System Summary Form (SSF), 2019 Senior USBC


Team: Wolfson Last Updated May 13, 2019 at 23:34
Players: David Berkowitz - Alan Sontag

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Bids that Require Advance Preparation

1NT - 2S is either an invitational NT raise or a transfer to 3C
Opener rebids 2NT to decline invitation, 3C to accept
1NT - 2S - 2NT - 3C is to play and shows a weakish single-suiter

2D = 0-1 diamonds, 3-suited, weak 2 in diamonds in 3rd seat
3NT = solid 7 plus card Major

1D-2H = STR with hearts or 11-12 BAL
1D-1M = 3+ Major

1D-2S = 5+ spades, 4+ hearts, 8-11 HCP
1H-2S = NAT, NF (6-9 HCP)

After you DBL our 1/2/3M opening or overcall, we play transfers starting at 1NT

1D-(1H)-1S = 0-3 spades

Many relays after STR 1C opening
1C-2H = Diamonds
1C-2S = (4441)
After our favorable preempt, new suit is NF

after you open 1m, 3C is other m + spades

General Bidding Style

Strong Club; 1D may be 2 diamonds
5 card Majors
Strong NT 14-16 NV 1/2/3 else 15-17
2/1 forcing to game

We open balanced hands with 11 HCP and unbalanced with 9 or 10 HCP
We respond 99% of the time

1 level overcalls very light, 2 level overcalls tend to be sound
Frequent 4-card overcalls at the one level

1st and 3rd seat Favorable preempts on the 3 level may be very light, wk 2s mostly sound, unusual to have 5 except 3rd seat NV
1H response to 1D is 3 card suit app 1% of the time

Opening Leads AND Leads in the Middle of the Hand

Vs. NT: 4th best, but often lead high or second high from bad 4- or 5-card suits.

Vs. suits: 3rd from even, low from odd, may lead high from length and weak suit or in partner's raised suit.

After the opening lead, we lead 4th best vs. NT, 3rd and 5th vs. suits; often lead high without interest in having suit returned.

Vs suits, we lead A from AK below the 5-level, unless we are planning to shift to a singleton. We lead the T from shortness or the top of a sequence (or interior sequence) in a holding of
an odd number of cards; we lead the 9 from shortness or a sequence (or interior sequence) which includes the T in a holding of an even number of cards.

Vs NT, we tend to lead Rusinow (lower of touching honors). We extend this to the length lead of the 8 from a sequence (or interior sequence) which includes the 9 (we lead the 9 from 98x).
K asks unblock or count; Q asks attitude.
In this context, we tend to lead the J from KQJx. Either the J or the T is systemically correct
from QJTx.

J,10,9 show 0 or 2 higher in the middle of the hand.

Defensive Signals

Standard signals
Signaling priority is Attitude, Count, Suit Preference, except SP when dummy's holding is very strong (NT) or dummy has a singleton (suit).
We give SP in the trump suit when we can.
Smith vs NT: High cards in declarer's first suit encourage the opening lead suit unless count is critical or our holding in opening lead suit is completely known.
Versus suits we play SP at trick one (not on A from AK lead or king lead (from KQ)
If we lead K from AK and shift it is a stiff
King from AK vs preempts
When splitting honors, we play the second highest.