I could only get to observe a couple of hands yesterday, lots going on, but I thought I would comment on board 13. The auction shown begins with a Flannery 2
by E, W bids 2NT asking for more info, and then, contrary to any way that I have ever played Flannery, E bids 3
to show a 4=5=2=2 shape.
Here are responses as shown in Wikipedia:
2NT – forcing bid. The opener describes his hand more precisely:
3♣, 3♦ – 3 cards in the bid suit (i.e., 4=5=1=3 and 4=5=3=1 distribution, respectively)
3♥ – 4=5=2=2, 11-13 points
3♠ – 4=5=2=2, 14-15 points with weak minor-suit doubletons
3NT – 4=5=2=2, 14-15 points, but good minor-suit doubletons
4♣, 4♦ – 4 cards in the bid suit (i.e., 4=5=0=4 and 4=5=4=0 distribution, respectively)
4♥ - a 6-card heart suit, for those who play this variant
The above is not the only way, but I regard it as a pretty standard way.
Flannery at least has the possibility of keeping them out of game here. 2
- 2NT - 3
(showing 4=5=2=2 minimum) and now W looks at an aceless hand with the probably useless
QJx opposite a known doubleton and might consider passing.
I am not fond of Flannery but this is because I am fond of the weak 2
. Flannery generally works fine when it comes up but often it isn't needed. Here, for example, without Flannery it can start 1
- 1
- 2
and they might or might not be able to stop below game but the Flannery players Jim cites also didn't stop below game.
A favorite Flannery story from long ago. I had a partner, RL, who had a strong belief that her way of playing any convention was the right way. One of her other partners told me the following: They played the Flannery convention, they disagreed about some of the details of the convention. They were at a national even in Philadelphia, Flannery was there, so they caught up to him and asked him. Flannery agreed with the woman telling me this story, not with RL. As they left, RL said "Well, that's only one man's opinion".