[Kaapo]

Out of jest, I need to construct a bidding system around a strong heart opening.

That's about the only requirement; the system should be such that one would categorize it under Strong Heart systems (if there were such a category). Other opening bids as well as the true nature of the one heart opening (whether it's the only forcing bid) can be freely chosen. And, as I might have to actually play the system once or twice, it would be nice if it weren't totally ridiculous or ridiculously hard to learn.

So, any suggestions?

(I know googling brings out at least one strong heart system already.)

[joshs]

1C: 11-14 4+H, may be canape
1D: 11-14, 4+S, may be canape
1H: 15+ unbalanced, 16+ balanced ART
1S: 11-14 minors
1N: 12-15 balanced
2m: 6+ cards, 11-14

After 1H:
1S 0-4 OR no 5 card suit and 5-8
1N ART GF
2 level, 5 card suit 5-8

After 1H-1S
1N 15-19
2N 20-21
2D,2H,2S, 3C 15-19 ish
2C 20+ unbalanced, 22+ balanced, ART


After 1m,
Bid the major as an ART GF (relay continuations)
bid the 1 under step to ask for a 5 card suit, a rebid over that is NAt and INV
others natural and non-forcing

etc.

[Gerben42]

I think I would prefer a strong ♥ to start a bit higher i.e. at 16+ unbal. / 17+ bal.

1♣: 4+♥, 11 - 15
1♦: 4+♠, 11 - 15
1♥: 16+ unb. / 17+ bal.
1♠: 11 - 15, both minors unbal.
1NT: 12 - 16, balanced no 4M (then 2♣ range check)
2m: 11 - 15, 6+card

[MickyB]

Agreed, I'd want it at least that high. I'd probably prefer 1S to show 4+diamonds, may have longer clubs; This would free up the 2♦ opening.

[Gerben42]

If you don't like the 1NT opening like this, how about:

1♣: 10 - 15, 4+♥
1♦: 10 - 15, 4+♦ or 11 - 13 / 14 - 16 balanced
1♠: 10 - 15, 4+♠ (0 - 3♥)
1NT: 10 - 13 1st 2nd NV, 14 - 16 otherwise
2♣: 10 - 15, 6+♣

1♥: Strong

Now 1 black show unbalanced hands.

Responses to 1♠ (from Auken - v Arnim CC)

1NT: 7 - 11
2♣: Art GF
2♦: Transfer to ♥
2♥: Good ♠ raise
2♠: 7 - 10, 4+♠
2N 3m: nat. invite

Response to 1♣: Similar but 1♦ relay to find out which suit is longer, may even be ♠ or so.

[Gerben42]

To this system, how about the Mexican 2♦ opening bid (17 - 19 balanced). Then responses to 1♥ strong:

1♠: 0 - 7, then 1NT shows 20+ after that, rest 16 - 19 natural.
Rest GF:
1NT: Balanced
2♣: 4+♥
2♦: 4+♠
2♥: 6+♣
2♠: 6+♦
2NT: minors

1♥ 1♠ 1NT:

2♣: 2nd negative
Rest: 4+ - 7 natural

[Free]

I'd give the 1♥ opening an even bigger boost: 17+ or so.

1♣ = 12-16, 4+♥, may be canapé with a minor
1♦ = 12-16, 4+♠, may be canapé with a minor
1♥ = 17+HCP, any distribution
1♠ = 12-16, 4+♦, unbalanced, may have longer ♣
1NT = 13-16HCP balanced (pass with balanced 12-counts)
2♣ = 12-16, 6+♣

Basicly MOSCITO pass with pass and the 1♥ fert reversed, and HCP adjusted. The ranges are equally big (8-12 becomes 12-16). It's quite solid, perhaps intermediate 2-openers may be helpful, fantunes style or so. I don't have a good response scheme over 1♥, I've never been interested in strong ♥ systems since I don't see the advantages...

[Gerben42]

Quote

I've never been interested in strong ♥ systems since I don't see the advantages...

It's romantic. That's not enough for you?

[Free]

Gerben42, on Apr 27 2006, 06:51 PM, said:

Quote

I've never been interested in strong ♥ systems since I don't see the advantages...

It's romantic. That's not enough for you?

I have a girlfriend, I don't see the advantages

[joshs]

Free, on Apr 27 2006, 01:03 PM, said:

Gerben42, on Apr 27 2006, 06:51 PM, said:

Quote

I've never been interested in strong ♥ systems since I don't see the advantages...

It's romantic. That's not enough for you?

I have a girlfriend, I don't see the advantages

She may decide that she prefers gerben since he is more romantic....

[EricK]

joshs, on Apr 27 2006, 06:15 PM, said:

Free, on Apr 27 2006, 01:03 PM, said:

Gerben42, on Apr 27 2006, 06:51 PM, said:

Quote

I've never been interested in strong ♥ systems since I don't see the advantages...

It's romantic. That's not enough for you?

I have a girlfriend, I don't see the advantages

She may decide that she prefers gerben since he is more romantic....

Modern girls prefer diamonds. Stone age girls prefer clubs.

[Nickboss]

Little major was a strong heart system, invented by Reese and written up in Reese and dormier's Bridge for tournament players.

[civill]

Is it for the jokers?

As I know,bridge is a kind of mind game,does the bridge sport need cardiotonic?

This post has been edited by civill: 2006-April-28, 00:17

[DelfinoD]

Kaapo, on Apr 27 2006, 10:37 AM, said:

Out of jest, I need to construct a bidding system around a strong heart opening.

You can always try the strong pass Regres system. Sometimes it was played with 1♥ = 0-7pc and PAS - 13+pc, you can always invert these two bids, and raise the opening limit a bit

[Kaapo]

Thanks for your replies!

Josh's suggestion looks a lot like the Bohemian Bidding System I found. But 1♥ starting at 16 or just 15 points seems rather akward.

An easy Strong Heart system might be natural based, but without a natural no trump opening:
1♣/♦ = 11-17, 3+ cards
1♥ = 18+, forcing
1♠ = 11-17, 5+♠
1NT = 11-17, 5+♥, no 4♠
2♣ = 11-17, 5+♥ 4+♠).

One of Gerben's suggestions has 1♣ showing hearts but 1♠ as natural. I thought of something like this:
1♣ = 11-16, 4+♥
1♦ = 11-16, 2+♦ (incl. 11-13 bal)
1♥ = 17+
1♠ = 11-16, 5+♠
1NT = 14-16
2♣ = 11-16, 6+♣ or 5♣4♠, no 4♥.
No need for Precision short diamond opening there.

As Gerben also suggests, it might be wise to remove minimum balanced hands from 1♥ to free 1♥ - 1♠; 1NT for a strong rebid.

Well dunno, if I ever play in Estonia, I might try some of these... The joke is in the Finnish and Estonian translations of Strong Heart (+ some inside knowledge). But I'll keep the details to myself!

[mycroft]

If you wanted to be strange about it, you could use 1H to take the ugly strong two-suiters out of a "standard" 2C, so 2C (Actually, likely 2D; 2C is needed either in a transfer opening or standard opening) is big, one-suited or balanced, and 1H is big, two- or three-suited. This stops the 2C-2D; 3D-3S; 4H problem that stops standard bidders from opening big two-suiters with a forcing bid.

Trading 2D for this distinguishment probably isn't a big deal, and the followups shouldn't be bad. This does mean you're back to 12-21 openers, though (but the 19-21 ones are going to be soft, otherwise they're a strong one- or two- suiter).

Michael.

[glen]

How about:

1♣: 15-17 Bal or ♣s unbalanced, could have longer major if less than 18, non-forcing but can have near game force values.

1♦: ♦s unbalanced, could have longer major (if ♥s, 14/15-17) if less than 18, non-forcing but can have near game force values.

1♥: Strong artificial, either any game force or balanced 18+ Bal or 18+ with a 5cM, or 15-17 with a 6cM or both majors.

1♠: 10-14, 4♠s can have a longer second suit, or 6+♠s.

1NT: 11/12-14, Bal. Can have up to 5♥s but not 5♠s.

2♣: 10-14 5+♠s and 4+♥s (Reverse Lower Flannery)

2♦: 10-14, 4+♦s and 5+♥s

2♥: 10-14 6+♥s

2NT: 21-22 Bal

Rest: Preempts

After 1♥:
1♠: negative without 5+♠s
1NT: balanced or semi-bal positive
2♣: negative with 5+♠s
2♦: unbal positive without a six card major or any 5-5
2♥/2♠: positive with 6+ in other major
2NT+: 5-5+ positives

After 1♥-1♠:
1NT: 18-20
2NT: 23-24
2♣: Both majors, below a GF. Responder assumes 15-18 and opener bids over signoff if stronger. 2♦ asks for best major
2♦: Strong multi - 15-17 with 6+ in a major, or GF major or GF bal
2♥/2♠: 18 to near GF, 5+ major, not 4+ in other major
3X: Natural GF

The structure and the responses are ACBL General Convention Chart legal though your local club TD can ban anything they wish in club games. Edit: this is wrong, the 1♥ bid is not legal under the GCC outline

[Nadreck]

In the New Zealand Bridge Magazine April-August 2005 Andy Braithwaite wrote a series of articles about using a strong heart opening

The articles discussed the theory behind using this structure and also some of the problems

The basic structure suggested was

1♣ 5+ ♥ 11+ points unbalanced (forcing)
1♦ 5+ ♠ 11+ points unbalanced (forcing)
1♥ 16+ No 5 card major unless balanced
1♠ 11-15 Precision diamond style hand

Higher bids as per what ever form of precision you are playing

The reasons for using this structure were:
(1) Remove the overloading of the 1♣ bid as it can no longer contain a 5 card major. Obstructive bids over the strong opening are now less dangerous as the hand is better defined.

(2) Allow the use of a forcing major bid with an intermediate step availiable to responder. The bidding can go:
1♣ - 1♦ - 1♥ which could show 11-15 with 5+♥

The major problem is that the structure is considered HUM in almost all countries.
Most system regulations will allow using a Strong ♣ and short ♦ but not a strong ♥ and short ♠. Also ACBL land will not allow transfer openings

[kfgauss]

Nadreck, on Apr 29 2006, 03:32 AM, said:

1♣ 5+ ♥ 11+ points unbalanced (forcing)
1♦ 5+ ♠ 11+ points unbalanced (forcing)
1♥ 16+ No 5 card major unless balanced
1♠ 11-15 Precision diamond style hand

What is the extra step used for over the 1C,1D bids? (It must be something really good, or you should just move 1H down to 1C and not skip a step with your major suit transfers -- not to be a spoil sport in this strong heart discussion , but just pointing this out as this is apparently a real suggestion for something to play.)

Andy

[Nadreck]

From my reading of the articles the idea is to use the intermediate step as a form of negative

The 1♣ and 1♦ bids are forcing and unlimited so the option to clarify strength will be needed.

The articles do not go much into the followup bidding or structure as they were more about why you may wish to interchange the bids and also the ridiculous situation that doing so would make the System HUM.

One possible structure would be:
After 1♣
1♦ negative 0-8
1♥ GF relay
Higher bids as if opened a 11-15 Precision 1♥

After a 1♦ negative the bidding can be developed in numerous ways to show extra strength. In particular the 1NT rebid is avaliable as the hand is unbalanced.

The suggestions were serious as the intention was to play this system at the New Zealand National trials. Also the Author is a former NZ representitive and also one of the creators of T-REX ( a real system for Non-natural system freaks )