Openings
One-of-a-suit and 1NT openings split the HCP scale into three zones, from strongest to weakest:
- Strong (16+): any shape opens the strong artificial 1♣; the notrump ladder resolves further range steps.
- Heavy (13–15): always open — balanced hands bid 1NT, unbalanced hands open with a transfer (1♦/1♥/1♠).
- Light (10–12): the leftover range. Open a transfer when the hand qualifies under Rule of 20 (HCP + lengths of the two longest suits ≥ 20), or Rule of 19 with a 5-card major. Pass an off-shape 12-count such as (32)44 and (4333) — the system has no suitable opening for it.
Since 2023, it is no longer a highly unusual method (HUM) to show one of the minor suits at the 1-level. I take this chance and make 1♠ ambiguous between the minors. This frees up 2♣ as a preemptive opening.
The 2-level openings handle the preemptive 4–10 zone separately.
| - | |
|---|---|
| 1♣! | STR ART, 16+ |
| 1♦! | NF TRF, 10–15, 4+♥, not 3433 |
| 1♥! | NF TRF, 10–15, 4+♠, not 4333 |
| 1♠! | P/C, 10–15, 5+♦♣ |
| 1NT | 13–15, 2–5♠, 2–5♥, 2–6♦, 2–6♣ |
| 2♣! | PRE, 4–10, 4+♠, 4+♥ |
| 2♦! | PRE, 4–10, 6+♠♥ |
| 2♥! | PRE, 4–10, 5=♥, 4+♦♣ |
| 2♠! | PRE, 4–10, 5=♠, 4+♦♣ |
| 2NT! | UNT, 4–10, 5+♦, 5+♣ |
| 3X | PRE, 7+# |
| 3NT! | Gambling, SOL 7+♦♣, 0–1 outside A/K |
| 4♣! | PRE, S-SOL 8+♠♥, 0–1 outside A/K |
| 4♦! | PRE, SOL 8+♠♥, no outside A/K |
| 4M | PRE, 8+# |
| 4NT! | UNT, 6+♦, 6+♣ |
Choice between suits
Choice between major suits is similar to Transfer Walsh responses.
- Transfer to the longer major suit
- Transfer to spades with 5+♠ and 5+♥
- Transfer to hearts with 4=♠ and 4=♥
Pick a major suit over a minor suit most of the time, but open 1♠ for the minor suit when you have 6+ cards in a minor suit and only 4 cards in a major suit.
| - | 4=M | 5+M |
|---|---|---|
| 5=m | 1♦♥ | 1♦♥ |
| 6+m | 1♠ | 1♦♥ |
The notrump ladder
- 10–12: 1♦♥♠
- 13–15: 1NT
- 16–18: 1♣-1♦-1NT
- 19–21: 1♣-1♦-1♥
- 22–24: 1♣-1♦-2NT
- FG: 1♣-1♦-1♥