I was looking for something else, deep in my computer files, and I found something I had forgotton about. By the way -- consider setting up computer files for random ideas that pop up. You might be surprised that crazy ideas from a drunken night years ago amazingly solve a problem that emerges years later.
Quite a few years ago, I dabbled for about a month with something sort of like "One-Level Kokish." The idea was that if the auction started 1C-P-1D-P-?, Opener's 1H would be an artificial relay to 1S (exceptions allowed), after which Opener completed his story. In a Walsh approach, this seemed to make a lot of sense, but I kind of left this alone for, oh, about 10 years.
Has anyone dabbled in that idea? The reason I gave this up was that it seemed like a relatively rare sequence to get concerned about, especially with no competitition, and a relatively non-interesting sequence, in a Walsh 2/1 approach. But, I also imagine that this type of relay might be even more useful in a strong club sequence, or even in a strong diamond sequence (if 1C is nebulous or stacked canape or something).
Eh, probably made the right decision ignoring that idea for 10 years. If the file doesn't get corrupted in the next 10 years, maybe this will be interesting in 2020.
8 comments:
That's part of a big club system I play. 1C 1D; 1NT is 16 to 18 and going through the relay to 1NT is 19-21. You hit a home run when partner is broke and you play 1NT as the field plays 2NT.
Partner can break the relay (not bid 1S) when he has a 6-card minor and a useless hand. He can also break the relay by bidding 1NT with 5-5 im the minors and, again, a useless hand.
Could something like this work with a Walsh type system? That's a good question.
The trigger for this thought was an unusual "solution" for a problem hand (not a traditional "Walsh" issue). We played (and I still play) that 1M-P-1NT-P-2NT is artificial. The 18-count 5332 major hand, therefore, is a slight problem hand.
An experimental solution was to open 1C with these hands. The unwind for when partner responds 1D was to relay 1H and then rebid 2H or 2S after the relay to show the 5332 18-count, indicating the long major.
We played (and I still play) that 1M-P-1NT-P-2NT is artificial.
What is it then?
Three-bids in a new suit (1S-P-1NT-P-3C) show 5-5 hands with five losers, an intermediate hand, non-forcing. Jump rebid in suit is also NF.
With GF hands, we bid 2NT as an artificial relay to 3C (Responder has other options). After this, we rebid a new suit from a two-suited GF hand (or 3NT or 4C with clubs), or we bid 3M with a GF hand and long major.
With the 5332 19-count, we often open 2NT. With the 5332 17-count, we might open 1NT. With a 5332 18-count, or a trashy 19 or a great 17, we don't really have a good bid. Typically, we fudge a 2C call.
Marshall Miles "Unbalanced Diamond" allows for one heart Kokish in a big club context.
One heart is ambiguous - it can be Kokish or hearts.
Well, that just figures.
I was miffed enough (LOL) when I found out that he introduced this "unbalanced diamond" system, since I had been playing an unbalanced diamond approach for about 20 years, back when no one did that.
Now I find out that another crazy idea I had ended up in that book! Just figures! When little old me did this stuff years ago, I was a quack. LOL
Speaking of the 5332 18-count hand, why not use Gazilli?
Oh, that's what I do now, sort of. This was simply an alternative approach that might have interested folks. I have tried both. Each has pros and cons.
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