MAJOR OPENING

Expected Min. Length

    The boxes about four-card and five-card majors clarify the minimum length that partner expects when you open one of a major.

    Checking the 4 box for both 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th means you play four-card majors. If you only open
    1 with a four-card suit, put
    "1" over "4" and check "5" box for 1.

    Checking the 5 box for both 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th means you play five-card majors at all times. Your partner always expects you to have five cards in the major suit you open.

    Checking the 5 box for 1st/2nd and the 4 box for 3rd/4th indicates that you relax the five-card major openings in 3rd and 4th seat to the extent that your partner only expects four cards in the major you have opened when in that position.

 

    RESPONSES to One of a Major

Double Raise:

    Check the box that applies:

Force

    If playing strong raises

Inv.

    If playing invitational (limit) raises

Weak

    If playing preemptive raises

After Overcall:

    List here what a double raise is after an intervening overcall. Fill this in if a double raise is different after a competitive bid by an opponent. See Over Opp's T/O Double if the intervening call is a double.

Conv. raise: (Conventional)

    Check any box that applies.

2NT:

    If you play that a 2NT response to a one of a major opening bid shows support for opener's major, check this box. If the 2NT bid also asks for a short suit in opener's hand (Jacoby 2NT), check the 2NT box and alert opener's response.

3NT:

    If three notrump shows an opening hand with support for opener's major, check this box. If 3NT shows a splinter with 10-12 HCP and an unspecified short suit, or if 3NT shows 4-3-3-3 with three-card support, write this on the Other line and draw a line to the 3NT box.

Splinter:

    Check this box if a suit bid at the four-level shows support for opener's major suit and shortness in the bid suit and values for game. If you play a different style of splinter bid (invitational strength), check the box and explain your agreement on the "Other" line near the "Splinter" box.

Other:

    There is a line here to clarify your support-showing responses or to describe any other treatments/conventions that show support for opener's major.

1NT:

Forcing

    Check this box if a 1NT response to one of a major is forcing, asking opener to clarify distribution. If you play 1NT forcing only by an unpassed hand, check the Forcing box and write "UPH" by the box.

Semi-forcing

    If you play 1NT semi-forcing (opener can pass with a balanced minimum), check this box.

2NT:

    If you play your 2NT response as natural (a notrump hand), either check Forcing or Inv. (invitational) as appropriate. When invitational is checked, you must indicate the HCP range.

3NT:

    If 3NT is natural, indicate the HCP range.

Drury:

    means you use an artificial
    2 response to a third- or fourth-seat 1 or 1 opening to ask for the hand strength. If the weak response is to rebid the opened major, check Drury and the Reverse box.
    If the weak response is 2, check Drury only. If both the
    2 and 2 response are used to check hand strength, check 2-Way. If you play that using Drury shows at least a 3-card fit with partner's major, check Fit.

Other:

    This is a line to put in other agreements in response to major openings.

The above is the official ACBL convention card guidelines as of Sep 2000.