[32519]

My regular bridge partner has left our local club forcing me to form a new partnership. My new partner is a competent player (though certainly not world class quality). I hate the system she currently plays, best described as “5-Card Majors,” but basically a hybrid system incorporating elements of SAYC, ACOL and Goren. I want to switch to 2/1 which she has agreed to, but in steps, not overnight.

This hybrid system of hers incorporates the Phoney Club (1♠-1♥-1♦ openings all promising 5-cards). The Phoney Club turned out to be quite useful on two hands this week. The first one I was dealt a big 1-suiter. Fearing a pass if I opened the suit, I chose the Phoney Club to find out if partner held anything. After the negative 1♦ response, signing off in 4M was easy which ended up being above average.

The second hand I was dealt a big 2-suiter. Again I chose to open the Phoney Club to find out if partner held anything. This time I got a positive response and we reached slam (so did every other table, but my partner removed 6♥ to 6NT which ended up being a top score).

Which has lead to this thread, “Phoney 1♣ in a 5-Card Major System.” How much sense does it make to continue using this? What do I gain and what do I lose?
Polish Club is a 5-card major based system using 1♦ as negative (0-8 HCP) after a 1♣ opening.
Precision is a 5-card major based systems using 1♦ as negative (0-7 HCP) after a 1♣ opening.
Other 5-card major based systems use 1♦ as negative (0-5 HCP) after a 1♣ opening.

Gains
1. Forces a reply from partner when opener has a big hand.
2. More room for game/slam exploration with big hand.
3. The 2♣ bid can be used for something else.

Losses:
1. Cannot use Transfer Walsh which is growing in popularity.
2. Opponents love to pre-empt aggressively over an artificial 1♣ opening.
3. In 2/1 must open 1♦ when dealt 4-4-3-2

The Phoney Club is not part of 2/1, neither should it be necessary if 2/1 is played properly.

What do others think about the Phoney Club?

[Flameous]

I don't understand your points 1. and 3. about losses. I'd think it's rather easy to work transfer walsh into that system. Considering that I usually respond with single ace if holding 4 card major and even less with 5, it makes little difference to lose some on the rest.

Also why'd you open 1♦ on any balanced hand? It's much better to keep it unbalanced.

I think the trade-off is that you get better 1♦ opening, get some more use out of 2♣ opening and eat your occasional losses when holding a big hand or responder holding nothing.

What you do (are allowed) with your 2♣ opening has lots to do with this issue.

[FrancesHinden]

I've no idea what system you are talking about. The normal way that 5=5=5=1 openings are played is that 1C is natural or balanced. You seem to be playing something completely different. Is your 1C bid opening forcing?

[32519]

FrancesHinden, on 2012-March-24, 15:40, said:

I've no idea what system you are talking about. The normal way that 5=5=5=1 openings are played is that 1C is natural or balanced. You seem to be playing something completely different. Is your 1C bid opening forcing?

As the OP says, I am currently playing a “spit and paste” system against my will in a newly formed partnership. I want to switch to 2/1. Until we do, I am stuck playing this “spit and paste” system. The 1♣ opening here is neither natural nor balanced (it could be made with 4441, singleton ♣). So it is 100% forcing, with a 1♦ response promising 0-5 HCP.