[firmit]

Zar Bidding backbone suggests
1C 36+zp, 31-35 bal (17+/15-19hp)
1D 31-35zp unbal or 6c minor 26-30zp ( 13-18hp)
1H/S 26-30zp 4 or 5 major ( 9-14hp )

Any thoughts about the 1D opening? I like the idea of 1H/S showing 4 or 5, and not being limited to 5, but I am having difficulties with the 1D opening....

Does anyone have a response scheme of this opening type?

[Gerben42]

What do you do with a 6-card major? Do I read this correctly when I understand it as

1♦ = Any distribution unbal. with 31 - 35 ZAR / 26 - 30 ZAR with a 6-card minor.

Does not sound very playable to me.

[hrothgar]

firmit, on May 31 2007, 02:14 PM, said:

Zar Bidding backbone suggests
1C 36+zp, 31-35 bal (17+/15-19hp)
1D 31-35zp unbal or 6c minor 26-30zp ( 13-18hp)
1H/S 26-30zp 4 or 5 major ( 9-14hp )

Any thoughts about the 1D opening? I like the idea of 1H/S showing 4 or 5, and not being limited to 5, but I am having difficulties with the 1D opening....

Does anyone have a response scheme of this opening type?

Even if I could devise a reasonable response schedule over the 1♦ opening, I'd never want to play this system. I think that it has a number of severe flaws:

The system features two strong artificial and forcing opening bids, with all the subsequent problems. (The system is severely vulnerable to interference. The system needs to devote lots of bidding space to handle minor suit hands)

The system doesn't limit the constructive opening bids any better than a Precision type system.

I see lots of costs, with not many gains. If you want to look at a reasonable system designed around similar lines I'd recommend taking a look at Magic Diamond. It's quite reasonable. You shouldn't have much trouble merging the Zar Hand Evaluation system on top of this structure.

[firmit]

Gerben42, on May 31 2007, 01:41 PM, said:

What do you do with a 6-card major? Do I read this correctly when I understand it as

1♦ = Any distribution unbal. with 31 - 35 ZAR / 26 - 30 ZAR with a 6-card minor.

Does not sound very playable to me.

6c Major is opened at the 2-level with 26-30zp. But with 31-35zp, it is opened 1♦.

[glen]

For discussion purposes I will do a rough translation of Backbone to regular points:

1♣: 18+ any or 15-17 balanced
1♦: 15-17 unbalanced or 10/11-14 with a 6 card minor
1♥/♠: 10/11-14 with 4 or 5 in major
1NT: 11/12-14 with no four card or longer major and no six card or longer minor, does not have to be balanced
2X: some bids here are used to show 6 or longer in a major 10/11-14

[inquiry]

I was fortunate enough to get to read the ZAR-backbone method before it was posted on the internet. I use ZAR points to evalaute unbalanced hands (but not balanced ones). I don't think I would ever play the ZAR-bidding method except for just goofing around, and I very much appreciate Zar, his studies and theories, just not this bidding system of his.

[skjaeran]

Jlall, on May 31 2007, 06:10 PM, said:

wow even ben wont play it...that settles it...

Let me guess.... you'll start playing it?

[firmit]

New definition of 1♦: 26-35zp which is 9-16hp.
(1) 13-15hp NT range
(2) 5-4 minors 10-14hp
(3) 6c diamonds 9-13hp
(4) all other unbalanced hands with sound values. 13-16hp

In reality, the upper distributions containing 15-16hp(or maybe 17 if low on cp) are the two hands 5431 and 4441.

The 4441 31-36zp~15-18hp. The range 16-20hp i am considering handling in a different way - opening 1♣-1♦-2NT to show this - using the Chris Ryal method, so I am ruling them out.

The 5431 hand, 31-36zp 14-16 is the on left at the upper-end of the intervall. 13% of all hands~2% within the given range, ~0.8 16-17hp.
Question: is this the 5431 14-16hp gonna be a problem opening 1♦ with? Even with 54 in the majors? Maybe not the choice of many.... gonna look into this.

My point is - the backbone suggests two artificial strong minor openings, but in reality, the 1♦ opening is in the normal 10-15hp range as a normal 1♦ opening bid in precision - so it's limited in terms of hp. The fact that Zar says it is in the medium range, is a function of the distribution - the wilder, the better! Therefor, looking at the fact that a lot of strong club systems have a 1♦ "catchball"-bid, really suggests the unbalanced hands within the normal range 13-15hp + plus any minor showing bids 10-13hp.

But then again - what do I know...