[Wentys]

The ACBL site provides a basic Standard American "fat-free" convention card. https://web2.acbl.or...ry/play/ss4.pdf

After 1NT opener the response abbreviation 2NT has "Inv", which I assume means "Invitational", but I could easily confuse it with "Inverted". But on this card it is not checked or circled, so perhaps someone can explain whether this card says 2NT Inv is in force or not, and confirm its meaning if it was checked.

Similarly, a few lines further down, after a 5-Card major opening, or after Minor openings, under Responses, the card provides explicit checked options for Double-raise response: "Inv" and after Overcall it also has checked a box for "Inv".

Are these uses of "Inv" all supposed to mean "Invitational"? If we were going to use an inverted call (jump is weak, single raise is strong), how would a card abbreviate that?

Thanks
Peter

[Stephen Tu]

Inv = invitational.

For jump raise = weak, there are checkboxes for that, over major openings and minor openings. Double raise = Force/Inv/weak

For single raise of minor = forcing, the normal not pre-formatted card has a section for forcing raise = single raise/jump shift other minor/other


People don't normally use "inv" as an abbreviation for inverted anywhere, the presumption is invitational for that.

[mycroft]

INV (and it's forms) is "invitational".

"Inverted" has no defined meaning in bridge (and should never be used in explanations to opponents for that reason). So the presence of "Inv" on the convention card shouldn't be confusing.

Yes, I know, people think it does - and think it's appropriate to explain (especially 1m-2m) as "inverted" and think it helps. Here is why it doesn't:

• If the opponents don't play inverted minors, they are no more enlightened than before.
  
• If they do play inverted minors, they could reasonably assume that you play it the same way they do - because they also only know one way to play it.
  
• But that's not true. In the summer, I should assume it's a game forcing raise. In the winter, I should assume it's limit or better.
  
• Well, except for a couple of weirdos, for whom it's "Limit Raise" only - there's another way to show a game-forcing raise. One of whom I play (and play that) with.
  
• Never mind the extensions that may or may not be there (what does the "criss-cross" bid mean? what does 1m-3m show?)

This is all why "the name of the convention is not sufficient disclosure" (yes, I know that there are a lot of places where the name of the convention is used for checkboxes on the card. That's why the card isn't full disclosure either. But here, it is very clear).

I've played "Inverted 2-way Reverse Drury". I've played "Inverted Bergen Raises" (although those are usually called "Reverse Bergen" - well, unless you're from another area, in which case they're called "Bergen Raises" and *the other way around* is called "Reverse Bergen"). I've played (and still play) Inverted responses to Keycard. I've even learned - but not played - Inverted Major raises.

This is not a criticism - it's a "you're one of the lucky 10 000 today" issue.

[pescetom]

mycroft, on 2024-May-09, 09:17, said:

INV (and it's forms) is "invitational".

"Inverted" has no defined meaning in bridge (and should never be used in explanations to opponents for that reason). So the presence of "Inv" on the convention card shouldn't be confusing.

Yes, I know, people think it does - and think it's appropriate to explain (especially 1m-2m) as "inverted" and think it helps. Here is why it doesn't:

• If the opponents don't play inverted minors, they are no more enlightened than before.
  
• If they do play inverted minors, they could reasonably assume that you play it the same way they do - because they also only know one way to play it.
  
• But that's not true. In the summer, I should assume it's a game forcing raise. In the winter, I should assume it's limit or better.
  
• Well, except for a couple of weirdos, for whom it's "Limit Raise" only - there's another way to show a game-forcing raise. One of whom I play (and play that) with.
  
• Never mind the extensions that may or may not be there (what does the "criss-cross" bid mean? what does 1m-3m show?)

This is all why "the name of the convention is not sufficient disclosure" (yes, I know that there are a lot of places where the name of the convention is used for checkboxes on the card. That's why the card isn't full disclosure either. But here, it is very clear).

I've played "Inverted 2-way Reverse Drury". I've played "Inverted Bergen Raises" (although those are usually called "Reverse Bergen" - well, unless you're from another area, in which case they're called "Bergen Raises" and *the other way around* is called "Reverse Bergen"). I've played (and still play) Inverted responses to Keycard. I've even learned - but not played - Inverted Major raises.

This is not a criticism - it's a "you're one of the lucky 10 000 today" issue.

The same applies (even more so) for "better minor".
Or any other (more or less) well known convention.