[thepossum]

Dear all

I know this decision varies between systems and auctions obviously. When I first started out playing Acol, from memory most responding bids were forcing for one round and opener was expected to rebid (except maybe after 1NT and limit responses) - (Acol players please correct me)

Playing 2/1 recently with explicit game force bids, 1-over-1 and forcing/semi-forcing NT bids it seems (to me) that there are many more cases where it is quite acceptable for opener to pass a response, if opener has quite a weak opener with some support for responder. The problem for me (as a relative 2/1 newbie) is the large range and ambiguity of 1-over-1 bids and ambiguity of 1NT responses

Please can you advise me on this. Maybe discussing different systems and auctions at the one level, depending on whether partner is a passed hand or not

For example

P-1H-1S, 1H-1S, P-1H-1NT, and 1H-1NT

regards P

[Stephen Tu]

In general Acol has a lot more non-forcing sequences than 2/1. Modern Acol has more forcing sequences than older Acol.
2/1, the following 1st round responses can be passed:

• 1m-1nt (1nt = no 4 cd major, no huge m fit, not super long diamonds after 1c). Range = 6-10-, sometimes played as 8-10 over 1c (with 6-7 possibly bidding a short diamond suit)
• 1m-2nt (if played as the modern common style 10+/11-12). But some players still play this as forcing 13+, which is probably theoretically superior IMO.
• 1m-3nt
• 1m-3m (preemptive, weak)
• 1m-2higher (if played as weak, or if played as reverse Flannery, or invitational; obviously not if played as strong jump shifts like the bots or artificial convention)
• 1m-4M
• 1M-1nt (if 1nt is played as semi-forcing, rather than forcing)
• 1M-2M
• 1M-3M
• 1M-3x (if played as weak jump shift, or invitational jump shift (new robot treatment??))
• 1M-3nt (if played as balanced choice of games, or balanced strong(16-17), but some play as conventional raise)
• 1M-4M

Pretty much everything else you better bid something, because partner will be unlimited.

On the second round, if opener rebid 1nt, what bids are forcing depend on what gadgets you choose to employ. 1m-1s-1nt-2H is almost always played NF, the minor suit bids depend if you are playing NMF, 2-way checkback, 1-way checkback, xy-NT, etc. And whether the 3 level jumps are forcing or not is also up to agreement and interact with the checkback mechanism.

If opener rebid a non-reverse suit, responder can usually force with 4th suit forcing (or xyz if playing that). Generally new suits by responder are forcing, with the possible exception by partnership agreement of 1c-1s-2c-2h.


If opener reversed, most styles have opener promised a rebid so all of responder's bids are F1 at least, but people have various agreements (Ingberman, Lebensohl, BWS) for responder to distinguish between game going hands and ones that wish to sign off in a partial opposite a min reverse.


If responder started with 2/1 response of course you can't stop bidding below 3nt, in some cases by agreement a partnership might be able to give up in 4m on certain auctions.Just remember 1 over 1 is completely unlimited, responder will tend to limit themselves on the second round of the auction, unless he choose an artificial GF bid which will still be unlimited on the top end.


As for passed hand differences, responder is limited to 11 points, so opener can pass anytime he feels a reasonable partial has been reached and doesn't think game is at all likely. After p-1h-1nt, you'd pass any balanced 13-, but you'd tend to bid holding a real second suit of diamonds or clubs. After p-1h-1s, you can pass this if you have 3 spades and a light 3rd seat opener. With 4 spades and a full opener you should still probably raise though, as sometimes partner has a near opener and you want to reach some of those games, and also obstruct opponents from competing in a minor.