[thepossum]

Hi all

Considered this in the B&N forum but I think for me this the more appropriate forum

Looking for tips on the following to get back into real casual or friendly Bridge in a relaxed club session or also online casual play and friendly tourneys

Along the following lines

Assuming 2/1

1. What is a good basic core system. Card and description for Profile. To ensure ease of fit and lack of confusion
2. Does anyone have a good core Intermediate level card
3. Covering the basics of the system without too many unnecessary and confusing gadgets
4. Most accepted signalling/carding etc
5. It needs to be simple for not having to alert and announce things when I have a bad memory

Thanks for any tips

I know some others may have a different view but the last place I want to be is in a Beginners' session

I have been stalking the Relaxed club for a while, the occasional tournament, partnership desks but haven't taken the plunge
Also surfing Google for real clubs and friendly sessions

Playing so much robot Bridge without the practice of real takes away confidence in dropping into real games, despite being at a reasonable level

[jillybean]

Good luck in your endeavor. I am not sure that BBO is a good place to get back into real bridge unless you have known "friends" to play with.
I think a club would be most beneficial but then you run into the problem of established partnerships and good players only wanting to play with good & better players.
It's a hard slog getting established and you've got to play with a lot of frogs before you find your fit. This is something I am thinking a lot about lately, there are always a number of good, keen, promising players but what is missing is a mentor-mentee type program. Players come out of learn to play bridge programs and then are left to fend for themselves, advancing players struggle with other inexperienced partners, so much more could be done. (end of rant)

I don't know if I have good intermediate card but I like to discuss the following with new partners.
5 card majors (if I am playing in NZ)
NT range?
System after 1nt, 4 way transfers?
Leads and carding
Defense to NT
Cue bidding
Ace asking, Gerber, RKC
NMF , 4th Suit Forcing
2C and 2NT ranges
Responses to 2C
Forcing minor raise
Jacoby 2nt responses
Weak2 responses
Overcalls, jump raises, jump shifts. (I'm sure I've missed more)

You can tell by their responses to these questions how in depth your discussion will be and likely how compatible a partner you will be.

If the first couple of games go well then we start talking the likes of Lebensohl, Exclusion, XYZ, Multi and modifying standard conventions

[helene_t]

I would suggest the gib system. It's a quite good system and well documented

You still have to work out some details about carding, and dbls in convoluted auctions, though. Maybe just assume t/o at partscores and penalty at game if undiscussed.

I would personally also get rid of capp and maybe the 3n opening.

[DavidKok]

I would recommend Larry Cohen's website. He has a very detailed series on 2/1 GF with a minimum set of gadgets and clear explanations. There are a few topics where modern expert standard has gone in a different direction but almost everything is common. The system as a whole is a wonderful tradeoff between simplicity and effectiveness. It also comes with checklists on what questions to ask new partners, which conventions to include/exclude and more.

[thepossum]

Thx everyone
Will review the comments in the morning when I am less tired
I find the GiB system has a few too many unnecessary (for me) gadgets which show up from time to time ( and would require regular alerts)
I am very familiar with (and very appreciative) of Larry's work and approach to Bridge too

If I go into a club and say I am playing GiB 2/1 how will people respond

I will read all the comments tomorrow

I kind of want to say I play 2/1 with a few other things

[pescetom]

I agree with the Larry Cohen endorsement although he does propagate a few quirks that are not to my taste (such as a 2D response to 1M promising only 4 cards).
I hope that the GiB system endorsement was tongue in cheek, although I fear not: I find it gothic, outdated and poorly documented too (people who know it well have probably forgotten how difficult and painful it was to accumulate that knowledge).
If you already have a partner and are looking for something intermediate, very effective and with more concrete system documentation than LC provides then I would suggest the 2012 BBOIta system by Mario Martinelli: it's in Italian though.

[thepossum]

I always find the description of GiB as a simple and natural 2/1 system rather strange

It may appear simple and natural until something goes wrong

I am currently revisiting Larry's Beginner card

[thepossum]

Thinking of a few immediate questions
May add to my list

Do most people use DONT rather than Cappelletti (aka Hamilton)
Blackwood version is kind of important
Pre-empt style
Forcing bids eg FSF or NMF etc
Which is the most common weak two forcing method etc
Cue bidding etc

My carding is very simple provided I can remember to do it
Very standard leads most of the time

Very occasional psychic bids and leads

I would be hoping to be able to have something that would allow me drop into a reasonable Intermediate table with not much trouble

And initially I may not have regular partners but may be dropping into occasional sessions in a club

I couldn't even tell you what the clubs around here tend to play. Some I know based everything Standard American but who knows

By way of a sad tale and supportive note one of the clubs I was considering visiting is currently drying out for a few weeks after a storm

[jdiana]

Just echoing the recommendation of Larry Cohen's materials for a basic 2/1 system.

You may have found these already but here are some links:

LC's basic 2/1 ABCL convention card (old format) - https://web2.acbl.or...sic2over1CC.pdf

LC's "Conventional Wisdom Lite" series, which corresponds to that convention card - http://web2.acbl.org...Wisdom_Lite.pdf

Larry's 2/1 series on his website, which goes into more detail - https://www.larryco....nter/detail/435

He has a set of three workbooks for sale called Larry Teaches Modern Bidding, which I'm sure are very good.

Good luck!

[thepossum]

Thankyou

Have been reviewing everyone's suggestions and not much seems to be left out

Now to find some friendly relaxed tolerant people who don't like to overcomplicate

I have also made the discovery of a BridgeBase Advanced 2/1 card and a Gib card

Maybe GiB could read it too

But I seriously need everything to be very simple with real people just in case I am asked something or challenged