[Flame]

Did you know that 52.5% of the hands contains 7-12 hcp ?
Don't you think this should be a serious factor in system design?
example could be to use the bids at the 2 level for specific shapes with 7-12 hcp, rather then weak.
if you narrow it even more then 8/11 hcp is about 36.6%
what do you think ?

[the hog]

Flame this has been a serious consideration in system design for a long time now. Polish strong pass systems have been totally predicated on this idea.

Regres, Lambda, Noname etc all had an 8-12 range for their limited openings. This idea was also used in the strong pass openings devised in New Zealand and also Australia. I can remember playing a "Strong" Club system, (13+) with all other openings in the 8-12 range. This was legalised out of existence by "the rule of 18" here - 2 longest suits + HCP must >=18.

Unfortunately restrictive system regulations and narrow minded administrators killed off most of these systems eventually. To some extent Moscito is an attempt to legally play a lower opening range, (9-14).

Ron

[Free]

Ron is right. It's been used, but it's mostly banned because of rule of 18 (hate this one!). There is however a serious alternative, which is opening at 2-level with all such hands. Most systems use some similar thought with using weak two's, frelling two's, any kind of weak two's is based on the fact that we get these hands a lot, and we have 'some' distribution.

A system I really like to play is Lorenzo, but it's not very much apreciated because it's a destructive method :
2♣ = 0-7HCP, 4+♣, no 4 card M
2♦ = 0-7HCP, 4+♦, no 4 card M (♦ longer than ♣)
2M = 0-7HCP, 4+M, can have longer minor
It does however use the entire 2-level opening scheme, but it's very common! I wouldn't suggest this V however, but NV we haven't had any problems with it. It can't be banned as well, because there's always a suit of 4+ cards known
If you change it to 8-11 when V, you have yourself a very frequent opening system, but it might be pretty dangerous opening 2♠ with something like Axxx-Jxx-A-xxxxx, since your partner can have a stiff ♠ and 5 card ♥, and won't find an easy way to get into the right contract

[csdenmark]

Flame, on Apr 19 2004, 02:49 AM, said:

Did you know that 52.5% of the hands contains 7-12 hcp ?
Don't you think this should be a serious factor in system design?
example could be to use the bids at the 2 level for specific shapes with 7-12 hcp, rather then weak.
if you narrow it even more then 8/11 hcp is about 36.6%
what do you think ?

Acc. to Slawinski/Ruminski it is so:

- 25% 0-7 HcP
- 50% 8-12 HcP
- 25% 13+ HcP

It is very much taken into consideration for system design. Not only, but most significant, by Slawinski/Ruminski.

You see a constant lowering the opening levels. In fact thats what is ruining the older systems - often based on uncontested actions. Meckwell is those I think who really tries to deal with the topic. 9-12 NT open for favorable is a way. The standard Precision opening level they have lowered to from 11 to 10.

The KS(Kaplan-Sheinwold)-system from the 50's is also based on that theory.