Help
Note: this is purely for fun, with no masterpoints attached, so we are quite willing to experiment and take our lumps.
We are therefore looking for a simple approach, and would appreciate suggestions. We currently play bare bones Standard American, and are looking to keep the bidding framework as close to that as possible. From the bit of online research I've done, I have come up with the following issues on which I can use some help:
1) Opening range. I know a lot of ACOLers play Rule of 19. We are strongly considering Rule of 18, either just for the majors or for minors and majors. Is this too aggressive in a natural system where a) the 1 level opening bids can be up to 21 hcp, and
we won't play transfer positives, relays, or any other method which might sort out hands better than 2/1 forcing for 1 round, and 1NT weak and not forcing?2) I looked at "The Science", courtesy of The_Hog's reference in another thread, and was attracted by the opeing structure - minors Rule of 20, majors Rule of 18, with 4 card majors opened with longer minors in hands with less than 14 hcp. What do you think of this (particularly the minor canapes)? They use transfer responses which we won't be using. I don't know if using basic response methods will make the canapes too difficult to handle.
3) "The Science" uses a 14-16(17) NT. If we use Rule of 18, I am inclined to use it too, so that 1H-1S-1NT, for example, would almost always show a balanced 10-13 hcp. What do you think of this approach? Are we better off with a 12-14 NT? I am worried that with 12-14 and Rule of 18 openings, the opener's 1NT response will either be too limited, or a split range which might be difficult to handle.
4) A couple of responses to a previous post of mine on LOBs indicated that invitational and weak response hcp criteria should be left unchanged from the 6-10 and 10+ used with Rule of 20 openings(i.e. we would use 6+ for 1/1 responses, 6-12 for 1 Suit-1NT, and 10+ for 2/1 responses). Do you agree, and would you agree when using Rule of 18? I am particularly concerned with 2/1 responses. My gut tells me that leaving them at 10+ is a good idea, or we throw too many responses into 1NT. We will, of course, get too high some of the time, and "invitational" becomes a relatively big and sloppy range. What is you experience on this?
5) ACOLers seem to agree on opening 55 hands with the higher suit, as in SA. There seems to be a difference of opinion on suits with 2 or 3 4 card suits. Bidding them up the line seems to be popular, and reasonable, though it will lead to rebid problems occasionally. Your suggestions on a relatively simple rule for this?
6) Under what circumstances (if any) would you open a 4 card suit when you have another 5 card suit, apart from possibly taking "The Science" approach above?
7) How do you feel about responding 1M-2M with 3 card support, and if you would do it, what criteria would you use?
8) When rebidding your major, how strict are you on suit quality/length? Would you insist on a suit which has some play opposite 3 small?
9) Should 1S/2H show 5 cards?
- and Richard please jump in too if you like):
. However, the Bridgeguys site is excellent.
), but I would like to have some idea of what I'm doing.
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