[loralt2]

I have developed a new system for opening bids in a major suit that I have
been using with a great deal of success and I would like to introduce it for your
consideration and feedback. A breif description of it can be found at
http://mybridgeconvention.com. It is based on 2 understandings: Itf you and
your partner have 26 points and a major suit fit, you should be able to win 10 tricks.
And if you have a 5 card major, which is a start to finding a fit, and 13 points,
you should open 1 of that major. Well, 13 points should provide you with half the
number of tricks available with 26 points. So, it then should follow that if you have
a 5 or more card major and can win 5 tricks, you should be able to open 1 of that
major, no matter how many points you have. And that is the basis of this concept.
Please read the overview at http://mybridgeconvnetion.com and give me your intake.

[the hog]

loralt2, on Feb 14 2008, 10:42 AM, said:

I have developed a new system for opening bids in a major suit that I have
been using with a great deal of success and I would like to introduce it for your
consideration and feedback. A breif description of it can be found at
http://mybridgeconvention.com. It is based on 2 understandings: Itf you and
your partner have 26 points and a major suit fit, you should be able to win 10 tricks.
And if you have a 5 card major, which is a start to finding a fit, and 13 points,
you should open 1 of that major. Well, 13 points should provide you with half the
number of tricks available with 26 points. So, it then should follow that if you have
a 5 or more card major and can win 5 tricks, you should be able to open 1 of that
major, no matter how many points you have. And that is the basis of this concept.
Please read the overview at http://mybridgeconvnetion.com and give me your intake.

I have read this. Systems based on point count openings have been around before - they are far too liable to pre emption.

[gwnn]

It sounds nothing like a sound bidding system. 1♣ forces 1♦ is horrible, 1♣-1♦-2♣ forces 2♦ is even more horrible, et cetera. There's a good solid reason why standard players hate opening 2♣-because this part of the system sucks!

1♥/1♠ showing a fair hand and 8-13 will probably work, but the rest, nah, no. Try magic diamond, that's a real system.

[Free]

points schmoints

[TylerE]

Wow this is just amazingly horrible. Responder needs 13 pts to raise 1M. Grats...you lose every partscore battle ever.

[barmar]

It seems like if opener starts with 1♣, a weak responder never gets to show his own suit. The system is mostly based on opener describing his strength and shape, but constructive bidding often needs to go the other way.

Have you ever heard of the rule of thumb that it's usually better to play in the long suit of the weaker hand? Maybe I didn't see all the continuations, so it is possible for him to show his suit, but it looks like it often may be on the 3 level.

[rogerclee]

Thanks for posting.

I am not going to argue details about the system, though I believe that many of them are quite poor. I only take special exception to this:

Regarding disadvantages of the Areinoff Club:
Actually, after perusing a huge number of possible hands, this author has found none, except for the need to expend some time and effort to learn something new, to leave the comfort of the familiar and be willing to accept change.

You cannot be serious in this statement. All systems have deficiencies, and this one has more than a small number.

[jdonn]

Can someone summarize here for my enlightenment? Work blocks the website.

[rogerclee]

jdonn, on Feb 14 2008, 06:17 PM, said:

Can someone summarize here for my enlightenment? Work blocks the website.

1♣ = 14+ with 5cM, practically forces 1♦ relay (I assume 'practically', because forcing 1♦ unconditionally sounds so bad that I cannot believe it, though this may be the intent.)
1♦ = Art, Forcing, no 5cM
1M = 5cM, "8-13HCP with the expectation of winning 5 tricks", whatever this means
1NT, 2♣, 2♦/♥/♠ remain the same (I guess the implication is "the same as in 2/1"), so I guess this system has 3 forcing openings.

[Echognome]

jdonn, on Feb 14 2008, 05:17 PM, said:

Can someone summarize here for my enlightenment? Work blocks the website.

Something like:

1♣ ART 10+
1♦ Opening values, no 5M
1♥ 8-13, 5+♥
1♠ 8-13, 5+♠
1N+ Standard stuff

1♣ - 1♦ (forced!)
1M 14-15, 5M
2M 14-15, 6M
3M 14-15, 6M
3♣ 19-21, unknown 5M

1♣ - 1♦
2♣(art) - 2♦ (forced)
2M 16-18, 5M
3M 16-18, 6-solid M

1M - ?
2M ~13hcp, NF
2NT Jacoby-like, but not GF
1N No support, F
New suit Opening values, F1

[jdonn]

Wow I'm sorry I asked...

[jchiu]

Gnomed

[Trinidad]

jdonn, on Feb 15 2008, 12:30 AM, said:

Wow I'm sorry I asked...

The website also offers the possibility to get to know even more about this wonderful system.

You can get the book from the OP by sending him a check or money order for US $15...

I'll leave the discussion about better ways te spend $15 to the watercooler.

Rik

[kfay]

Echognome, on Feb 14 2008, 08:28 PM, said:

1♣ - 1♦ (forced!)
1M 14-15, 5M
2M 14-15, 6M
3M 14-15, 6M
3♣ 19-21, unknown 5M

1♣ - 1♦
2♣(art) - 2♦ (forced)
2M 16-18, 5M
3M 16-18, 6-solid M

We have some people in our club who play something that's kinda like this I think where 1♣-2♦ is forced and some other things... I can't really be sure because they have a SERIOUS problem with full disclosure and I've logged several complaints with multiple directors about them.

Anyways, these sequences here are quite poor. If you do disclose your system fully LHO is going to have a very easy time just passing a few bids then cracking you for a telephone number whenever partner has nothing or even, considering the ranges, not a terrible hand.

[helene_t]

Hi Loralt2, welcome to the forum!

As for your system, I think it's a major mistake to focus so much on point counts early in the auction.

Points do not help p to preemptively raise your suit, they do not help p to assess the values of his honors in your suit, and they do not help him finding a lead. They do help opps to decide whether they should interfere constructively or destructively, and they do help opps place the missing honors during declarer play.

Therefore, it's a better approach to let openings show distributional features (or suit quality if you can afford that) and then evaluate the strength of your hand in the second round. You may want to read Bergen's "Points Schmoints" books or Hughes' "Building a bidding system".

Also I think it's a very bad idea to let 1♣ force 1♦. When it starts
1♣-(pass)-1♦-(3♠)
?
opener has no information from p to help him judge whether bidding over 3♠ (or whatever RHO might bid) is safe, let alone which bid would be more helpful to p.

I can imagine that this system works at the club level where many opps just pass because they want to "wait and see", but at a higher level opps will know to destroy your auctions.

[loralt2]

to Helene 1 Thanks for your warm welcome. It is difficult to pick out the
highlights of a 65 page text and condense them into 4-5 pages for a web
site and make complete sense of the concept. I have read Marty Bergen's
rule of 20. Actually, there is a section of the appendix of this book ( and my
first one called, "Bride-Try It, You'll LIke It") describing, with Marty Bergen's
permission and approval, his rulr of 20. And, it is an itegral part of this system.
An opening bid of 1 of a major can represent 13 honor count points, a hand
that equates to that value because of distribution, using any means of adding
that to the mix, or a hand that has far fewer points than 13 but can win 5 tricks
And, responder can easily learn which has been used by bidding the lowest
possoble level of opener's suit. But,as long as his partner is in control of the
auction, responder needs the values needed for game to ask for that information. As
far as being easily preempted, there are complete instructions on competitive
bidding , includung handling preempts, doubles, simple overcalls, and others.
If you would like, send me an email with "bridgeconvention " on the subject
line and I will attach the sections in a reply to your message.