[badderzboy]

Hi All,

For my sins I play Acol with a 12-14NT and 4 Card majors, usually 1M is a 5 card suit as I bid 4 card suits up the line.

Now after you finish shaking your head...

My Partner and I are playing with our response structure to 1M with the following ideas...

1M...

- 2M 3-7 4 card support

- 2S if M=♥ or 3m or 3H if M=♠ Jump is mini splinter ie 5-9pts with a singleton/void ie a hand that would bid 3M normally


- 2NT 11+ Jacoby 2NT style with 3M minimum (likely to have shortage unless 5332 12-14) 3NT 18-19 bal/semi-bal 4M 14-17 bal/semi-bal. 3m/3oM singleton 15+, 4m/4oM void 15+

- 3M 8-10 4 card support no shortage else splinter

- 4M Distributional raise to 4.

Splinters etc too

Any thoughts on improving the approach?

Steve

[han]

I'd say allow raises with 3-card support.

[the hog]

Why don't you play the structure I played when playing Acol many years ago?

1M 3M = 15/16 bal raise

1M 2N = 14-17 splinter, 13-14 bal raise or 17+ bal raise. 3C asks & I am sure you can work out the continuations.

1M double jump = 11-13 or 18+ splinter

This worked very well; I just stopped playing this when I stopped playing Acol.
You lose the 1-3 rubbish raise which is no big loss anyway imo.
Oh, and I agree with 1M 2M being possibly a 3 card raise.

[Cascade]

I play a similar system with a similar raise structure.

The differences are:

1. We allow three-card raises. With three we can also bid 1NT or 1♠ over 1♥ but the raise to 2M is the default action. In fact the raise to 2M is only four trumps with hands that we judge as unsuitable for some other action.

2. Our 'mini-splinters' are unlimited and start at a slightly higher strength - around 8+

3. 2NT shows a 'balanced hand' - no singleton or void - and starts around 8 hcp and is unlimited

4. 3M is four trumps and constructive but weakish around 5-7 hcp with a singleton or doubleton

5. Double jump shifts show voids

6. 3NT shows a balance 3-card raise around 13-15 although I have made this bid with four trumps and 4-3-3-3 with the right texture

[Wackojack]

Yes I support the other posters that you should have available a 3 card raise. Playing up-the-line Acol with a 12-14 no trump, the chance of 1♠ opening having only 4 cards is tiny. (exactly 4333 15-19). The chance of a 4 card suit with a 1♥ opening, slightly increases as one adds 4423 15-19. Robson in "Partnership bidding" advocates that when you play 4 card majors with a weak no trump, you assume opener to have 5 cards when you respond. If you always respond 1NT with 5-8 and 3 card support, lots of nasty things will happen.

Many structures for 4 card support have been proposed by theorists. Whatever structure you play bidding judgement is always the most important consideration. Just following the losing trick count formula for example is not sufficient. There are not enough bids to sort out: pre-emptive, semi-preemptive, mixed, neutral, limit, good side suit, singleton splinter, void splinter, strong balanced. So you have to make some bids cover more than 1 of these types of raise. FWIIW I like 3♠, 4♣♦ response to 1♥ to be a splinter (singleton or void, not singleton ace). Also 2NT a balanced raise to the 3 level or better rather than Jacoby GF. Jump to 3M a semi-preempt. 3♣♦ I have no preference between Bergen or similar or jump fits .

You also have to work out where the structure changes when you get an intervention.

[gerry]

Hi

I play at the moment...

1. like cascade, 3 card raises are the default

2. 1♥-2♠ and 1♠-2nt are (any) mini splinters, about 7-9

3. 1♥-2nt and 1♠-3♣ are 'balanced' raises (4+cards) about 9+

4. jump to the tied minor ie 1♥-3♣ and 1♠-3♦ are good 3 card raises, normally balanced or nearly, but not compulsory in the sense that we can bid a good side suit etc

5. 1 under the jump raise ie 1♥-3♦ and 1♠-3♥ are constructive or ';mixed' raises, about 6-8, normally 'balanced'

6. jump raise rubbish, not 5 trumps and a shortage