SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver Sep 24 Page 1 of 8

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver Sep 24 Page 1 of 8"

Maude Cummings
6 years ago
Views:

1 SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver Sep 24 Page 1 of 8 Compiled by Roger Pfister (RogerPfi on BBO) The latest version of this file is down loadable in MS Word (97/2000/XP) format from Background I started to compile this document in August I was returning to bridge having not played for over 20 years. Back when I did play my world was full of four card majors and ACOL. My first introduction is to Internet Bridge left me completely thrown. I felt like a beginner again in the game I had once played well. I found it extremely hard to understand what was happening in the instant partnership five card major world that is Internet Bridge at least is bridge at BBO (Bridge Base Online). The general style of system description appears to be just to say you play a SAYC and then list a bag full of conventions. Others claim to play two over one (2/1). Some just start by saying five card majors and yet again others give none of the above and just released a bag of conventions, if they say anything. I assume these people believe they are playing five card majors I think Italy by not saying they're playing five card majors are playing for card majors, but who knows, I don't I just hope they do. My response has been to go out and collect what information I could about SAYC and attempt to write from it a SAYC guide to bidding. The core reference document is of course the - ACBL SAYC SYSTEM BOOKLET Secondly I was inspired by J Korpela's (yucca on BBO) wonderfully exact summary of the booklet at I find the SAYC booklet very idiosyncratic. But that should not surprise me because I assume it is for players who have five card majors 'in their blood'. For example it makes no mention of what the interrupted bidding sequence 1-2 would mean. Yet it finds space to tell you that an opening bid of 3 NT means points. These gaps which are I suppose something every five card major player 'just knows' I have filled by consulting Fred Gitelman's Basic and Advanced BBO convention cards. These are.bbs files and come with and are read/accessed via the MS Windows BBO Bridge playing client. I am sure there must be other documents like this one out there in 'Internet Bridge' land that I can assure you 'dear reader' that I did not see them or all use them to compile tables that follow. I hope this document is useful for for both intermediates and beginners. But if you are a beginner and are reading this document please do not be put off by the mass of information on the apparent detail. It there to make life easy not to make it more complex. So to beginners I say, if you find this document too much put it aside until another stage of your Bridge playing life. I also imagine this document will be useful for partnership discussion. What should sequence X really mean? The next version's of this document will start to describe the various conventions that seem so common at BBO tables. Of course that will mean needing to add a section on the contested auction.

SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver 0.45 2008 Sep 24 Page 2 of 8 This is an image of the SAYC 'card'.

2 SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver Sep 24 Page 2 of 8 This is an image of the SAYC 'card'. For those unfamiliar with the actual yellow card (as I was), yes this is how it comes partly filled out in printed hand writing. SAYC the Book Since writing this article I have bought Standard Bidding with SAYC written by Ned Downey and Ellen Pomer "Caitlin" of BBO. I recommend this book but it does take a lot of "5 card major approach" for granted. It has to of course given the naturally restricted scope of any such book.

3 SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver Sep 24 Page 3 of 8 Common Terms hcp or h => count only high card points pts or p => both high card points and distributional points, distributional points are one for every card after the 4th, in any suit balanced => no void or singleton or 5422 shape F =>Force GF =>Game Force STry=>Slam Try limit =>all strength shown! => alertable bid Guide to the Opening Bid First and Second Seat Values 4-9hcp < 13pts 6-10hcp 8-12pts 12 hcp 13-14hcp 12-14hcp 13-15pts Length & Suit 6+ or 7+ or 7+ or 7+ 6 or 6 or 6 Other requirements Open should be too weak to open at the 1 level Rule of 2/3/4 Do you play? 2 of AKQ or 3 hons Should not have a good second suit no 5 suit 'Take a view' or... pass no 5 suit if 5+minor no 5 maj 5+ or or 3-2 bid 1 otherwise bid 1 if 5-5 bid (highest) if 5-5 bid (highest) 3 of that suit (consider 4 bid) 2 of that suit 1 or 1 1 of that suit Future Bid Plan Hand fully described. Do not expect to bid again. See section on Preempts Hand fully described. Do not expect to bid again unless told to by partner. Ronf => Raise is the only non-forcing response. See section on Weak 2 with 13-15pts a minimum hand - Pass partners 1 NT Bid NT at the lowest level then bid a new suit at 1 level Non reverse in a new 2 level suit Raise partners suit - 3 card support!

4 SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver Sep 24 Page 4 of 8 Values 15-17hcp 16-18pts 15-17hcp 18-19hcp 18-19hcp 19-20pts Length & Suit 5+ or 5+ Other requirements Open Have a good reason for not using the 1NT bid below, as it tells partner such a lot. balanced may have 5 or 5 no 5 suit if 5+minor no 5 maj 5+ or is a 'problem' hand or 3-2 bid 1 otherwise bid 1 if both bid longest otherwise bid if both bid longest otherwise bid Future Bid Plan 1 of that suit with 16-18pts a good hand - Reverse in a new suit Jump rebid your suit Jump raise of partners suit (not plan) 1 NT You have handed control to partner who may be happy to play in 1NT or may ask about your hand with 2 (Stayman) or invite you with 2NT or.. 1 of that suit with 19-20pts a very strong hand - Jump in NT Dbl jump in own suit Jump shift in a new suit Dbl jump in responders suit 20-21hcp balanced may have 5 or 5 21+pts unbalanced at least one 5 card suit 22-24hcp balanced may have 5 or hcp 2 NT 2 3 NT You have handed control to partner who may be very week and leave you to play in 2NT or bid 2 or... Partner will respond probably with 2 asking see the section on Opening 2. This opening is in the SAYC booklet.

5 SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver Sep 24 Page 5 of 8 Guide to the First Response in an Uncontested Auction partners values Bid values cards details info notes pass 0-5p p 3+ only 3 means p 4+ may have 4 /4 F 1 6+p 4+ if weak can skip a 4 card suit F 1 6+p 4+ if weak can skip a 4 card suit F 1NT 6-10h denies 4 /4 limit p 5+ denies 4 /4 weak partner only 3? limit 2 17+p strong jump shift GF 2 17+p strong jump shift GF 2 17+p strong jump shift GF 2NT 11-12h denies 4 /4 invites 3NT limit no 5 card major h (partner may only have 3?) limit 3! 11-13h denies 4 /4 splinter STry 3! 11-13h denies 4 splinter STry 3! 11-13h denies 4 splinter STry 3NT 13-15h denies 4 /4 GF p 3+ only 3 means 4432 no 5 card major pass 0-5p p 4+ F 1 6+p 4+ F 1NT 6-10h denies 4 /4 limit 2 11+p 5+ denies 4 /4 avoid this bid if possible F h 4+ denies 4 /4 weak hand limit 2 17+p 4+ strong jump shift GF 2 17+p 4+ strong jump shift GF 2NT 11-12h denies 4 /4 invites 3NT limit 3 17+p 5+ denies 4 /4 strong jump shift GF p 5+ denies 4 /4 limit h denies 4 splinter GF h denies 4 splinter GF 3NT 11-12h denies 4 /4 GF 4 11+h denies 4 /4 splinter STry

6 SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver Sep 24 Page 6 of 8 partners values Bid values cards details info notes pass 0-5p p 4+ if 6-10p then only 0-2 F 1NT 6-10h may be unbalanced limit p p 4+ F 2 11+p 4+ F p 3/4 week limit 2 17+p 5+ strong jump shift GF 2NT! 11-12h 4+ no void or singleton Jacoby 2NT STry see Jacoby 2NT 3 17+p 5+ strong jump shift GF 3 17+p 5+ strong jump shift GF h 3/4 usually 4 limit 3! 9-12h splinter STry 3NT 13-15h limit 4! 9-12h splinter STry 4! 9-12h splinter STry 4! 0-8h 5+ and a void or singleton STry pass 0-5p - 1NT 6-10h 0-2 may be unbalanced limit 2 11+p 4+ F p p 4+ F 2 11+p 5+ F p 3/4 usually 4 limit 2NT! 13+h 4+ no void or singleton Jacoby 2NT STry see Jacoby 2NT 3 17+p 5+ strong jump shift GF 3 17+p 5+ strong jump shift GF 3 17+p 5+ strong jump shift GF h 3/4 usually 4 limit 3NT 13-15h GF 4! 9-12h splinter STry 4! 9-12h splinter STry 4! 9-12h splinter STry 4 0-7h 5+ and a void or singleton STry

7 SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver Sep 24 Page 7 of 8 partners values Bid values cards details info notes pass 0-5p is like p asks for 4 /4 Stayman Ask 1NT h balanced may have a 5 card suit inc 5 /5 20+p unbalanced or 22-24h balanced 6-10h 6 do you play? 2 of AKQ or 3 hons 2 any 5+ transfer to Tran 2 any 5+ transfer to Tran 2 0-7p 6+ / transfer to opener may bid 3 Tran 2NT! 8-9h denies 4 / unless 4333 limit 3 6-8h 6+ invites 3NT GF 3 6-8h 6+ invites 3NT GF 3 6+p 6+ strong sets trumps asks for que bid STry 3 6+p 6+ strong sets trumps asks for que bid STry 3NT 10-14h denies 4 / unless 4333 limit 4! asks for aces Gerber STry 4! weak 6+ transfer to Texas limit 4! weak 6+ transfer to Texas limit 4 4NT quantitative 2 any Wait see Strong h 5+ at least two of the top 3 honours STry 2 8+h 5+ at least two of the top 3 honours STry 2NT 8+h balanced - better to bid 2 instead Wait 3 6-8h 6+ at least two of the top 3 honours STry 3 6-8h 6+ at least two of the top 3 honours STry pass bid on only with a clear plan - 2 strong 5+ asks for 3 card support - Hx ok? Ask Ronf 2 strong 5+ asks for 3 card support - Hx ok? Ask Ronf 2NT! strong feature asking Ask see Weak 2 3 strong 5+ asks for 3 card support - Hx ok? STry 3 weak prempt 3NT to play - 4 weak prempt

8 SAYC Tabulated for BBO ver Sep 24 Page 8 of 8 partners values Bid values cards details info notes pass bid on only with a clear plan h 6 do you play? 2 of AKQ or 3 hons 2 strong 5+ asks for 3 card support - Hx ok? Ask 2NT! strong feature asking Ask see Weak 2 3 strong 5+ asks for 3 card support - Hx ok? STry 3 strong 5+ asks for 3 card support - Hx ok? STry 3 weak prempt 3NT to play - 4 either opps will not know if strong/weak h 6 " " " replace above - see Weak 2 pass 0-4h - 2NT 3NT 20-21h balanced may have a 5 card suit inc 5 / hcp 3 5+h asks for 4 /4 Stayman Ask 3 any 5+ transfer to Tran 3 any 5+ transfer to Tran 3 strong 4+ / 4+ minor suit Stayman STry 3NT! 8-9h denies 4 / unless 4333 limit 4! asks for aces Gerber STry 4! weak 6+ transfer to Texas Transfer limit 4! weak 6+ transfer to Texas Transfer limit 4 4NT quantitative (Sorry - all the remaining sections are still - to be written)