Conventions used in MUTOS ©

 

Intro

  
 

MUTOS is a strong abstract system. Many suits are called with a different meaning than the pure natural ones. This situation results automatically in new conventions. We have tried to limit them because conventions , unless you control them well, give rise to mistakes and misunderstandings. Many unnatural called suits here in MUTOS belong nevertheless to the same 'family' as they follow a given algorithm, or pattern. That's make them suddenly easy to handle, easy to remember .

  

RSC- Relative Suit Code ©MUTOS

 
 

- created for 1 - neosqueeze for optimal usage of bidding space
- uses the available bids as steps to indicate a suit. This suit can be the longest as well as the shortest of a given hand.
- the available suits are ALWAYS in ranking order :
- not all suits are always available : if one suit is known, 3 suits are left etc.

  
 

example : 2 response on 1 opening shows probably a 5332 holding. 2 is the JNB asking for the identity of the 5 card. 4 suits are remaining. If the rebid is 2 (=step2) the 5 card is , the second suit of 4 remaining. Next, 2NT would be asking for the doubleton. A 3 answer (step1) would mean : , the 1st of the remaining 3 suits.

VSSC-Very Short Suit Convention ©MUTOS

  		 
 

Very much related with the RSC is the VSSC: after the knowledge of the longer two suits (eg.54xx) in a hand via RSC it is possible to ask about the remaining 2 suits . The answer is also in steps :

s1 : the 2 remaining suits are equally divided .
s2 : the highest remaining suit is the singleton in the hand
s3 : the lowest remaining suit is the singleton in the hand
s4 : the highest remaining suit is the chicane in the hand
s5 : the lowest remaining suit is the chicane in the hand

Step1 as defined above is only applicale if the remaining suits can be equally divided. If this is not possible because the remaining suits are odd in number of cards (eg.64xx) , the 2nd step as defined above , becomes the first step.

 

Negative Pass ©MUTOS

 
  Only applicable after 1 opening when overcalled < 2. Because partner can ALWAYs ( even with 0 hps) fall back on the 2 answer , P/C, we can hook another meaning to the "pass" : a 4 card in the unbid major(s).  
 

Inverted Bergen Raises

  
 

After a 1 major opening , partner raises until level 3 to show a 4 card support which combines as weel the preemptiben as invitational aspects:

  • 3 : 9-10 hp
  • 3 : 7-8 hp
  • 3M : 0-6 hp (opening major)
  

Niemeyer

    
 

 After a 2NT rebid by opener after he opened with 2 /, and showing as such as strong BALANCED hand, this convention is active :

  • 3 asks about the major holding of the openinjg hand :
    • 3 = 4 card major .
      • Now the partner shows the major he DOES NOT have, promising the other one. If no fit exists, opener bids 3NT (*) .
      • Without a 4 card major the partner must bid 3NT.
    • 3/ = 5 card major
    • 3NT : no 4 card major (*)
  • 3/ : transfer to show a 5 card /
  • 3/4 : transfer to show a 5+ card /, interest in slem .
  • 3NT : 54

(*) If now the 3NT by opener is followed by 4 , this is a MSA : Minor Suit Ask), as the opener has a high probability of holding something in the minors.

  • 4 : 5card or . 4 is a JNB to ask the identity .4 = , 4NT=
  • 4 : 4 card
  • 4 : 4 card
  • 4NT : after a previous 3 ( promising one 4 card major) : no 4 card minor, thus a 4333
    After a previous 3NT : both minors
  
 

DOSC - Disturb Opponents Strong Clubs

  
   - see DOSC  
 

DONT - Disturb Opponents No Trumps

  
 
  • double : 6 card in a given suit. When LHO passes, partner shall bid 2, P/C.
  • 2x : two suiter ( 4+/4+) in x and x+1
  • argumentation : see Mike Lawrence (Ref.2)
  
 

MARC - Mutos' Ace Request Complex ©MUTOS

 
 

In stead of using one bid to ask for the aces, we use 3 ! : 4 , 4 and 4NT. The player who starts this ace request promises - in principle - 2 aces and these 2 aces are :

  • of the same color : 4
  • of the same rank : 4
  • of the same shape : 4NT

Almost always (except when partner has no ace) partner can see from his own holding which aces the requestor has.

The standard-answering scheme is :

step1 : 0, no aces
step2/3 : 1 ace in high/low remaining suit and no controle in the 4th suit
step4/5 : 1 ace in high/low remaining suit and controle in the 4th suit
step6 : 2 aces with 0-3 kings
step 7 : 2 aces with 1-4 kings
step 8 : 2 aces with 2 kings

6x : 2 aces and a void in x.
6 trump suit : 2 aces and a void in a suit above the trump suit

The step8 answer after 4/4 is 5/5NT.

After 4NT (when 4/4 were available to be used) we use the same scheme until step 6 (=6 ) : 2 aces, without any details about kings. A void in clubs can not be told.

When there is doubt that 4/4 could mean something else, eg. a support bid in a previous mentioned minor suit, or those bids have been used by the opponents, one can ask for aces via the traditional Blackwood -way : 4NT. The answers upon 4NT are according -14-2
5 : 0 or 3 aces
5 : 1 or 4 aces
5 : 2 aces without kings
5 : 2 aces with 1 king
5NT : 2 aces with 2 kings


 
 

LOM - Length Other Major ©MUTOS

 
 

After 1 major opening , an 1NT answer asks for the number of cards in teh OTHER major . The level of the rebid shows whether opener is min/max.

2 : 2 cards other major, minimal
2 : 2 cards other major , minimal
2OM : 4 card other major , minimal
2M : 6 card openingsmajor , minimal
2NT : sn in other major , minimal

3 : 2 cards other major, maximal
3 : 2 cards other major , maximal
3OM : 4 card other major , maximal
3M : 6 card openingsmajor, maximal
3NT : sn in other major , maximal