[jillybean]

I don't play any sort of flannery , my new teammates do and have sent me a link to these notes to study. haha
Adventures In Bridge, Reverse Flannery


So it's always 5 spades and 4-5 hearts, otherwise, we just bid up the line?
Anything to look out for?

[mike777]

 jillybean, on 2026-June-29, 23:05, said:

I don't play any sort of flannery , my new teammates do and have sent me a link to these notes to study. haha
Adventures In Bridge, Reverse Flannery


So it's always 5 spades and 4-5 hearts, otherwise, we just bid up the line?
Anything to look out for?

I loved playing the simple version
Not this fancy complicated version


Not a fan.just reading your link gave me a headache

Simple version
1m-2h
8-11 5s and 4 hearts period, end, period

Now I keep running into people who only know this version....

[DavidKok]

When playing Reverse Flannery, the sequences 1m-1♠; 1NT-2♥ and 1m-1♠; 2(o)m-2♥ are GF.

In theory, the checkback sequences over 1m-1♠; 1NT-? could therefore deny 4 hearts, and compress the auction and prevent information leakage. In practice I've never seen anybody play this.

Indeed you bid up the line with 4-5 hearts and 4 spades.

[paulg]

I have been analysing the system cards for the European Mixed Teams (starts tomorrow) and the European U31 Juniors (starts in a week) for my friends who are playing.

One of the consistent themes, that is conventions played by a significant number of pairs, is reverse flannery responses.

[Flem72]

A little extension for 6S4H inv if playing XYZ:
1m-1S1N-2C2D-2H

[jillybean]

 paulg, on 2026-June-30, 01:27, said:

I have been analysing the system cards for the European Mixed Teams (starts tomorrow) and the European U31 Juniors (starts in a week) for my friends who are playing.

One of the consistent themes, that is conventions played by a significant number of pairs, is reverse flannery responses.

Hi, which version?

[paulg]

paulg, on 2026-June-30, 01:27, said:

One of the consistent themes, that is conventions played by a significant number of pairs, is reverse flannery responses.

jillybean, on 2026-June-30, 06:47, said:

Hi, which version?

It varies.

Some use two responses, weak and invitational, many have just a weak version, and a couple use a wide-range option (5-11) which looks unplayable to me

[jillybean]

Of course

[mikeh]

DavidKok, on 2026-June-30, 00:09, said:

When playing Reverse Flannery, the sequences 1m-1♠; 1NT-2♥ and 1m-1♠; 2(o)m-2♥ are GF.

In theory, the checkback sequences over 1m-1♠; 1NT-? could therefore deny 4 hearts, and compress the auction and prevent information leakage. In practice I've never seen anybody play this.

Indeed you bid up the line with 4-5 hearts and 4 spades.

Depends on the range for the reverse Flannery call. In NA it appears to be ‘less than invitational’ which means that 1m 1S 1N 2H would be invitational, and one can use 2D for the gf hands, assuming xyz.

[DavidKok]

The version in the link covers both 'invitational' and 'less than invitational'. I mention the interaction with XYZ on the next line.

[mycroft]

I play this in my Precision partnership; when it comes up, it's very nice. We play 2♥ as "less than invitational" (a reminder that we are limited to 15, 13 if balanced) and 2♠ as invitational, thus making 1♦-1♠; 1NT-2♥ GF.

I expect it would work well in a standard framework; I just haven't found a partner that wants to play it (that doesn't already have a good meaning for the J/S (and "weak" ain't good)). The ranges would have to change, of course; as would my expectations of 2/3/4 level bids.

Note: there's a typo in Example 1 of your link (ouch). The non-RF auction should be 1♦-*1♠*; 2♣-???

[jillybean]

PS I am not adding this until I’ve had the opportunity to discuss follow ups.
No surprise , I have already found multiple versions being played locally.

[mike777]

 jillybean, on 2026-July-03, 08:29, said:

PS I am not adding this until I’ve had the opportunity to discuss follow ups.
No surprise , I have already found multiple versions being played locally.

I like it. I don't worry about any fancy follow up.
I suppose the only negative is you give up the WJS into 2H. I don't miss the WJS at all

However I note Chip Martel, among others, choose to not play reverse flannery but they do play flannery..

[jillybean]

It's any follow up I worry about, nothing fancy

[awm]

For what it’s worth, we do not play reverse Flannery. But we would not have the “non-RF” auctions in the document on either example hand, and would not have any difficulty reaching the right contracts.

[mike777]

 jillybean, on 2026-July-03, 09:57, said:

It's any follow up I worry about, nothing fancy

Again. Just bid normal, you don't need any fancy follow up. You don't need any artificial follow up . If you want exotic, good luck.

What exact hand are you concerned about?

[jillybean]

Mike, "just bid normal" is fine for the simple version you suggest, not so for the linked version.