[neilkaz]

Fluffy, on Jun 21 2007, 10:26 AM, said:

jillybean2, on Jun 20 2007, 08:16 PM, said:

I say that I play SAYC because I open 5 card majors, best minor, my 1nt is 15-17, I play stayman and transfers.  As I add splinters, checkback, italian cues   , crisscross etc is it not still correct to say I’m playing SAYC (with extras) ?

Everything you said looks like french standard (also known as SEF), it is a very well defined system with all those gadgets (and some more), I like that system except for the 2 way strong openings.

And I like the SEF strong 2-way openings and am working on my own 2♣ 2♦ system where 2♣ will be some specific NT ranges and 1 suited hands and can be used with those 8- 8.5 trick hands in a major that often get passed out at the 1 level in a cold game, or get set at the 3 level or even 4 level after 2♣ when pd is broke.

2♦ will be used for strong three suiter (borrowing from multi) and strong two suiters (am working on that method) and other NT ranges.

A weak 2♦ doesn't preempt that much and I like having better/more ways to bid my powerhouse hands.

I am able to make all strong NT bid have only 2 HCP of range..etc etc. By having strong NT included in both 2♦ and 2♣ I hope to be able to catch wild preemptors (since 2♦ showing 3 or 2 suits can be preempted badly).

JB..if you do play SEF.. they play Roudi which I believe is like checkback. There are many French players online in their evenings to play with and all the better if you can speak some French. (I can but not fluently).

If you google around, you can find descriptions of SEF online. I am suprised (perhaps we do ?) that BBO doesn't have standard SEF cards to look at !?

I leave for Italy in two hours, same time zone as France, off course. I don't speak Italian very much, and when online in evenings many French players will be on and I expect to get some practice with SEF as time permits next week.

.. neilkaz ..

[kenberg]

If I pick up a partner and we agree to play SAYC I expect 1C-2D to be a strong hand with diamonds, not an invitational hand with clubs.

If my opponents tell me they are playing SAYC then 1C-2D can be more or less whatever they like, as long as they tell me.

I guess there could be some issues, but mostly I don't much care what name my opponents use to describe their system. If they say they play SAYC I expect 1S-1N to be non-forcing but if they alert 1N and say it is forcing, so what? I have the information I need.

I sometimes (though not usually online) ask a bit if I am on lead. For example: 1S-2C-2H-3C-3N. Question: Was 3C passable? Assuming that none of the bids are artificial, I now have adequate information about their system, or at least it is adequate for most games I play in. When I am in the Bermuda Bowl maybe I'll ask for more detail.