The Retropoet
Swenson's System Notes  

Responses to Openings of One of a Suit *

Flannery: *

Advanced Jacoby: *

Smolen *

Weak Twos: *

Defensive Bidding: *

DONT *

Defense against Michael=92s Cue bid: *

Defense against Unusual NT: *

Responses to Openings of One of a = Suit

Major Suits

Assume opener sits in first or second = chair and there is no interference.

Minor Suits

Assume opener sits in first or second = chair and there is no interference.

All support bids imply 5 card support and no 4 card major.

Flannery:

Responses to Flannery

Distribution: 5 Hearts and 4 = Spades.

Points: 11-15 High-card points and a hand that doesn=92t want to = reverse.

Open 2 Diamonds. Used in all 4 seats as an opener.

Defense to Flannery

When the opponents bid Flannery: This = is different from the normal defense to Flannery bids which I mention = in parenthesis. I think I like Bergen=92s better.

Advanced Jacoby:

Bergen=92s description of this convention = did not seem complete. I did not find advice on how to handle = interference, unusual hands, or hands where you fibbed a little (in = Hardy=92s book on 2 over 1, he says you can and should bid 1NT on = certain hands that are 5-4-2-2 or even more unbalanced). This is what = I have so far.

I am assuming that if responder bids 3NT he is giving opener a = choice of games.

If responder bids one below the suit again, opener must complete the = transfer.

Responder can then go into RKC, Grand Slam Force, a cue-bidding = sequence, or whatever.

I think it=92s safe to assume that if there is interference, all = doubles are for penalty.

I am not quite so certain when there is interference which passes = are forcing.

Smolen

Smolen is used by partners who already use = Stayman and Jacoby transfers. The purpose of the convention is to = right-side the contract when responder is 5-4 or 6-4 in the majors with = a game-going hand. Smolen can also be used after opener has bid a = strong 2 Clubs or 2NT. There are two reason why Smolen is used instead = of Jacoby transfers with these hands: first, the assumption that a 4-4 = fit plays better than a 5-3 or a 6-2; second, to right-side the hand = with either suit.

Smolen = over 1NT

Smolen over = 2NT

Smolen over = Strong 2C

Weak = Twos:

One of the most popular and misused bids = in bridge. Weak twos can cost points when you go down more than you = would lose by passing or by missing a better part-score or game. = Remember, just because you don=92t open doesn=92t mean you can=92t use = your suit later to good affect. Six-card suits make good overcalls and = responses too. Bergen recommends more restraint as follows.

Pick a high-card point range like 7 to 10, 5 to 10, or 6 to 12.

Stick to reasonable suits. Two of the top three, 3 of the top 5, or = at worst A-J-9.

Bid 5-card suits in third seat only. Almost anything sane goes in = third seat, including a 4 card outside major or a suit with QJxxx. = Remember safety when vulnerable however.

Do not bid weak two=92s on 7 card suits.

Fourth seat should use weak two=92s more as an offensive bid=97a = weak one bid. 9-12 pts not vulnerable or 10-13 pts vulnerable. Good = 5-card suits like KQJxx are just fine.

Never bid a weak two in first or second seat with a 4-card major or = a void in any suit.

Given my druthers, I would use 5-10 pts not vulnerable and 7-11 pts = vulnerable. Never more than one outside control (A or K). Never more = than one outside suit with defensive value (an Ace or a protected King, = a Queen and Jack third. Qxx is not really a defensive feature.). Do = not bid a weak two on 6-5 hands.

Responses: No = interference

Responses after = interference:

Defensive = Bidding:

Opponents takeout double in direct = seat:

DONT

D.O.N.T. with One-Suited = Hands

Used to compete over a Strong 1 No = Trump opening. This convention is used primarily to make bidding more = difficult for the opener and perhaps find a playable part-score. = Occasionally, game will be reached, but this is the exception. DONT is = used to reveal one and two-suited hands. Responder can take charge and = set the contract, but otherwise bids to help the initiator of the DONT = sequence find the best contract. DONT can be used in the direct or = pass-out seat. DONT is not used by the pass-out seat if opener=92s = partner has bid. All Redoubles in DONT are for SOS. DONT does not = preclude normal preempts at the 3 level or higher. The only strong bid = in a DONT sequence is 2NT, which I will cover later.

One-suited hands: Good 6-card or longer suit.

DONT with Two-Suited = Hands

Two-suited Hands: The DONT bidder has = two 5 card or a 5 and a good 4. Bids LOWER ranking of these two suits = regardless of quality. Points depend on vulnerability, but not many = are needed.

D.O.N.T. -- 2 NT as a game = try:

Defense against = DONT

Defense against = Michael=92s Cue bid:

Michael=92s meaning the Major suits. = Since opponents appear to have the majors, and minors are hard to make = game, bids are biased towards finding a NT game. There are more bids = having to do with unusual hands, but I think these bids are enough to = learn for a once every 2-3 tournament situation. I also think these = bids are natural enough to learn without feeling they are too prone to = misunderstandings.

The Simple Responses

Advanced Sequences =96 These will be more prone = to mistakes

Summary of Bids Supporting Partner=92s = Suit

Weak to constructive: Raise = partner=92s suit

Limit range: Double then raise

Forcing: Bid other minor at the 3 level or cue bid one of = the opponents Majors.

Defense against = Unusual NT:

I don=92t like Lawrence=92s defenses to = Unusual NT at least as far as the 3C and 3D bids go. I will present = his two options and then my own. He emphasizes the Majors and = doesn=92t give many bids for the minors. Also, the 3C and 3D bids are = very artificial. The rest of the bids are natural sounding and = following principles from our other conventions (an immediate raise is = weaker. A cue bid is strong. A jump in the opponents suit is a = splinter.)

Three Approaches to Defending Against Unusual No = Trumps

Option 3: (my modest suggestion. I know I = shouldn=92t question the experts, but if I want more opportunities to = get slaughtered in 3NT, that=92s my prerogative! I also like these = bids because they can help partner decide if 3-card support and a = little skinny on points will land a 4 bid. They are kind of a = help-suit game try in reverse. The bids above allow 3-card support = limit raises, but they do not show where your outside points are! As = for the bids that are lost, namely game forcing values in the opponents = suits, can=92t a double followed by a bid of that suit do it? One more = note. Perhaps these bids should require one of the top three honors in = partners suit, a trick in the suit bid, and one more trick. This will = allow opener to evaluate if 3NT is playable=97two tricks outside his = suit by responder, 5 tricks in his suit, only need two more = tricks.)

Defense against Unusual NT =96 Bids = Common to all Variations

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