[ulven]

I played this from about 1996-2000, including winning the EUC open teams:
http://viewsfromthebridgetable.blogspot.co...p-overcall.html

Now I/we just use the CJO. I liked the (1S) - 1NT as showing H's and will try to get that into the curent mix, but now our efforts are focusing on evolving our contructive semi-relay approach as we're still a fairly new partnership.

Other posts involving the CJO:
http://viewsfromthebridgetable.blogspot.co...mp-strikes.html
http://viewsfromthebridgetable.blogspot.co...and-losers.html

Another scheme I used 2000-2004 (winning the Nordic Open Teams ch, making the Spingold semi among other efforts) was using a 2m-overcall over 1M as 2-suited showing 5+m and 4-c unbid M; Raptor by bidding your minor!
1NT then showed minors and 3m jump overcall about 12-15 w/6+suit. Then using (1m) - 2om to show 5+om & 4-c (unknown) M. Earlier I used (1m) - 1NT as both M's (54+) but when my (new) partner didn't like that for no other reason than wanting to be able to overcall 1NT some time, we used cue/2H for both M's (2H = 8-11hcp, 4+S & 5+H). 2S was 9-12 6+suit.

Worked just fine but when that partnership ended (partner took a break from bridge altogether) that structure went to the drawer.

I've tried various thing over the years against highest-level opp's and having 2-suited bids, is succesful against the very best.

The fact that not more high-level players use stuff like this isn't because these methods are inferior, it's more because they focus their effort on other areas or don't realize what they're missing out or is just sceptical to anything they haven't seen and so forth.

Adaption therefore is often by geographical area. Sweden and Poland are areas where many like to work on bidding theory and try things, and are allowed to do so without contraining 'charts'.

EDITED.

[ulven]

hrothgar, on Sep 17 2007, 07:20 AM, said:

Where it gets a bit confusing is after a 1m opening. Lets assume that RHO opens 1♦.  In this case,

1♥ = natural
1♠ = natural
1N = Natural
2♣ = natural
2♦ = Michaels

What does 2♥ and 2♠ show?

Option 1:

2♥ takes the place of the normal raptor bid, showing 5+ Clubs and either (4♥ or 4♠)

2♠ = weak jump overcall

Option 2:

2♥ = 4 Hearts and 5+ Clubs
2♠ = 4 Spades and 5+ Clubs

Option number 2.

Over short club or nebulous 1D we used/use 2M as either minor.

[glen]

Raptor has been quite popular for years around here - the 3 local players in the Bermuda Bowl are all playing Raptor - these two most often:

Zaluski - Smith

and these two in some cases:

Klimowicz - Frukaz

Compare to the use of Raptor by only one pair of the Polish Bermuda Bowl team, who use it against natural 1♦ or 1M openings.

When I was playing Raptor here, my Polish partner and I felt that the best scheme, if it would have been allowed by the ACBL, would be:

1NT overcall: 1) 15-17 or 2) a healthy overcall in an unbid minor without a 4 card major - the feeling was that 2) will have close to or the same playing value as 1) and would often have a stopper or partial stopper in the suit opened
2m non-jump overcall: 5+ minor and 4 in an unbid major
3m jump overcall: preemptive but not very weak - 9-12 or so.