[jillybean]

When I get a serious partner who wants to play something other than Cappelletti I will refer back to this thread. In the meantime, Im playing with "everyone else" and Capp seems to be it. I just dont see anything else being played and people laugh when I say I play natural over nt

[Winstonm]

jillybean2, on May 11 2008, 08:10 PM, said:

When I get a serious partner who wants to play something other than Cappelletti I will refer back to this thread. In the meantime, Im playing with "everyone else" and Capp seems to be it. I just dont see anything else being played and people laugh when I say I play natural over nt

Natural over NT is often as good as any system - especially in 2nd seat.

[the hog]

Kathryn, natural over NT is far better than Capp. I agree with the posters who said Capp is a poor method. Do you know that even Mike Cappelletti no longer plays his eponymous convention?

[Winstonm]

In other words, just claim ignorance....sorry, I don't know Capp, I only can play natural...

[neilkaz]

I remain surprised at the endless love affair of Capp in regions and areas where most everyone plays 15-17 NT !

Since much of Kathryn's club and many online opps play Capp. Here's a simple defence to it, and I recommend clicking on the more advanced version as well, although you may wish to play the more common normal leb rather than transfer leb (which I think is superior)

http://larryco.com/BG%20articles/A03nt_int...nce_simpler.htm

Allow me to recommend DONT http://larryco.com/B...s/A41--DONT.htm with the idea being to Disturb the Opponent's NT for you, Kathryn as it is rather well known in N.Am and allows you to show all 2 suiters and stay at the 2 level. The only change I'd make to what is published someplaces concerning DONT is that if you are dealt the very rare GF 2 suited monster, you overcall 2NT. (I have seen that someplaces but not all and have that rare bird a couple of times )

I play DONT vs strong NT if PD plays it, or I can do Brozel but still prefer DONT. Capp is a last resort and I don't miss not being able to double for penalties and don't miss the guessing games that follow if PD is really weak, or when the opps runout if LHO is nearly broke.

[TylerE]

DONT is ok, but Meckwell is better (If you want a DONT style structure, without a penalty double):

X - A single minor or both majors, forces 2♣
2♣ - Clubs and a higher
2♦ - Diamonds and a major
2M - Natural

After X - 2♣:

Pass - Club single suiter
2♦ - Diamond single suiter
2♥ - Both majors


Basically, compared to vanilla DONT it lets you bid the major single suiters immediatly (Very important IMO), and puts the both major hand into double (no great loss).

[neilkaz]

TylerE, on May 11 2008, 10:10 PM, said:

DONT is ok, but Meckwell is better (If you want a DONT style structure, without a penalty double):

X - A single minor or both majors, forces 2♣
2♣ - Clubs and a higher
2♦ - Diamonds and a major
2M - Natural

After X - 2♣:

Pass - Club single suiter
2♦ - Diamond single suiter
2♥ - Both majors


Basically, compared to vanilla DONT it lets you bid the major single suiters immediatly (Very important IMO), and puts the both major hand into double (no great loss).

Tyler has a good point here. It is important to get that good major into the picture quickly and the direct 2M generally forces the opp to use lebensohl if they play it, rather than starting with a double which they can simply ignore and bid as if nothing happened.

With this being B/I I urge Kathryn to make certain her partnerships know the basic defences to the Capp she encounters so often.

Again, I stress that many top experts don't see much need for a penalty double of the 15-17 NT that I expect is the norm in most of her games.

[Winstonm]

Quote

Again, I stress that many top experts don't see much need for a penalty double of the 15-17 NT that I expect is the norm in most of her games

Some of the juiciest penalties I've seen have been penalty doubles of strong NTs.
The key issue is to actually have a penalty double - as Ron Anderson long ago pointed out a penalty double of a strong NT is all about having a very good lead to make, not high card points. It might not make it into any testbooks, but Kxx, xx, KQJ9xx, Ax makes for a great penalty double.

[jillybean]

neilkaz, on May 11 2008, 08:27 PM, said:

With this being B/I I urge Kathryn to make certain her partnerships know the basic defences to the Capp she encounters so often.

I do not know any defenses to Capp, interference over our 1nt doesn't happen often but when it does, its Capp.

[whereagles]

jillybean2, on May 11 2008, 10:45 PM, said:

"everyone" both online and at the club seems to play Capp - just trying to fit in

millions have also voted for [....] <-- insert favourite hate politician

[Mbodell]

jillybean2, on May 11 2008, 07:45 PM, said:

neilkaz, on May 11 2008, 08:27 PM, said:

With this being B/I I urge Kathryn to make certain her partnerships know the basic defences to the Capp she encounters so often.

I do not know any defenses to Capp, interference over our 1nt doesn't happen often but when it does, its Capp.

I would work much more on what you do when someone bids capp over you then on alternative structures over nt when capp is mostly good enough and super common and natural is fine too (personally I prefer suction-y methods like psycho-inverted-suction over nt where allowed but as this thread demonstrates and as the ACBL magazine a few months back showed conventions over 1NT abound).

[blackshoe]

I agree. What to do over Capp is much more important than finding a better defense than Capp. Also, I note that David Stevenson's Defence to 1NT compilation is up to 102 different defenses. The mind boggles.

[jocdelevat]

Imo Cappellatti is easy for intermediates because of similarity with Michaels and unsual. Easy to remember and better than no convention at all after 1nt. im not sure if capp so popular in adv-expert group. Here(BBO forum) I red that Woolsey conv is a good conv to play.

[neilkaz]

blackshoe, on May 12 2008, 03:30 PM, said:

I agree. What to do over Capp is much more important than finding a better defense than Capp. Also, I note that David Stevenson's Defence to 1NT compilation is up to 102 different defenses. The mind boggles.

At the B/I level and noting the most of her club plays Capp. This simple (again I post it) http://larryco.com/BG%20articles/A03nt_int...nce_simpler.htm

Should be adequate and most easy to remember.

1) Ignore conventional doubles
2) Double of any 2♣ overcall is Stayman and transfers still apply.
3) The the double is penalty all systems off and bids by responder are runouts.

This will have you in better shape with coping with Capp or DONT or Brozel (the most common things I encounter in typical US club level games) than most of your peers.

.. neilkaz ..

[kenrexford]

This specific pattern is one that has interested me since back in 1991-1004 when I played something my partner called "Groemiller," or something like that.

The convention handled hands with four spades and a longer minor (with a method I cannot remember).

I thought later, when playing D.O.N.T., that a 2♠ overcall showing spades AND and 2♠ call after doubling, also to show spades, with the nuance of strength alone, to be dumb. It made more sense to me to have one show spades (maybe X...2♠?) and the other (2♠?) show spades and a longer minor, like this hand. 2NT could then show hearts and a longer minor. Something like that.

The convention I now use has the same ability to handle the 4♠/5+minor hands as well.

So, if you want a tinker tool, think about whether whatever approach you decide upon has an "I got spades" redundancy, and use one for 4♠/5+minor if you agree that this is a useful treatment.

[jillybean]

neilkaz, on May 12 2008, 03:27 PM, said:

<snip> http://larryco.com/BG%20articles/A03nt_int...nce_simpler.htm<snip>

Good link. This is more or less, how I bid after interference.
I played at another club this morning where we didn’t encounter Capp but did have a pair opening 10-12 1nts. Yet another thing to discuss, I just treated it as a light opener and bid naturally. 2nd in C, 5th overall in our section

[xcurt]

3 pages of responses and nobody mentioned Landy.* Easy to remember, lets your side bid naturally, forces responding hand to bid now since 2D, 2H and 2S can all be passed and will frequently be passed when it's the opponents hand. Good for a club game playing in irregular partnerships.

* 2C = the majors, rest natural, Dble = cards