Benji Acol

[bridgeman]

What is Benji Acol?

I understand that 2 Diamonds replaces the traditional Acol 2 Clubs (Game
force or 23plus balanced), but what are the reponses to 2 Diamonds?

Also what are the sequences after a 2 Club opener, which i am told shows a
"strong two" in any of the four suits?

I have sussed out that 2 Hearts and 2 Spades Openings are weak and am happy
with respones, it is just the responses etc to " Clubs and " Diamonds I do
not know. Better still, if you can send me a link to a website, even better.

Many Thanks

H Bridgeman (An unforunate name, I know)

PS please reply to this second post to bridgeman149 as bridgeman49 is
obsolete

[Frances Hinden]

Post by bridgeman
What is Benji Acol?
I understand that 2 Diamonds replaces the traditional Acol 2 Clubs (Game
force or 23plus balanced), but what are the reponses to 2 Diamonds?

2H negative, others positive (you can play 2NT as positive in hearts).
It's usual to make the 2NT rebid 25+ balanced ie. game forcing.

Post by bridgeman
Also what are the sequences after a 2 Club opener, which i am told shows a
"strong two" in any of the four suits?

Or 23-24 balanced. Easy, responder nearly always responds 2D even
with a load of high cards to allow opener to bid his suit.

Post by bridgeman
I have sussed out that 2 Hearts and 2 Spades Openings are weak and am happy
with respones, it is just the responses etc to " Clubs and " Diamonds I do
not know. Better still, if you can send me a link to a website, even better.
Many Thanks
H Bridgeman (An unforunate name, I know)
PS please reply to this second post to bridgeman149 as bridgeman49 is
obsolete

A bit of background: British players like this method because it
allows them to combine Acol Twos with weak twos in the majors. John &
Paul are both correct: vast numbers of club-standard British players
use Benji (or reverse Benji where 2D is an Acol 2 in any suit and 2C
the strong bid), but no expert pair that I can think of does so.

Acol Twos are a very nice method when they come up, but the whole
point is that you get your suit across immediately (it's not uncommon
to open a 2-suited game force with an Acol 2 rather than 2C to make
the auction simpler). Putting all your 2-bids through a 2C or 2D
opener just makes life easy for anyone who wants to intervene, as you
don't necessarily have enough to introduce your suit at the 5-level
next round (or you would have opened 2C) but never bidding your 7-card
suit is a bit depressing.

Making your strong bid 2D rather than 2C loses 1 level of bidding.
Not a huge loss, but very little gain.

The multi is in very common use in the UK for the same reason: you can
fit strong and weak twos in by playing 2D as weak in a major or strong
in a minor.

If you are still desperate to include strong twos in your system but
like being able to pre-empt, there are other methods possible. At one
point I used to play 2D = Acol 2 or weak 2 in hearts, 2H = Acol 2 in
spades or 22-23 balanced, 2S = weak, 2NT = 20-21 balanced (giving up
on the Acol 2 in a minor, though I suppose we could have played 2NT as
an Acol 2 in diamonds or fitted it into the 2H opening without much
loss).

[David Stevenson]

Post by Frances Hinden
A bit of background: British players like this method because it
allows them to combine Acol Twos with weak twos in the majors. John &
Paul are both correct: vast numbers of club-standard British players
use Benji (or reverse Benji where 2D is an Acol 2 in any suit and 2C
the strong bid), but no expert pair that I can think of does so.

This is quite recent really. It is certainly not a long time since it
was played by quite a few good pairs. If I manage to get a partner for
the Grand Masters this year [Jeremy Dhondy refers to me as "the most
random Grand Master" because of my record in this] I expect to find a
few pairs playing Benji in it.

I think that the move away from Benji, like the move towards five-card
majors, was initiated in London, which may affect Frances' perception.

[s]

Post by Frances Hinden
If you are still desperate to include strong twos in your system but
like being able to pre-empt, there are other methods possible. At one
point I used to play 2D = Acol 2 or weak 2 in hearts, 2H = Acol 2 in
spades or 22-23 balanced, 2S = weak, 2NT = 20-21 balanced (giving up
on the Acol 2 in a minor, though I suppose we could have played 2NT as
an Acol 2 in diamonds or fitted it into the 2H opening without much
loss).

One disadvantage of this is that it cannot be played at Level 3. This
probably matters less for London-oriented players.

[Frances Hinden]

Post by David Stevenson
[s]

Post by Frances Hinden
If you are still desperate to include strong twos in your system but
like being able to pre-empt, there are other methods possible. At one
point I used to play 2D = Acol 2 or weak 2 in hearts, 2H = Acol 2 in
spades or 22-23 balanced, 2S = weak, 2NT = 20-21 balanced (giving up
on the Acol 2 in a minor, though I suppose we could have played 2NT as
an Acol 2 in diamonds or fitted it into the 2H opening without much
loss).

One disadvantage of this is that it cannot be played at Level 3. This
probably matters less for London-oriented players.

When I played that a) it was before Levels were invented and b) before
I was a Surrey-orientated player.

[David Stevenson]

Post by Frances Hinden

Post by David Stevenson

Post by Frances Hinden
If you are still desperate to include strong twos in your system but
like being able to pre-empt, there are other methods possible. At one
point I used to play 2D = Acol 2 or weak 2 in hearts, 2H = Acol 2 in
spades or 22-23 balanced, 2S = weak, 2NT = 20-21 balanced (giving up
on the Acol 2 in a minor, though I suppose we could have played 2NT as
an Acol 2 in diamonds or fitted it into the 2H opening without much
loss).

One disadvantage of this is that it cannot be played at Level 3. This
probably matters less for London-oriented players.

When I played that a) it was before Levels were invented and b) before
I was a Surrey-orientated player.

Goodness, you must have been young! :)

To me, Surrey *is* London.

[Frances Hinden]

Post by David Stevenson

Post by Frances Hinden

Post by David Stevenson
One disadvantage of this is that it cannot be played at Level 3. This
probably matters less for London-oriented players.

When I played that a) it was before Levels were invented and b) before
I was a Surrey-orientated player.

Goodness, you must have been young! :)
To me, Surrey *is* London.

That's OK, to me anything beyond the Watford Gap is all one strange Northern blur.

[Frances Hinden]

Post by David Stevenson

Post by Frances Hinden
A bit of background: British players like this method because it
allows them to combine Acol Twos with weak twos in the majors. John &
Paul are both correct: vast numbers of club-standard British players
use Benji (or reverse Benji where 2D is an Acol 2 in any suit and 2C
the strong bid), but no expert pair that I can think of does so.

This is quite recent really. It is certainly not a long time since it
was played by quite a few good pairs. If I manage to get a partner for
the Grand Masters this year [Jeremy Dhondy refers to me as "the most
random Grand Master" because of my record in this] I expect to find a
few pairs playing Benji in it.

This may be true, but I for one don't believe that all "Grand Masters"
are experts. Of course, some of the weaker GMs may not play in the GM
pairs.

Post by David Stevenson
I think that the move away from Benji, like the move towards five-card
majors, was initiated in London, which may affect Frances' perception.

You may well be right. In my (not particularly) humble opinion
however, Benji Acol is a poor system, while there is nothing wrong
with proper 4-card majors.