System Win

Whenever you’re playing a non-standard system, you’re bound to have situations where your system either leads you to a good or bad result, simply as a result of the system you play. The most common one that people are familiar with is the system wins and losses of playing a weak NT. You may win some boards when you open a weak NT simply because it’s more difficult for the opponents to compete and find their fit. By the same token, you have some system losses when your side misses our on a 4-4 major suit fit that the field may get to via 1m-1M-2M while your auction is 1NT-all pass.

 

I recall very few instances when canapé has produced a system loss. There was that one time Sean opened 2C on 4 small clubs with 6 hearts to the AKQ and got to play 2C while anyone else has no problem getting to hearts. While it is a fun opening bid (11-16 hcp with 6+ clubs OR 4 clubs and a 5 card major), disasters like this can occur because responder needs more values to bid over it than over a 1minor opening. Anyway, 6-4’s with a clubs probably should be treated as one suiters unless the 6 card suit is really weak.

 

Last weekend Sean and I played a good bit, really getting the grasp of the Polish club canapé concoction I started last Wednesday. And despite 8 clear-cut errors (almost all defensive) over 2 sessions at the club, we had a combined 64.5% score. A lot of that can be attributed to the several system wins we had.  Right-siding the NT, although that is pretty much just luck, opening canapé which prohibits LHO from making a takeout double, having the opponents make offshape takeout doubles of our canapé openings that land them in opener’s best suit (this happens more than you’d expect), having sound 2M openings that put us in a better place when deciding how to act over interference and being able to make better game decisions, are among the system wins. But we do play a 15-17 NT and the 1C opening usually is a weak NT so those auctions tend to be very normal.

 

I was playing another canapé system with Shaz on Sunday, which I actually liked as well. 1M openings are exactly 4 cards unbalanced, 1D is canapé or balanced min or balanced max, 2M is 5+ and 2m is 6+, 15-17 NT, strong club, I think.

 

One hand I particularly liked from Saturday with Sean this heart slam:

 

x

Txxxxx

AKxx

KT

 

AKTxx

AKJx

x

Qxx

 

Our auction: 1C-2D-(3C)-3S-4H-5H-6H

Not a terribly scientific auction but it got the job done.

1C was 12-14 bal, or 17+ unbal, or 18+ bal

2D was 8+ w/ long diamonds or 4D and a 5+ card major, the least efficient bid in our system

3S natural, confirming a 17+ hand

4H longer hearts than diamonds, probably 6 in this case

5H do you have a club control

6H yes

 

In 2/1, you’d have a hard time getting to slam, I expect. The auction would surely start: 1S-1NT-(3C)-3H. North won’t feel comfortable bidding anything but 4H because now the lead is going right through his club king.