[akhare]

Hi folks,

Pard and I play a fairly successful FP system on BBO. Basically, it's a Tresboof derivative w/ transfer opeings, i.e., 1♣/1♦ promising ♥ and ♠, etc. The 1♥ opening is the fert (0-8) and opening Pass=14+ any.

The main problem of course if tackling the balanced hands opposite a 1♥ fert opening -- typically, it isn't a problem, but when it is, playing in a 4-2 fit at the 2 level isn't too much fun either .

One potential solution is to create an intermediate FP, shift the fert to 1♣ and make it forcing -- something along the lines of:

Pass: 14-18; any
1♣: 0-8 or 19+ any
1♦: 9-13; ♥
1♥: 9-13; ♠
1♠: 5+ ♦
1N: 9-13; balanced
2♣: ♣

Comments ideas, suggestions?

Atul

[Gerben42]

This is playable although I would swich pass and 1♣ here. It looks something like the system here:

http://www.geocities.../magicpass.html

with some elements of this:

http://www.geocities...e/tuebpass.html

Have fun figuring out all the nice options

[Robert]

Hello akhare

I used to play a forcing Pass sytem using 1C=0-9 any
1D,1H,1S canape style always unbalanced 10-15HCP
1NT=10-12HCP
2C=3 suiter 4441 any 10-15
Roman 2D, 2H and 2S openings 10-15 the longer suit bid(5+) plus 4+ clubs.
Pass showed 13-15HCP balanced or 16+ any.

using 1C as the Fert leaves room to explore. You can also use the 1C-1D bid as a relay/puppet bid.

When people objected to our playing a forcing pass system, we kept the same bidding and reversed the meaning of Pass and 1C.

I would jazz it up quite a bit now, but the basic structure was playable.

Reese played the Little Major system. 1C=Hs, 1D=Ss, 1H=@20+ 'any'
1S=minors, 1NT(12-14 I think?) 2m natural(?)

He sometimes had to 'open' 1m showing a major 'holding' only a 3 card major to bid some balanced hands.

He had two steps over his major showing bids so 1C-1M shows some fit and 1C-1D tended to deny a fit.

If you extend this idea 1C-2H can be a constructive raise.

Is there a reason that you do not use the 8-12 base that many forcing pass systems use? Pass equals 13+ and a fert = 0-7HCP

Regards,
Robert

[david_c]

I don't like a 1♣ fert at all. It's not just that the opponents can play their normal system over it - if they know what they're doing they can actually do a lot better than that. And the supposed advantage, that you get an extra step when you make a strong pass, all but disappears if the opponents are sufficiently aggressive.

Gerben's two-way pass is nice. Though again it gives the opponents a lot of options over the pass. My suspicion is that if you use it in second seat, well-prepared opponents will take you apart with pre-emption. It's probably sound in first seat.