[mr1303]

My new partner in Dublin is particularly keen on playing Acol with a variable no trump.

How does this work? In particular with regards 2 level responses etc.

I had a bit of a struggle with it last night. What are the actual benefits of the method?

[hrothgar]

If your new partner wants to play it, he should be able to explain it.
If said partner can't describe the methods, this might provide useful information.

[nige1]

Drawbacks are: you may not notice the vulnerability; and you have to remember two different systems.

An advantage, especially at pairs, is that your side gets to open one no-trump more often and with relative safety. Non-vulnerable, at pairs, 1N is a desirable contract.

[helene_t]

http://forums.bridge...showtopic=32088

I think you should try to talk your partner out of it. Especially if he wants it to vary by vulnerability. The gain is really very small and the memory burden is huge.

If you want to make some differences in you system by passed hands anyway (different lower range for freebids, different notrump structure if you were to play weak throughout, Drury, different jump shifts) then the memory burden from a NT opening that varies with position is less. But still considerable.

- The range of semi-balanced or 3-suited hands that can make an offshape NT rebid will be different. Hence the purity of the suit rebids will be different.
- The meaning of opener's double of a sandwhich position overcall will be different.
- The range of hands that can make a forcing freebid, a negative double or a raise over a jump overcall are different.
- The upper limit of the 1NT response to a suit opening will be different, therefore the forcing character of various follow-ups over a 2/1 response will be different.
- Opener's response to a negative double will be different.
- The meaning of 1 banana- 1NT - 2NT may be different, which again may make some of responder's rebids forcing in the strong-notrump system and nonforcing in the weak-notrump system.
- Most Acol players play 1M-2m-2NT as forcing in a weak nt context and nonforcing in a strong NT context. Obviously the range of shapes that can make the 2NT rebid will depend on its forcing character.
- Opener's game tries after responder raises will get different meanings

[the hog]

This was part of Acol in its early days. I have played this and it is no real memory burden; as well it makes you take note of the vulnerability which is not a bad thing.

[mycroft]

Variable NT has all the advantages and disadvantages of both systems; the prime reason for playing it is that people are afraid of 1NT-X vul with 12-14. (Varying NT by seat is a different story, but that's not what "Acol with Variable NT" usually means).

Playing 10-12 NT (in a standardish system) is actually closer to Strong NTs (in terms of the rest of your system) than 12-14s. 12-14, as said above, requires you to rethink your other structures. Of course, there were these two guys who did all your thinking for you (if you're American) - K and S? And there's lots of information about variable NT in an Acol context in british books...

And that's the issue, to my mind, more than the NT range - what era of Acol is he thinking? Traditional (4cM, strong 2C and Acol 2s, NF 2/1s), Benjamin, "modern Acol" (effectively SA/2over1 in a NIH format)?