[benlessard]

What we do right now is similar to polish club but with a 15+ 1C opening.

our 1C is 15+, often bal or with clubs or with 15-17 and 5M (many unbal from 15-21 are NOT opened 1C)

we play transfers responses. So 1D is H or INV. the rest is transfer weak or GF.


1C-1D-1M could be 3 card but its 15-16 or 19-20 (similar to PC where it can be a min bal or 17-18 with 5M). Balanced 17-18 without 4H = 1NT, 18-20 and 4 trumps we bid 2H. With 17 and 4H we are stuck, either upgrade to 18 (2H) downgrade to 16(1H) or we bid 1Nt to show 17-18 (but hide the 4th heart).

1C-1H(s)-1NT, 1C-1S(no M)-1nt is 15-20, note that this pose no problems since responder is either 0-5 or 9+.

However 15-16 & 19-20 together got a flaw, responder cannot pass 1M with 6pts or a good 5 (similar to PC where it can be a min bal or 17-18 with 5M), but the good thing is he make an invite opener got a clear accept or a clear refusal unless hes got a club hand. Also the 17 with 4H is annoying.

Im thinking to switch to 15-18 and 1C-1D-1NT to be 19-20. The good thing is that responder will be able to pass with 6 pts and invite only with the 7-8. The drawback is that 1C-1D-1NT 19-20 is going to be rare. Also with clubs and a 3M or 4M it used to be

1C-1D-1H (could be 5C+3H unb and 15-20)
1C-1D-1S (could be 5/6C+4S and 15-20)

but now with those hands we might be stuck to bid 2C. I guess a possible solution is to keep 1S as 15-20 but 1H is 15-18.

Note that I have played 1H forcing (in 1C-1D-1H) for many years but I am now strongly convinced NF is better so I wont change that for sure, but if 1H is NF than 15-18 got to make more sense than 15-16/19-20 even if this mean 1C-1D-1NT as 19-20 is going to be quite rare.

[benlessard]

If I was to make my responses worked for PC it would looked like.

1C-??

1D=Hearts or 6-11 (GF vs a 17+)
1H= S 0-5 or GF
1S = no majors 0-5 or 12+
1NT= clubs 0-5 or 12+
2C = D 0-5 or 12+
2D = 6H 0-5 or GF
2H = 6S 0-5 or Gf

1C-1D-??

1M= 12-14 bal (with 3H and 4S you bid 1H)
1NT=18-20
2H= 18-20 with 4H

after

1C-1H-??
1C-1S-??
opener can bid 1S/1NT with both 12-14 or 17-20 with no problems sicne responder is weak enough taht there is no game vs 17-20 or strong enough to GF vs 12-14.

After 1C-1D-1H-??


pass = 4H and less than 11.
1S = pts but not 4H (its forcing)
1NT = pts and 4S (NF)
2C = inv with clubs or H+C GF
2D = INV with H or H+C GF
2H = INV with S or H+S GF
2S and higher = C+H GF.

its not really working in comp bidding since 6-11 is too wide but the basic idea is still the same.