bridgetalk.com forums :: Laws & Rulings :: The ole 1NT with singleton

Shuffler

The ole 1NT with singleton ( 00:56:11 FriJul 18 2003 )

Country: USA

AK654

A742

532

This player bid 1NT. This player ALWAYS bids 1NT with a singleton whenever the hand is in the 15-17 HCP range. Her partners know this is a real possibility but bid "normally." They do not have bids to uncover a singleton.

Opponents are agitated whether defending or in some cases declaring. Holding a singleton is unexpected. Does this fall into ACBL's "generally no singleton?"

Would alerting a 1NT bid solve everyone's problem or my preference, may we get this player to stop bidding 1NT with a singleton when there is no bridge reason.

Thank you
Shuffler

mycroft

67 posts
bridgetalk member

Re: The ole 1NT with singleton ( 16:21:55 FriJul 18 2003 )

Here's what the ACBL has to say about NT with a singleton, from "A Player's Guide":

Quote:

If your notrump opening shows a balanced hand, you may occasionally pick up a hand with a singleton which you may want to treat as balanced. You may use your bridge judgment to open or overcall a notrump with a singleton, provided that:

1. It is a rare occurrence (no more than 1% of the time), and

2. Partner expects you to have at least two cards in each suit, and,

3. You and your partner have no agreements which enable you to discover the NT opener has a singleton.

It goes on to say that, especially if the singleton is the A or K, and if moving one card would produce a 4-4-3-2 distribution (so, 4-4-4-1 or 5-4-3-1 with a weak 5-card suit), tolerance should be applied.

The hand presented is unusual - though if the red suits were switched, it is almost exactly the example given in the "guide".

What to do about it strongly depends on whether you are a player (talk to the TD and do what she says), the TD (do the right thing), or club management (assuming this is at a club - ACBL clubs have wide discretion in what bidding and play conventions they will allow or not allow).

If this happens at a GCC tournament, then the TDs will definately do the right thing - provided they know about both the occurrance and the frequency. If you are a player and this happens at a tournament, call the TD - politely! - and report it. Just report it. Don't get angry, don't demand an adjustment, don't do any "he can't do that" business. Just "I just wanted to let you know that he opened 1NT on board 14".
You might get an adjustment, if the TD rules that he is doing this systemically and illegally, and it is not a "rare" or a "psychic"; but you want this person to come back to legal, not score off him, right? Just report it.

Remember - he could be perfectly within his rights! I mean, I've even opened 2NT with a singleton K - once.

Michael.

Guest

Re: The ole 1NT with singleton ( 00:15:34 SunJul 20 2003 )

While it is not something I would do myself except in extreme circumstances I think it must be OK to open 1nt with a stiff ace so long as it does not carry a method to discover the s'ton. Essentially there is little difference between xx,AKxxx,Axx,Axx and A,AKxxx,Axx,xxxx as a stiff ace is usually a better stopper than xx. The time when it might be useful is holding a strong 4-4-4-1 with no machinery to show that particular shape, such as KQxx,AQxx.AQxx,A opening 2nt.
In any event for the governing body to pontificate about the necessary shape for nt bids is almost as bad as the now abandoned idiotic legislation as to the requisite high card strength for a weak 2. How that was ever approved, much less survived for a while I will never know. It was OK, if not wise, to open 3S on xxxxxxx,x,xxx,xx but not OK (or wise) to open 2S on xxxxxx,xx,xxx,xx. Just goes to show that when committees get their knickers in a twist they can be just as stupid as individuals.

olddude909

Re: The ole 1NT with singleton ( 17:00:04 SunJul 20 2003 )

Quote: mycroft at 16:21:55 Fri Jul 18 2003

You might get an adjustment, if the TD rules that he is doing this systemically and illegally, and it is not a "rare" or a "psychic"; but you want this person to come back to legal, not score off him, right? Just report it.

Remember - he could be perfectly within his rights! I mean, I've even opened 2NT with a singleton K - once.

Michael.

I think this post is missing the point made by the original poster, who claimed that the individual in question opened 1nt whenever he had a hand in the 15-17 hcp range.

if that is really the case, then the 1nt opening bid would seem to be an artificial/strong opening bid, and hence subject to restrictions on use.

Perhaps I've misread the original post, or perhaps the original poster didn't say exactly what was intended, but as I read it again, the claim is that this is not an isolated incident but a regularly recurring act.

HenryS

172 posts
Forum Host

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Re: The ole 1NT with singleton ( 20:15:03 SunJul 20 2003 )

Quote: Guest (Unregistered) at 17:00:04 Sun Jul 20 2003

I think this post is missing the point made by the original poster, who claimed that the individual in question opened 1nt whenever he had a hand in the 15-17 hcp range.

if that is really the case, then the 1nt opening bid would seem to be an artificial/strong opening bid, and hence subject to restrictions on use.

Perhaps I've misread the original post, or perhaps the original poster didn't say exactly what was intended, but as I read it again, the claim is that this is not an isolated incident but a regularly recurring act.

HenryS

I read it the same way. It seems to me that (a) this bidding (opening 1NT with a singleton) is not rare for this player, and also that a regular partner of this player will expect it. Thus, it fits the regulation's definition of a conventional 1 NT opening. Since it can be made on as few as 15 HCP, and the regulation requires 16+, I'd say it's an illegal convention (at GCC level). A club might, of course, allow it, thought not in a tournament level game (a STaC, for example, or the ACBL Charity Game). So if the use of this convention causes damage to the other side (annoyance, btw, is not damage :smile:

) I would adjust the score. In addition, the first time this came to my attention, I would warn the player that he is not to do it again. If he does so, then I would issue a PP (and possibly, at some point, a DP).

All that said, on the bidder's side, the ACBL article Michael quoted also says this: Bridge players have different understandings of what the rules are concerning opening notrump with a singleton. It is described, depending on who you ask, as illegal, immoral, unethical or fattening. The answer is almost always --- none of the above. One should keep that in mind when calling the Director. :smile:

bluejak

426 posts
Forum Host

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Re: The ole 1NT with singleton ( 18:00:36 MonJul 21 2003 )

Quote:

In any event for the governing body to pontificate about the necessary shape for nt bids is almost as bad as the now abandoned idiotic legislation as to the requisite high card strength for a weak 2. How that was ever approved, much less survived for a while I will never know. It was OK, if not wise, to open 3S on xxxxxxx,x,xxx,xx but not OK (or wise) to open 2S on xxxxxx,xx,xxx,xx. Just goes to show that when committees get their knickers in a twist they can be just as stupid as individuals.

This is an unfortunate post. There are plenty of places to pontificate about what authorities should and should not do: this is not one of them. For example, there are the bridge-laws mailing list and the rec.games.bridge newsgroup - (see here for details of these).

You could also post in the forum Bridge issues.

However, this is a forum designed to understand the Laws and regulations, not to rant about them and decide whether they are right.

Of course, you have missed the main point compeletely anyway: the player concerned is misinforming his opponents by playing an undisclosed system: whether it is illegal as well is another matter.

---
David Stevenson <laws2@blakjak.com>
Liverpool, England, UK
http://blakjak.com/lws_menu.htm

mycroft

67 posts
bridgetalk member

Re: The ole 1NT with singleton ( 23:00:55 TueJul 22 2003 )

Country: Canada

If 1NT is 15-17, any shape with no voids, then it is conventional (which I did comment on, and then cut out. I was trying to be "evenhanded" :-), and the comments of Henry and Ed apply.

If this person would open with a 4441 or 5431s with any stiff, all the time, then he chooses to treat 1NT openings illegally under the GCC. As soon as partner knows enough to be "aware" that he does this, it becomes an implicit understanding, which in this case happens to be an understanding not allowed under the GCC no matter what opener's partner doesn't do about it.

If he opens the occasional 4441 or 5431 with a stiff A or K, possibly even any hand that fits that description, then I think he falls under the ACBL's rules for deciding - <1% of *1NT openers*, partner expects 2, and system doesn't have a way of uncovering. He just happens to have an off-centre bridge judgement, but one that the ACBL is willing to condone.

I was careful with my first reply, because "always", when used as a complaint, almost always means "he's done it to me more than once, and it's *bad*, and..." Which is another reason I strongly encourage people to call the TD, explain the situation, and have the TD rule. Also, to keep the TD aware of every such occurrance. It's the TD's (or club manager's) job to determine "always", and deal with it if it comes up; not players', and definately not mine - unless you're playing in my game!

I am not going to go anywhere near the "unreasonable" comment except to say that although I have my own disagreements with what, and the way, the ACBL chooses to regulate, everything they currently do is well within their authority according to the Laws, as interpreted by the WBF. And it seems unfair in hockey for someone to be clearly offside, but not be penalized for it if he gets onside with dispatch and without participating in the play. But that's the rules the NHL want for their game, and that's the way the game is played in North America. No difference.

Michael.

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bluejak

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If you need help with the Laws or rulings from any country in the world, this is the place!Hosted by David StevensonSenior Consultant DirectorEnglish Bridge Union

If you need help with the Laws or rulings from
any country in the world, this is the place!

Hosted by David Stevenson
Senior Consultant Director
English Bridge Union