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© Copyright 1996, Jim Loy
I imagine that you thought they played Standard American in England? But, they don't like us THAT well!
1. Convention Card
General Approach - Acol: Opening one of a suit shows 13+ pts and 4 cards in that suit. The suit may have no high cards.
Strong 2-Club Opening: Opening 2C shows 23+ HCP or game. 2D negative response.
Variable 1NT (or Weak 1NT): Opening 1NT shows 12-14 HCP, balanced, without a strong 5-card suit, when not vulnerable, 15-17 HCP when vulnerable. Most Acol players use a weak (12-14) 1NT. Some use a strong (15-17) 1NT.
Non-Forcing Stayman: 2C response, to 1NT opening, asks partner to bid a 4-card major or 2D with no 4-card major.
Double Raise Is A Limit Raise: A double raise response (1H- 3H) shows 10-13 pts, invitational to game.
Never Open A 3-Card Minor: You bid your longest suit, so you never open a 3-card suit.
Acol 2-Bids (Intermediate 2-Bids) (2D-2S): 8 playing tricks, strong 5-card suit.
Intermediate Jump Overcall: Jump overcall shows, 12-16 pts, 6-card suit.
Gerber Over NT Bid: Same as in other systems.
Blackwood Over Suit Bid: Same as in other systems.
Grand slam force: Same as in other systems.
Gambling 3NT Opening: Solid 7+ card minor suit. Little side strength. Responder can pass or bid 4C or 5C. If responder bid clubs, and opener's suit is diamonds, he corrects to 4D or 5D.
See the topics below, for more detail.
2. Opening Bids
1-suit: 13+ pts (less with good shape). Longest suit. The suit may have no high cards. Both players bid up the line with two 4-card suits, and down the line with two 5-card suits. Bid the middle suit with three 4-card suits.
1NT: Opening 1NT shows 12-14 HCP, balanced, without a strong 5-card suit, when not vulnerable, 15-17 HCP when vulnerable. Most Acol players use a weak (12-14) 1NT. Some use a strong (15-17) 1NT.
2C: Strong 2C. 23+ HCP or game. 2D negative response.
2-suit (2D-2H): Acol 2-bid (Intermediate 2-bid). 8 tricks, strong 5-card suit. Forcing.
2NT: 20-22 HCP. Balanced. May have a good 5-card suit. A 3C response may either be Stayman or Baron (asking partner to bid 4-card suits up the line), depending on partnership agreement.
3NT: Gambling 3NT. Solid 7+ card minor suit. Little side strength. Responder can pass or bid 4C or 5C. If responder bid clubs, and opener's suit is diamonds, he corrects to 4D or 5D.
3 or 4 of a suit: Preempt. Weak hand. Long suit. Little side strength.
3. Responses To One Of A Suit
1/1: One-over-one shows 6+ pts, and a 4-card suit. Forcing for one round. Responder shows 4-card suits up the line, and 5- card suits down the line.
1NT: 6-9 HCP. Balanced. Denies any 4-card suit that can be shown at the 1-level. Denies 4-card support in partner's suit.
2/1: Two-over-one. 9+ HCP and a 5-card suit or 10+ HCP and a 4-card suit. Forcing for one round. 1S-2H shows a 5-card heart suit.
raise: 6-9 pts. 4-card support.
jump shift: 16+ HCP. Strong suit.
2NT: 11-12 HCP. Balanced. Invitational to game. No 4-card support.
double raise: Limit raise, 10-13 pts. 4-card support. Invitational to game.
3NT: 13-15 HCP. Balanced.
raise to game: 13-15 pts. 4-card support.
4. Rebids After One Of A Suit
To rebid a suit, you need a strong 5+card suit. A minimum bid (not a reverse) in a new suit shows minimum values.
5. Variable 1NT (or Weak 1NT)
Opening 1NT shows 12-14 HCP, balanced (4-4-3-2 or 4-3-3-3 or 5-3-3-2 without a strong 5-card suit), without a strong 5-card suit, when not vulnerable, 15-17 HCP when vulnerable. Most Acol players now use a weak (12-14) 1NT. Some use a strong (15-17) 1NT (especially in Canada where some people play Colonial Acol).
Responses to a Weak 1NT (for the point-ranges for responses to a strong 1NT, see my article on Standard American):
2C: Stayman, showing 11+ pts and a 4-card major. See below.
2 suit: 0-10 pts. 5-card suit. Unbalanced. Signoff.
2NT: 11-12 HCP. Invitational to 3NT. Balanced. Opener bids 3NT with a maximum (16-17 HCP).
3 major: 11+ pts? 5-card major. Forcing to game. Opener raises with 3-card support.
3NT: 13-18 HCP. Balanced.
6. Non-Forcing Stayman
A 2C response to a 1NT opening is Stayman, the method for finding a 4-4 fit in a major in this situation. It shows 9+ pts (following a Weak 1NT), and at least one 4-card major. It is forcing, and asks partner to bid 2S with a 4-card spade suit, but no 4-card heart suit; or 2H with a 4-card heart suit, and maybe a 4-card spade suit; or 2D with no 4-card major.
Responder's next bid, after Stayman (for the point-ranges for responses to Stayman after a strong 1NT, see my article on Standard American):
1NT-2C-2D:
2NT 11-12 HCP. Invitational to game.
3C 0-10 pts. Signoff.
3NT 13+ pts.
1NT-2C-2 major
2NT 11-12 HCP. Invitational to game.
raise 11-12 pts. 4-card support. Invitational to game.
3C 0-10 pts. Signoff.
3NT 13+ HCP. Less than 4-card support.
raise game 13+ pts. 4-card support.
3C over a 2NT opening bid is either Stayman (forcing to game) or Baron, depending on partnership agreement. Baron asks opener to bid his 4-card suits up the line.
7. Strong 2C
An opening bid of 2C shows 23+ HCP or game, and is virtually forcing to game. 2C is an artificial bid, as it bears no relation to opener's club suit.
Responses to 2C:
2D: Negative response, 0-7 HCP (& 2NT second negative?).
new suit: Positive 7+ HCP. 5-card suit.
2NT: Positive 7-9 HCP. Balanced. May have a weak 5-card suit.
3NT: 10-12 HCP. Balanced.
Further bids of new suits show 5-card suits then 4-card suits. Rebid of a suit shows 6 cards. 2C-any-2NT shows 23-24 HCP and is not forcing. 3C is now Stayman.
8. Acol 2-Bids (Intermediate 2-Bids)
An Acol 2-Bid (Intermediate 2-Bid) (2D-2S) shows 8 tricks and a strong 5-card suit, and is forcing.
The responses:
2NT: Negative, 0-6 HCP.
new suit: 7+ HCP. 5-card suit.
raise: 7+ HCP. Support. Probably one ace.
double raise: 7+ HCP. Support. No ace.
3NT: 10-12 HCP. Balanced. No real support.
Any of the positive responses is forcing to game.
9. Preempts
3 or higher in a suit. See my article on Standard American 5-Card Majors.
10. Competitive Bidding
The main difference between Acol and Standard American, when it comes to competitive bidding, is the Intermediate Jump overcall. This overcall shows 12-16 pts, and a 6-card suit. The jump is used to show length, rather than hand strength. A Weak 1NT opening bid can be overcalled (with about opening strength) or doubled for penalties (with 15+ pts) more readily than a Strong 1NT.
11. Slam Bidding
See my article on Standard American 5-Card Majors.
12. Forcing Bids
In Acol, both the opening 2C bid and the Acol Two-Bid are forcing opening bids. Other forcing bids are the same as Standard American.
13. Popular Options
A few popular conventions, commonly used with Acol:
Baron: 2C response to 1NT opening bid, or 3C response to 2NT opening bid, asking partner to bid 4-card suits up the line. 2C Stayman response to 1NT is more popular.
Benjamin: A popular way of using Acol 2-bids with Weak 2-bids. A 2C opening is an Acol 2-bid (intermediate) in some suit. An opening 2D is the equivalent of a Strong 2C opening. And 2-of-a-major is a weak 2-bid.
Flint: Weak 3D response to 2NT opening bid forces opener to bid 3H, after which responder passes or signs off in the contract he desires.
Swiss: A leap in a new suit to show support, game values, and some other feature, depending on the version of Swiss being used.
Variable 1NT: Described above, in the body of this article.
And others (like Splinters or Jacoby Transfers or Jacoby 2NT).