Help
At every step of the way we find more aggressive bidding to be fun, challenging, and quite effective, at least against the club level players we play (and are). We don't mid anti-field results at all, as long as the net is plus - or to tell you the truth, even if it were flat, given that it's more fun to bid more frequently
We have determined that our next step will be a relatively simple, GCC legal strong club system (no relays or transfer responses), with a 15 point club, and opening 9(8)-14 points, at least in the majors. We are willing, at least in theory, to tolerate losses in the club opening, in order to open very light effectively. I will outline some thoughts I have had. 4 card majors and 5 card majors are both on the table, as are NT range and response structures.
In all that follows, 9-14 means decent 9s (good 5332s, OK 54s, almost any 6 card suit), and 8s with decent 6 card suits, 5440s or 55s.
Possible Opening Bid Structures
Light Precision #1
1D - 9-14, 4+ cards, (4441) or 4D5C if only 4
1M - 9-14, 5+ cards
1NT - 11-14 (12-14 and pass some balanced 11 counts?)
2C - 9-14, 6 card or 5C4M, decent club suit when opening 5C4M below 12
2D - 10-14, Precision
Light Precision #2
1D - 10-14 (GCC), 2+ cards
1M - 9-14, 5+ cards
1NT - 11-14
2C - 9-14, 6 card or 5C4M, decent club suit when opening 5C4M below 12
2D - 10-14, Precision, includes (43)15 shapes
Light Precision #3
1D - 10-14 (GCC), 0+ cards
1M - 9-14, 5+ cards
1NT - 11-14
2C - 9-14, 6 card or 5C4M, decent club suit when opening 5C4M below 12
2D - weak
4cM #1
1D - 9-14, 4+ cards, (4441) or 4D5C if only 4
1M - 9-14, 4+ cards, (4441) or 4D5C if only 4
1NT - 11-14 (12-14 and pass a few 11 counts?)
2C - 9-14, 6+ cards
2D - weak
4cM #2
1D - 9-14, 4+ cards, (4441) or 4D5C if only 4
1M - 9-14, 4+ cards, may be 4432 or 4333 down to 10 if OK
1NT - 12-14 (alternate - 12-15 to take flat 15s out of 1C)
2C - 9-14, 6+ cards
2D - weak
4cM #3
1D - 10-14 (GCC), 2+ cards
1M - 9-14, 4+ cards, may be 4333 11, 4432 down to 10 if OK
1NT - 15-17, 14-17, 13-16, etc, to take more hands out of 1C
2C - 9-14, 6+ cards
2D - weak
"5 card eveything"
1D - 9-14, 5+ cards
1M - 9-14, 5+ cards
1NT - 11-14
2C - 9-14, 5+ cards
2D - weak
4441s opened either 1NT (not sure if it's GCC legal) or the mini-Roman
Preference of the above, or an alternative? I am currently leaning towards 4cM #1.
Issues
Opening 4432 or 4333 10 counts - I notice neither Magic Diamond nor Moscito opens these shapes below their NT range. Do you have experience doing this?
Response structure for 4cM - either 2/1 F1 (12 hcp), or The Science style semi-forcing 1M-NT with 2/1 GF = 14 hcp. The Science style works fine now, but going down to decent 9 point openers (from decent 10) means 14 hcp for 2/1 vs 13, and fewer GF auctions in teh 10-14 range. The other issue is true 4 card majors vs what we play (5+ cards if > 13 hcp, so you can pass 1NT if you opened with 4 cards), make the semi-forcing NT a little problematical. Preference, or an alternative? I am currently leaning towards 2/1 F1.
Response structure for 5cM - either 2/1 F1 (12 hcp), 2/1 GF (standard, except GF = 14 hcp), or the following: 2/1 10-14 NF, 5+ cards (6+ if bottom of the range). 1M-1NT is weak, invitational not suitable for 2/1, or GF where the final contract is not necessarily in the bid suit. Weak hands would pass or prefer, invitational hands would bid 2NT or raise a bid suit to 3, and GF would do anything else. Preference, or an alternative? I like the last option, but am not sure how well it wiould do without a relay system. In the little testing I've done it seems pretty good.
Minimum strength for weak responses - thinking of 6 or 7 points, with the option to pass misfits up to 9 hcp. I could set it higher, and then the opener could invite with a max, but that seems counterproductive. Thoughts?
Should a 9 point opener always have at least 5 cards in the bid suit? How good should a 5332 be to open with 9?
I appreciate any input. I love screwing around with this stuff, it is as interesting as playing, maybe more so. Thanks to all for the education you've given me over the last year or so. I don't hold any of you responsible for the silliness of my system ideas
Peter
