Modern Bidding Box January 2022

The Modern American Bidding Box

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Problem 1

North Deals, Vul: None

The bulletin bidding system bids this with the sequence 1♠-2♦-3♦-3NT-4♥-4♠-4NT-5♥-5NT-6♦. It's interesting to note that neither expert pair reaches 6♦ with their 'expertise'.

This is classic 2/1 bidding with the 2♦ response showing a diamond suit and game-forcing values. In 2/1, the diamond suit is typically 4 or more cards. Some circumstances with delayed spade support (3 cards), only a 4 card heart suit and the 3 diamonds being stronger than the 3 clubs could result in the 2♦ response only having 3 card, but this is extremely rare (and perhaps 2/1 bidder have the 1♠-3NT response available to show 3433 shape hands with game values; although West is too strong to make that convention response). Opener's best rebid is to show 4 diamonds. West has extra values and proceeds past the 3NT to indicate slam interest.

We don't differ with the initial response. Modern will also bid 2♦ as a Game Force bid. In Modern, though, the 2♦ bid is artificial, not promising any length in diamonds. In our system, West is setting the stage to integrate East to decide on the ultimate contract. East's responsibility to the game force is to further describe their hand. They need to communicate their opening strength (minimal, medium, or strong) and their shape (balanced/unbalanced). Rebidding spades would show a minimal hand and an extra spade. Rebidding 2♥ shows a biddable heart suit (4 or more cards) and also minimal opening strength. The rebid of 2NT shows a balanced, minimal opening hand (no singleton or void and only 5 spades). East doesn't have any of those and bids 3♦ to show a biddable diamond suit. This also shows an unbalanced hand (with more than minimal values because of the shape). West is delighted to discover the diamond suit fit with their extra values, but they are leery of a no-trump contract because their partner's hand is unbalanced. West chooses to bid 4♦. This is an ask-asking bid, Minorwood. Minorwood allows a partnership to explore a minor suit slam and preserves the ability to stop in the minor suit game when the inquiry reveals 2 missing keycards.

(1) Game Force 2 - 12+HCP, 13+ points, articial. Inferences: denies 4 spades, denies long hearts

(2) Unbalanced hand, 4+ diamonds. Inferences: only 5 spades, a singleton or void in unbid suit

(3) Minorwood in Diamonds, asks partner to bid their keycard count

(4) 2 Keycard and the Queen of Diamonds

West now knows that they have all 5 keycards, and they are in a position to think about a small or grand slam. West should remember that East limited their hand to at most 15 points. That probably means missing one or two Kings and making a grand slam a very risky contract.

One expert pair reached 5♦, assigned 7 points. The other overbid and reached 7♦, assigned 3 points. Reaching 6♦ provides 11 points.

MA: 11 Expert1: 7 Expert2: 3

Problem 2.

East Deals, Vul: N-S

Bridge Bulletin Auction: 1♠-2♥-3♣-3♦-4♦-4♠. This is an entirely natural auction to reach a 5-2 fit game in spades.

In Modern American, we bid the Extensile 2♣ response to the opening major. This is a classic problem hand in 2/1, should you respond with a forcing No-Trump or a game-forcing 2♣. With 11 HCP and poor support (2 cards) for spades, you have one foot on the shore and one foot in the canoe. Let's look at how the Modern American auction proceeds.

(1) Extensile 2♣. ~11 HCP (invitational). Inferences: Denies 4 spades. The Extensile 2♣ is similar to the top half bid of the forcing NT, allowing our 1NT response to be non-forcing, 6-9+ HCP, and denies 3 spades.

(2) Relay bid. This is the bid requested by the responder. Inteference, opening doesn't have a hand that declines the relay; minimal hand in spades; unwilling to accept an invite to the game. Also, some very strong and unbalanced hands may decline.

(3) Responder is showing a 5+ card diamond suit and suggesting that No-Trump is a concern. The inference is that they may lack honor points in one or both of the unbid suits.

West re-evaluates their hand. Should they show their extra diamond length or play in a 5-2 fit in spades? Holding 2 top honors tilts toward the decision to play 4♠. 5♦ is a very likely making contract, but 4♠ scores extra points (majors are boss)

All three systems (both experts and the Bridge Bulletin reach the superior contract of 4♠). This scores 12 Mps. Note, if we flip the decision to show the extra diamond, 5♦ would score 9Mps.

MA: 23 Expert1: 19 Expert2: 15

Problem 3.

South deals, VUL: E-W

Bridge Bulletin Auction: 1♥-1♠-2♣-2♦-3♣-4♣-4♠

After the sequence 1♥-1, Modern American cannot bid 2♣ naturally. We reserve that bid for Gazzilli to show a strong opening heart hand. We bid 3♣ to show a two-suited unbalanced hand. Since we have Gazzilli to show strong hands, this jump shift does not promise extra values. It describes shape.

(1) Shows a 5-5 shape. Does not promise extra HCP

(2) East has a decision. Placing the 10 cards in the partner's hand, where are the remaining 3? Does East have 2 spades (and only 1 diamond) over vice-versa? East can compute that since West doesn't have enough values to prefer a Gazzili bid to the jump-shift, and diamonds seem like a weakness toward a slam anyway. They can put the contract in a minor suit game.

4♠ is the superior contract for 12Mps. One expert pair stops at 2S and the other overbids to a 6♣ slam. 5♣ is a good second-place contract.

MA: 32 Expert1: 21 Expert2: 23

Problem 4.

West deals, Vul: Both

Brige Bulletin Auction: 1♣-1♦-1-3♦-3♥-5♣

In Modern American, we open 1♣ with balanced 12-14 HCP hands and unbalanced clubs of any opening strength (typically 11-21 HCP). We play Transfers After Club Opening (TACO). This small, quirky system results in better auction and often ends up 'right siding' the contract, leaving the stronger hand concealed from the opponents.

(1) This bid is not a club raise; it is a transfer request for diamonds

(2) By choosing not to bid the (almost) automatic transfer suit, the opener is showing that they started with a long club suit AND they have 1 or fewer diamonds. This bid does not promise any extra HCP

(3) East is surprised to hear that West has a 6-card biddable suit considering their holding of 3 honors. Their HCP must be concentrated in the majors. East had a small decision with 11 HCP; a favorable distribution of the stoppers could result in a skinny small slam. However, probably not worth the risk, and they decide to settle for 5♣.

4♥ turns out to be the best contract (scorewise); however, no system got there. We matched the Bulletin standard, and both expert pairs reached the poorer 6♣ slam contract. One pair overbidding to 6♣ (understandable). Note, if we wanted to explore for 6♣, we would have rebid 4♣ (minorwood) to ask about the Keycards. West would show 2 keycards without the Queen. This should lead East to worry about the missing Ace, and with worthless doubletons in both majors, the high likelihood that a slam might be off a quick AK in a major, or a slower death of being off KQ in one major, and the Ace to be a late entry to cash the Q.

MA: 41: Expert1: 21 Expert2: 23 (the 6♣ was a bottom 0, for both pairs)

Problem 5.

North Deals, Vul: N-S

Bridge Bulletin Auction: 1♣-1♥-2♦-3♦-4♣-4♠-6♣-6NT.

Again, we'll see the advantages of the TACO approach to our minor openings. After East opens 1♣ (promising a 12-14 balanced HCP hand or any unbalanced opening club hand), West can make a transfer request. The advantage is that the opener can immediately deny even 3-card support for a major by declining the transfer.

(1) TACO club. It could be as short as 2 clubs, might have longer diamonds than clubs. If balanced, will be 12-14 HCP. If unbalanced, will have a biddable club suit and any opening range hand (11-21HCP)\

(2) Hearts. A transfer request. Shows the same thing that standard bidding shows with a 1♥ response.

(3) Denies hearts (2 or fewer). Strong, bidable club suit. Extra HCP (15+)

(4) Minorwood. Asking for Keycards. This is not invitational to a 5♣ game.

(5) Two keycards. After West's 3♦ response - a natural bid showing a second suit, East gives strong consideration toward slam. In Modern, such insistence on clubs should mean that bidding 4♣ is a minorwood inquiry toward a club slam. However, with such minor suits (7 running tricks), No-Trump should be a strong option as well. 4NT here might sound like RKC in Diamonds; additionally, East can't be overly sure that West has more than a minimal 8-10 points. East has located 2 keycards (Aces), and it would seem that their partner holds the A♥ and either spade or diamond. 6♣ seems cold, but East can easily take a chance for the superior 6NT because the King tenace in spades will be protected from the opening lead.

MA: 49 Expert1: 29 Expert2: 27

Problem 6.

East deals, VUL: E-W

Bridge Bulletin Auction: 1♥-1-3♦-4♥-4NT-5♠-6

In Modern American, we play Gazilli 2♣ over the sequence 1♥-1♠. This bid shows a powerhouse opening heart hand (below a strong 2 of course). This is typically an 18-19 point hand, and Gazzilli inquires the responder to designate their hand as minimal (6-7 points) or otherwise. The advantage allows jump shifts by the opener to be limited to below a Gazzilli hand.

West	North	East	South
		1♥	pass
1♠!	pass	3♦!	pass
4♥	pass	4NT	pass
5♠	pass	6	pass
pass	pass

(1) Not really an alert, but in MA 1♠ will not be 10-12 HCP with only 4 spades, this is an interference that we prefer to bid extensile 2♣ with such hands.

(2) 14-16 HCP. The jump shift is limited because we play Gazzilli

East is encouraged that their partner has at least 10 HCP to jump to the game, and can visualize West with 2 Aces provides a cold heart slam.

6♥ is the top contract at 10 points.

MA: 59 Expert1: 39 Expert2: 37

Problem 7.

South deals, VUL: Both

Bridge Bulletin Auction: 1♦-1♥-1♠-3♥

In Modern American, our opening 1 promises an unbalanced hand with 4 or more diamonds. We consider an unbalanced hand to be a hand with a singleton or void. We also consider a hand with 6 diamonds with a singleton or void to be unbalanced. The HCP requirements are standard (11-21 HCP). Responses to 1♦ are typically natural and standard.

(1) Unbalanced Diamond. 4+ diamonds with a singleton or void. If lacking a singleton or void, then it will have 6+ diamonds.

(2) XYZ system. 2♣ promises an invitational hand and requests their partner to bid 2♦ to allow them to make an invite.

(3) Invitational hand in hearts. 6 hearts, 10-12 HCP.

XYZ is a very useful system. It applies after 3 1-level bids. Bidding 2♣ shows invitational strength and requests a 2♦ response. This allows them another bid to show which type of invitation they are making. This frees up the rebids of 2♥ and 2♠ as stop or to play bids.

Not many pairs can stop this auction at the 2-level, and 2♥ provides the best score of 11points. Both expert pairs had better tools than the Bulletin standard and did manage to stop at 2♥ too - three-way tie.

MA:70 Expert1: 50 Expert2: 48

Problem 8.

West deals, VUL: N-S

Bridge Bulletin Auction: 2♣-2♥-3♥-4♥-4NT-5♦-6♥

In Modern American, we define both 2♣ and 2♦ as strong, artificial, forcing bids. 2♣ is used for balanced, 18-19 HCP hands - it is like being able to open 1 ½ NT. That means all balanced hands stronger than 2NT will be opened 2♦. 2♦ is also used for powerhouse hands that have a long suit and 4 or fewer Losing Trick Count. West has 22 HCP. That is too strong to open 2NT.

(1) MileHigh2♦. 22+ HCP or powerhouse hand with long, strong suit (2) Waiting bid, hearts is my longer major (denies more than 2 control cards) (3) 22-24 HCP, balanced (4) Shows 5♥, at least 1 control card (Ace or King), and some points in Queens and Jacks; 8+ HCP

MA: 81 Expert1: 61 Expert2: 55

Conclusion

We managed to outscore the expert pairs, but the Bulletin standard also outscored them. The expert Achilles stemmed from a couple of overreach bids in slam tries.

However, I think you can see how the Modern American approach works well. Hopefully, you will continue to read this series, publish each month after the bulletin comes out.

Next Month -> February 2022

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Extra Material

(to bid 2♣ or 1♠ over 1♥)

In Modern American, responding 1♠ over a 1♥ opening has a couple of caveats or quirks over standard bidding. With intermediate strength hands, we have choices in our responses. We can 'skip' over our spade suit and utilize the extensile 2♣ response. The 2♣ response is similar to the top end of the forcing 1NT system prevalent in 2/1 bidding (~11 HCP, forcing and doesn't confirm or deny any holding at this point). We can often choose to skip a 4-card spade suit (especially if it is not very good) and bid 2♣. Then, bidding 2♠ later in the auction shows exactly 4 spades. That means when we choose to bid 1♠ over 1♥, we have eliminated one possible hand partner might wonder if we held. The inferences we can make when hearing 1♠ are: 1. 6-9 HCP, 4+ spades, and denies 3 hearts. If we held 3 hearts, we would take preference to raise hearts over showing a 4-card spade suit. 2. 12+ HCP, 5+ spades, 3 or fewer hearts. With 4-card support for hearts, we would take preference to bid Compressed Bergen. 3. 10-11 HCP, 5 or more spades. With 4 spades, we would prefer to bid 2♣. Also, denies 4 hearts.

Written by Keith Schwols in Rockstar on Sat 01 January 2022.