I had an idea last weekend that is a bit weird. I have a feeling it's either terrifically good or terrifically stupid, and after several days of chewing it over, I can't make up my mind which.
The thing is, basically I like bidding 4-card majors. With a weak no-trump, simple bidding becomes very natural, and if you want to add gadgets to cover specific weaknesses, you can see where you gain and where you lose. Except, opening 1S isn't so clever. The only response you have at the one level is 1NT, so that, perforce, becomes what you say any time you aren't strong enough to answer at the two level. Sensible auctions when Responder is weakish are unlikely to happen. By contrast, if you play 5-card majors with 1NT forcing (and Bart, maybe), you can have a relatively well-defined sequence to a somewhat sensible part-score at the two level, or maybe three level. On the downside, your minor suit bidding becomes quite compromised, with 1C often being 3 cards, and even 1D not immune.
But then I thought, why not play 1S as 5 cards, with 1NT forcing, but keep 1H as 4 cards, with 1NT not forcing? 1C does get compromised a little, but it will only be 3 cards when you are specifically 4=3=3=3 with 15+hcp. That's a lot better than Standard American.
So I looked at the ACBL convention card, and there's no way to express this arrangement. But I don't see how they can object to it, either: it's all known components that are legal, just put together in an unusual way.
Which doesn't answer my original question. Is this idea nifty or nuts?
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4 comments:
It is quite popular over here, so definitely not nuts.
Personally I'm not a big fan of 4-card majors, but do feel that if you are going to play them then you should be opening them and not fudging the issue with 5 spades, 4 hearts and opening the minor when 4M4m.
This latter style seems popular in Scotland, but I tell them that they are all really closet 5-card majorites!
Yes, the whole point of making 1H perhaps 4 cards is to open it as often as possible.
But I still haven't decided. Maybe I'll just follow the herd and go back to 5-card majors. Grrr! I'm hating being indecisive.
Yes, it has merit - but I am biased, I love 4-cd majors and play 2C over 1M as Artificial & GF. Thus, 2D and 2H over 1M or 1S are not forcing and can be passed.
You can play something like that, or perhaps go the route where 1C is explicitly defined to be natural or 15-19 balanced (maybe with transfer responses, that seems to be gaining popularity). If I was inclined to the latter route, I think I'd sooner just bite the bullet and make 1C 15+, and go Strong Club. I've mentioned the Phantom Club to Agent 99 two or three times, but she hasn't broken down yet.
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