responses in a topic a few years back, but can't find it for some reason. And yes, it is a nightmare for me too.

[Phil]

Did PhilG pen this tripe?

By the way, when I read the title, I thought it was "WBF "Complaint"" lol

[johnu]

May I suggest these other opening bids???

1♦ = 12 HCP
1♥ = 13 HCP
1♠ = 14 HCP
1NT = 15 HCP

These are precision opening bids.

[yadny]

The system looks excellent overall, but I would suggest one tweak. Once responder's exact point count is known (e.g. after 1♣-1♥), opener will usually be able to place the contract immediately, but they may require further information about their partner's strength. I propose that opener's lowest step should be an artificial enquiry for Middle Card Point (MCP) strength, where

T = 4 MCP
9 = 3 MCP
8 = 2 MCP
7 = 1 MCP

with responder showing MCP in a similar scheme to the one for HCP described above. It's true that this gives up a natural bid, but in most cases (e.g. 1♣-1♥-1♠) this bid is of limited utility and would rarely be made - the ability to determine partner's MCP count is more useful than showing length in spades, which could always be accomplished with a 2♠ bid anyway.

To illustrate the methods further, suppose that opener holds the following hand

♠ AKQJ9
♥ AKQJ
♦ AKQ9
♣ -

and hears a 1♠ response to their 1♣ opening, which shows 9 or 10 HCP. Opener has an automatic 1NT bid, as a strength enquiry. Once responder shows 10 HCP alongside opener's 29, they know that the missing point is one of the minor suit jacks. 7NT will be a comfortable contract if partner possesses the jack of diamonds, but it would be foolhardy to bid a grand slam prematurely with no certain entry to partner's clubs. For example, if partner holds ♠ - ♥ 32 ♦ 32 ♣ AKQJT5432, even 6NT is a poor contract, requiring a 4-4 spade split or the ♠T to be short, approximately 55% overall. Most systems would flounder when confronted with this bidding problem, but opener's ability to find out about their partner's MCP would come to the rescue:

1♣* - 1♠**
1NT*** - 2♦****
2♥*** - 5♦*****


*Strong
**9-10 HCP
***Enquiry
****10 HCP
*****26-27 MCP

At this point, opener knows that the partnership possesses 32 or 33 combined MCP. If responder holds the 10 of spades or the jack of diamonds, 7NT is cold, and if they hold neither of these cards, their only possible 26-MCP hand is

♠ 8
♥ T98
♦ T8
♣ AKQJT98

Opener can therefore bid 7♣, pass or correct. Responder actually held

♠ T8
♥ T98
♦ T87
♣ AKQJT

and naturally corrected to 7NT. The system was necessary to bid the slam with certainty.

[Cyberyeti]

DozyDom, on 2018-May-29, 15:51, said:

And a nightmare for the rest of us...

Is this seriously from something published only two years ago? Or indeed, this millennium?

Isn't this pretty close to CC Wei's original design for precision which he rapidly rejected and went back to the drawing board ?

[Tramticket]

I think that Dylan Thomas wrote a Welsh version of the book? It didn't quite reach the heights of Tomas Dullen's book.

[steve2005]

Well at least i was smart enough to check before i sent my money in. Ghastly.

[DozyDom]

steve2005, on 2018-June-01, 17:03, said:

Well at least i was smart enough to check before i sent my money in. Ghastly.

It is also available on amazon with a "look inside" feature... not that I would recommend looking inside.