[viaduct]

FINCH AKQ – GAME/SLAM SYSTEM - for the better CLUB player!

FINCH AKQ Game/Slam System was devised to transform results such as 4♠+2 to 6♠/6NT; 4♥+3 to 6/7♥ or 6/7NT; 3NT+3 to 6NT; 6♦+1 to 7♦; and also 6♣-1 to 5♣; 5♥-1 to 4♥ and 6NT-1 to 5NT.

It has 4 levels, Basic, Intermediate, Advanced & Professional Extended.

It REPLACES ALL forms of Gerber, Keycard and Blackwood, by using not too complex, logical bid/response patterns, which can provide the partnership with their EXACT holdings of EACH INDIVIDUAL Ace, King and Queen.

RESPONSES TO 4♣ BID BY INITIATOR and Further Bids/Responses

If a trump suit has been established/implied (or LAST genuine partnership bid suit) - there are now 5 Key Cards involved, the 4 Aces, PLUS the KING of the ‘agreed’ trump suit. When no “trumps” have been ‘agreed’, then ♣s are treated as “trumps”.

Responses to initiator’s 4♣ are as follows:-

4♦ = 1 or 4 key cards;

4♥ = 0 or 3 key cards;

4♠ = 2 or 5 key cards.

Following a 4♦, 4♥ or 4♠ response, the originator, is able to ‘sign off’ in Game, 5NT or any Slam, OR can bid 4NT, to which partner replies as per The other 3 KINGS below.

The other 3 KINGS (EXCLUDING the King of "Trumps")

5♣ = 0 Kings OR ALL 3 other Kings
5♦ = lowest King only of 3 OR MUST have highest 2 Kings
5♥ = middle King only of 3 OR MUST have outer 2 Kings
5♠ = highest King only of 3 OR MUST have lowest 2 Kings.

INTERMEDIATE VERSION
4♣/4♠ = 2 or 5 key cards without Trump QUEEN,
but WITH Trump QUEEN jump bid using The other 3 KINGS above.

ADVANCED VERSION
Following a 4♣/4♦ or a 4♣/4♥ bid/response sequence, the next NON-TRUMP bid up asks partner if they have the trump Queen,
and, without the trump Queen, partner bids the NEXT bid up,
but, with the trump Queen, uses The other 3 KINGS bids above.

PROFESSIONAL EXTENDED VERSION

5NT bid after The other 3 KINGS MAY be for The other 3 QUEENS.

6♣ = 0 Queens OR ALL 3 other Queens
6♦ = lowest Queen only of 3 OR has highest 2 Queens
6♥ = middle Queen only of 3 OR has outer 2 Queens
6♠ = highest Queen only of 3 OR has lowest 2 Queens.


NOTES

Yes it takes away the 4♣ Cue Bid and the rare 4♣ Splinter and Texas Transfer bids.

Either 1 or 2 of the 3 remaining Kings (or sometimes Queens) explained!
The beauty is, if for example ♥s are trumps, and your partner replies with his “Kings” (in any one of the 3 possible ways, e.g. replying to 4NT/2+Q♥/confirming has Q♥), and his bid is say 5♠, then he has either the K♠ only (the highest King of ♣, ♦ or ♠), OR, he has both the lowest 2 Kings ♣ and ♦).
If you have the K♠ (highest) then he must have both the K♣ and the K♦ (lowest 2), otherwise if you have either the K♣ or K♦, then he’s got the K♠ only (i.e. neither K♣ nor K♦).

The responder can NOT PASS during a Bid/Response sequence, except when the initiator ‘SIGNS-OFF’ in game, and is not inquiring about the “trump” queen.

An opening bid of 4NT and/or a response of 4NT after a FINCH AKQ 4♣ initiation can be reserved for a special partnership agreement.

The only bid/responses in the Basic version are, 4♣ / 4♦4♥4♠ then PASS/Sign-Off in “trump suit” OR game OR 4NT/5♣-5♠ (Other 3 “Kings” responses).
The Intermediate option introduces 2 KeyCards + the Queen of Trumps/bid “Kings” , the Advanced version adds a Next Non-Trump Bid up / Next Bid-up or bid “Kings”, and the PROFESSIONAL EXTENDED version incorporates the Other 3 QUEENS.

The reason for the 1 or 4 and 0 or 3 (rather than 0314/3041), is because if the answer is one Ace (4♦), there is more bidding space for a Trump Queen query in the advanced+ versions, before going past a 4♠ game.
Whereas if the answer was 0 aces (4♥), it's less likely that the initiator would want to enquire about the Queen of trumps, because a negative response would mean a bid of at least 4NT, which of course now means bidding a major game at the 5 level - something the system attempts to avoid!
Experts may wish to switch between 1403 and 3041 depending on whether the strong or the weak hand is asking!

When ♠s are trumps, the sequence 4♣/4♥(0or3)/4NT is for The other 3 Kings and unfortunately is not asking about the ♠Q.

Most interference bids made after a FINCHAKQ 4♣ initiation can be combated by using the X (double) or XX (re-double) to indicate my reply was going to be 1 Keycard; PASS to show 0 and a bid of the next suit up meaning I have 2 Keycards, (advanced version – bid The other 3 Kings as normal with the Queen of trumps).

Both sequences are permissible - 4♣/4♦(1or4)/PASS when ♦s are trumps,
and 4♣/4♦(1or4); 4♥(?QofT)/4♠(No); 4NT/”Kings”, when ♣, ♦ or ♠s are trumps.

[mikeh]

The 'Professional Version'??

Only someone with no idea of how modern bidding systems operate would think of this modified version of gerber as being something that 'professionals' would play.

If you want to play a method that actually does allow the finding of all Aces, Kings, Queens, and sometimes Jacks, while also showing precise shape, learn a relay method.

As a final note, the idea that 4♣ as some other kind of call can be so readily and profitably dispensed with seems to me to be absurd. Whoever has invented the Finch methods we have seen promoted here appears to have almost no understanding of the game and definitely no insight at all into how good players actually bid.

[glen]

mikeh, on 2012-December-10, 15:32, said:

The 'Professional Version'??

Only someone with no idea of how modern bidding systems operate would think of this modified version of gerber as being something that 'professionals' would play.

No, the professional version costs, this convention is a freemium

[PhilKing]

Modified Gerber FTW.

[Mbodell]

glen, on 2012-December-10, 15:48, said:

No, the professional version costs, this convention is a freemium

I think if you played this, even if given to you for free, you'd still find it costs.

[Zelandakh]

Keep posting these please - you make my convention ideas look good!

[viaduct]

mikeh, on 2012-December-10, 15:32, said:

The 'Professional Version'??

If you want to play a method that actually does allow the finding of all Aces, Kings, Queens, and sometimes Jacks, while also showing precise shape, learn a relay method.

Please, please, please let me know the links to 2 or 3 of these relay methods.

[Zelandakh]

viaduct, on 2012-December-11, 06:33, said:

Please, please, please let me know the links to 2 or 3 of these relay methods.

Gerben's Symmetric Relay
TOSR
Viking Club

will give you a start. There are many others about.

[mgoetze]

viaduct, on 2012-December-10, 14:54, said:

FINCH AKQ Game/Slam System was devised to transform results such as 4♠+2 to 6♠/6NT; 4♥+3 to 6/7♥ or 6/7NT; 3NT+3 to 6NT; 6♦+1 to 7♦; and also 6♣-1 to 5♣; 5♥-1 to 4♥ and 6NT-1 to 5NT.

A lofty goal, but how exactly playing Roman Keycard Gerber is going to help me ascertain when all 3 finesses are on or when there is a nasty 5-0 trump split I've yet to understand.

[Rossoneri]

viaduct, on 2012-December-10, 14:54, said:

FINCH AKQ – GAME/SLAM SYSTEM - for the better CLUB player!

FINCH AKQ Game/Slam System was devised to transform results such as 4♠+2 to 6♠/6NT; 4♥+3 to 6/7♥ or 6/7NT; 3NT+3 to 6NT; 6♦+1 to 7♦; and also 6♣-1 to 5♣; 5♥-1 to 4♥ and 6NT-1 to 5NT.

It has 4 levels, Basic, Intermediate, Advanced & Professional Extended.

What is this I don't even

[Free]

Knowing that my minor suit fits are usually set at 4-level, I'll stick to Kickback Turbo for a while...