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Here’s what I like best over the Kaplan Inversion/Granville. It assumes you play an opening at the two level to handle 6+♥s and up to 12 HCP, such as Trent Twos, Goldilocks, or Fatnuns.
This is just a work in progress at this time, but here’s the current look.
After 1♥-1♠:
1NT: Maximum of 14. Balanced, semi-balanced or with exactly four clubs (not 0-5-4-4). Now 2m is to play, 2♠ is an artificial game force, 2♥ and invite with 2♥s and (or poor invite with 3♥s), 3X natural invite.
2♣: Five or longer ♦s or 0-5-4-4 and any strength, or four ♦s and 15+, or 6+♥s and no second suit and either 13-17 or 18+ with flat hand or short ♣s.
2♦: 4+♠s, up to 16 (not 5♠s if 14-16).
2♥: 4♣s with 15-18, or 5+♣s up to 16, or balanced 15-17. 3NT is to play, 2NT is a signoff with either minors or just ♦s, and is to play in ♦s if 3-3 in minors. 3♣ is a signoff with 5+♣s, but opener can continue to bid with a 5-5+ fit or good maximum. 3♦ is a game invite with 6+♦s. 2♠ shows a game invite hand, and opener bids 2NT with 15 or poor 16, and 3♣s if 5-5 up to 14, and bids above 3♣ establish a game force.
2♠: 4+♠s, 16/17-19 if 4♠s, 14-16 if 5+♠s.
2NT: 18-19 balanced. Now 3X is a transfer, with 3♥ showing long ♣s and 3♠ showing both minors.
3♣: 18/19+ with 4+♣s. Now 3♦ asks hand type, 3♠ shows long ♦s.
3♦: 17/18+ with 4♠s or 16/17+ with 5♠s. Now 3♠ shows ♦ suit or stopper, and 3♥ asks for further description, with 3♠ showing weak ♣s.
3♥: 17/18+, ♦ singleton/void and no other four card or longer suit.
3♠: 17/18+, ♠ singleton/void and no other four card or longer suit.
3NT: 17/18+ with solid suit, stoppers or semi-stoppers in other suits.
4♣/♦: Distributional 6-5 or better, good playing value but not strong.
4♥: 7+♥s, extra playing value but not super strong.
After 1♥-1♠--2♣:
Pass: Possible with long ♣s and awful hand.
2♦: For opener to pass if 4♦s and 15-16 or 5+♦s up to 14. Up to 9, 4+♦s or 3♦s and short ♥s. If 6+♦s can have values expecting opener to bid again with 6♥s and for the opponents to bid if the contract is left in 2♦ with great fit. Now:
**** Pass: 4+♦s, no game interest.
**** 2♥: 6+♥s, 13-17. Now bidding is natural, except 2♠ shows a good hand with ♦s, and 3♦ is weak with long ♦s.
**** 2♠: 4+♦s and game interest, forcing just to 2NT.
**** 2NT: 6+♥s, flat hand, or with 4+♦s, 3♣ asks, 3♦ and 4X showing 4+♦s, 3♥ to 3NT showing flat hand with degree of strength (3NT=best).
**** 3♣: 18/19+ game force with 4♦s. 3♦ asks hand type.
**** 3♦: 17/18+ with 5+♦s, game force.
**** 3♥: 17/18-19, 6+♥s, short in ♦s. Not forcing.
**** 3♠: 19/20+, 6+♥s and short ♦s.
**** 3NT: 19/20+, 6+♥s and singleton ♦ honor.
2♥: Up to 9, 2 or 3 ♥s (not 3 if 8-9). Now:
**** Pass: no game interest.
**** 2♠: Shapely game invite with 4+♦s.
**** 2NT: Semi-balanced hand with 4♦s, game interest.
**** 3♣: Game force with 4+♦s.
**** 3♦: Game force with 5+♦s.
**** 3♥: Game invite with 6+♥s.
**** 3♠: Game force with 6+♥s.
**** 3NT,4♥: To play.
**** 4♣: Singleton/void in ♣s, 6+♥s, slam interest.
2♠: Most hands with 9/10+ and no clear direction or with ♦s. Now:
**** 2NT shows 5-5 in the reds, not forcing - responder can pass, or bid 3♣ with long ♣s or bid 3♦ with a fit/semi-fit.
**** 3♦ shows 4♦s, 15+, game force.
**** 3♦ shows 5+♦s, 14/15+, game force.
**** 3♥ shows 6♥s, 13-14, non-forcing.
**** 3♠ shows 6+♥s, game force.
**** 3NT to play.
**** 4♣ is slam try with 6+♥s, short ♣s.
**** 4♦ with big 6-5+.
**** 4♥ to play.
2NT: 9/10+ with 6+♣s. Now opener bids, 3♣ with any minimum, 3♦ with ♦s and 15+ (now game forcing), 3♥ with 6+♥s and 15+ (now game forcing), and 3♠ if weak and/or short in ♠s with 2+♣s.
3♣: Six or longer suit, up to bad 9.
3♦: 3+♦s, 2+♥s, 11-12. Asks partner to bid 4♥ or cuebid on the 4 level with 6+♥s, pass with 5-5 and minimum opening, or bid 3X with ♦s, using 3♥ to show a ♣ stopper.
3♥: Game invite with 3♥s. Opener only passes with minimum 5-5.
3♠: 5-5 in the minors, 9/10+.
3NT: Game going with 3♥s – offers opener the chance to try for slam by cuebidding.
4♣/♦: 6-5 or better in the minors, 9/10+.
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As of April 5:
FrancesHinden, on Apr 5 2006, 01:37 PM, said:
2NT = invitational opposite top of the range only
If 2NT is an invite opposite only top of range, then many 2NT contracts will have 12-13 opposite not enough points. It seems better to play 2NT as an invite with only bottom of range not accepting.
In reply to inquiry, I don't like Riton 2♣ but another thread is better for that debate.
Since the last post I’ve tinkered with the mappings, to produce the following. Since these posts will have limited interest, I’ll continue any future updates here:
http://www.bridgemat...tters/blog.html
The structure, keeping 2♣ rebid for a minor or balanced, often 15+.
After 1♥-1♠:
1NT: Maximum of 14. Balanced or with exactly a four card minor (not 0-5-4-4). Now 2m is to play, 2♠ is an artificial game force, 2♥ an invite with 2♥s and (or poor invite with 3♥s), 3X natural invite.
2♣: Four or longer minor and 14/15+, or five or longer minor any strength, or 0-5-4-4 any strength or 15+ balanced. Structure below.
2♦: 4+♠s, up to 16 (not 5♠s if 14-16).
2♠: 4+♠s, 16/17-18 if 4♠s, 14-16 if 5+♠s.
2NT: 6/7♥s and no void/small singleton 19+, or 5+♥s and 4+♠s and 19+. Now 3♥ asks if 4♠s, with 3♠ saying yes and 3NT no. 3♣ asks hand type, with 3NT denying 4♠s and 3X shape showing with 4♠s (3♦ if 4-5-2-2). 3NT is to play, 3♦ shows long ♣s and 3♠ shows long ♦s.
3♣/♦: 16/17+ with 6+♥s and void/small singleton in suit bid and no other four card or longer suit. 3♥ is non-forcing but opener bids again with extras.
3♥: 16/17-18 with 6+♥s, no singleton or ♠ void/small singleton and no other four card or longer suit. 3♠ asks if short, 3NT says no.
3♠: 18/19+ with 6+♥s and ♠ void/small singleton and no other four card or longer suit.
3NT: 18+ with solid suit, stoppers or semi-stoppers in other suits.
4♣/♦: Distributional 6-5 or better, good playing value but not strong.
After 1♥-1♠--2♣:
Pass: Possible with long ♣s and awful hand.
2♦: Up to 9, 4+♦s or 3♦s and short ♥s. If 6+♦s quite weak Now:
**** Pass: 4+♦s, no game interest.
**** 2♥: 4♣s with 15-18 or 5+♣s up to 16 or balanced 15-18. 3♣ to play and 3♦ weak with long ♦s. 2NT is a non-forcing game try with 4/5♣s. 2♠ asks, 2NT shows 15-16, 3♣ 5-5 not max, 3♦ if 4♣s 17-18, 3♥ if 6-4, 3♠ if 5-5 maximum, and 3NT if 17-18 balanced.
**** 2♠: 4+♦s and game interest, forcing just to 2NT.
**** 2NT: Balanced or semi-balanced hand with good game interest, about 18/19-20.
**** 3♣: 18/19+ game force with 4+♣s. 3♦ asks hand type.
**** 3♦: 17/18+ game force with 5+♦s.
**** 3♥: 6+♥s and 4+♦s, game forcing (bid 2♠ first if lesser values).
**** 3♠: 5-5+ with ♣s, game force.
**** 3NT: To play.
2♥: Up to 9, 2♥s & 4-5♣s. Now:
**** Pass: 4+♦s or balanced, no game interest.
**** 2♠: Shows ♣s suit or fragment, could be 2 or 3 only if game force. Asks responder to bid 2NT if maximum, 3♣ if minimum, then opener bids 3♣ to signoff (or passes 3♣) or bids 3X to shape out, 3♦ being a suit or a stopper.
**** 2NT: Balanced or semi-balanced hand with game interest, about 17-18.
**** 3♣: 3♣s (often with 4+♦s), game invite.
**** 3♦: 5+♦s game invite.
**** 3♥: Game invite with 6♥s.
**** 3♠: 5-5+ with ♦s, game force.
**** 3NT: To play.
2♠: Most hands with 9/10+ (see 2NT and 3♥+ alternatives). Now:
**** 2NT asks, not super shapely except can be 5-5 non-game force with ♣s. Responder bids:
******** 3♣: Nothing to say. Now opener can pass if minimum 5-5 or bid 3NT to play, or bids 3♥ to show ♣s or 3♠ to show ♦s or re-asks with 3♦: 3♥ says fairly flat, and now 3♠ asks if extras (3NT=no), 3♠ shows 5♦s, 3NT shows 6+♦s with 3♣s.
******** 3♦: 6+♦s and fewer than 3♣s.
******** 3♥: 5♣s. 3♠ asks if 4♦s (3NT says no).
******** 3♠: 6+♣s.
******** 3NT: Maximum without 5+♣s. Opener can now continue with natural slam try.
******** 4♣: 6+♣s and 4+♦s.
******** 4♦: 6+♦s and 4♣s.
**** 3♣ shows 5-5 in the reds, not forcing - responder can pass with long ♣s or bid 3♦ with a fit/semi-fit.
**** 3♦ shows 4+♦s, game force, and either 5-5 or 6-4. 3♥ asks, and 3♠ shows 5-5, all other bids showing 6-4 or better.
**** 3♥ shows 4+♣s, game force, and either 5-5 or 6-4. 3♠ asks, and 3NT or 4♣ shows 5-5 (the latter with considerable extras), all other bids showing 6-4 or better.
**** 3♠ shows weak doubleton ♠ or shorter, asks partner to bid 3NT with ♠s stopped or to explore for a best minor suit game or slam.
**** 3NT to play, responder should pass even with 12.
**** 4♣/♦ with big 6-5+.
**** 4♥ with 6+♥s, 4♣s and 18/19+.
2NT: 10+ with 4-2-2-5 exactly and a hand that wants to play 2NT opposite 5♦s up to 13.
**** 3X is now natural and forcing to 3NT or 4X.
3♣/♦: Six or longer suit, up to bad 9. 3X by opener is now forcing to 3NT.
3♥: Game invite with 3♥s. Opener only passes with minimum 5-5.
3♠: 5-5 in the minors, 9/10+.
3NT: Game going with 3♥s – offers opener the chance to try for slam by cuebidding.
4♣/♦: 6-5 or better in the minors, 9/10+.