June 2004

STANDARD AMERICAN 21 EASILY WINS BIDDING CONTEST AGAINST THE MOST ADVANCED DUPLICATE BIDDING SYSTEM, THE POPULAR 2/1 SYSTEM

In a random 128 deal contest, Standard American 21 romped over the 2/1 System (supposedly the most advanced bidding system in America) by a score of 159 to 49 international match points or IMPs for short. This contest was played automatically by computer where one team bid by Standard American 21 rules and the other team bid by Bridge Buff’s 2/1 System rules. Bridge Buff is one of the world’s premier bridge-playing computer programs.

There was no human intervention in this contest - all bids were made by computer following programmed bidding rules. Also the computer used the exact same rules for both teams in play of the hands, thus play competence was neutral. 2/1 (two over one) is a relatively new system build around a rule that, when responder bids a new suit at the two level, it is game-forcing.

THE SHORT CLUB

When someone opens 1 club, the question often arises - is that a “short club“? - the implication being that a “short club” is a conventional rather than a natural bid, or perhaps the club was bid because of its shortness rather than in spite of it.

The issue results from the five-card major restriction. When you cannot open a major, occasionally you are compelled to open a three-card minor. This happens when you have either seven or eight cards in the majors (4-4 or 4-3) and no four-card minor. A 1 club opener is not forcing on partner so in theory you might be playing a 1 club contract holding a three-card trump suit.

Any time you have 13 points (or preferably your hand satisfies the rule of 20), you should open. When you have neither strength for notrump nor a five-card major, you are left with opening the longer minor, which unfortunately once in a while is a three-card suit.

The good news is that 90% of the time your 1 diamond openers are four cards or more, and 70% of the time your 1 club openers are four cards or more.

There is more good news. It is an extremely rare event where you have to play a 1 club contract with a minimum 13 to 15 points and only three clubs. Either partner will respond or the opponents will take over the bidding.

FOR THE HUMOR

Explaining an opening lead bridge protocol, the teacher tells a student to make her opening lead face down. She promptly puts her head on the table face down and leads her card face up! (Yea I know, some bridge jokes aren’t all that great - Ed)

BridgeSnaps newsletter is produced by John S. Thomas, author of Standard American 21.