In BBO robot games using the French SEF system (French Standard), the robot plays the system described below.

You can click on any of the robot bids for an explanation, and pause your mouse over a bid you plan on making to see how your robot partner will understand it.

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Overview

French Standard (SEF) with 5 card majors, 15-17 NT, strong jump-shifts, strong artificial 2♦ and 2♣, weak 2♥/2♠. Standard leads and discards (3rd/5th leads in a suit contract, 4th best in notrump, direct discards).

Opening bids

1st level opening bids

Open longest major suit if 5 cards or longer 1♥/1♠

Open longest minor suit if no 5+ card major: 1♣/1♦.

Minimum number of HCP for a 1-level opening bid

10 HCP.

Point range for 1NT opening bid

15-17 HCP, can have 5-card major.

2nd level opening bids

Weak 2♥/2♠

Natural, weak, 5-10 HCP and 6 good cards in the suit bid. Disciplined, with honors in the suit.

2♣ opening bid

Strong 17-23 HCP.
Continuations: 2♦ relay.

2♦ opening bid

Game forcing: 16+ HCP and a game going hand.
Continuations: 2♥ negative (0-7 HCP) and everything else natural, 8+ HCP.

2NT opening bid

20-21 HCP, balanced, no 5-card major.

3♣/3♦/3♥/3♠

Preemptive.

3NT Gambling

3NT opener is gambling, showing a solid 7-card minor with no outside Ace or King.

4♣/4♦/4♥/4♠

Preemptive.

4NT both minors

Preemptive, two suiter with at least 5-5 in ♣/♦.

Responses to opening bid

1NT over 1♣/1♦/1♥/1♠

5-10 HCP, no fit, non forcing.

Simple raise

5-10 HCP, fit, non forcing.

Two over one responses

10+ HCP, natural, forcing one round.

Jump-shifts

Jump-shifts over a 1st level opener show a strong hand (16+ HCP) and a good 6+ card suit, game forcing.

2NT responses

Over 1♣/1♦

2NT is 10-11 HCP, balanced, no fit, invitational.

Over 1♥/♠

2NT is 9-11 HCP with 3 card support, invitational.

Jump responses

Jumps in opener’s suit are invitational, showing 4+ card (5 cards if ♣ ) and a game invitational hand.

3NT over 1♥/♠

In response to a major suit opening bid, 3NT shows 11-14 HCP with 4+ card support.

Responses to the 1NT opening bid

2♣ Stayman

Promises at least one 4-card major and an invitational hand.
With 4♥ and 4♠, opener responds 2NT to Stayman.

Transfers

2♦ is transfer to hearts.
2♥ is transfer to spades.
2♠ is transfer to clubs.
3♣ is transfer to diamonds.

4♣ is a major 2 suiter with possibly longer spades.
4♦ is a major 2 suiter with possibly longer hearts.

Responses to the strong 2♣ opening bid

2♦ relay, with natural follow-ups.

Responses to the strong 2♦ opening bid

2♥ negative (0-7 HCP) and everything else natural, 8+ HCP.

Responses to the 2NT opening bid

3♣ Stayman

Promises at least one 4-card major, forcing to game.

3NT response to Stayman shows exactly 4 hearts and 4 spades.

Transfers

3♦ is transfer to hearts.
3♥ is transfer to spades.
3♠ is transfer to clubs.
4♣ is transfer to diamonds.

4♦ both majors

4♦ shows both majors, at least 5-5.

No Texas

4♥/4♠ are natural, 6+ carder, weak, to play.

Conventions for constructive bidding

3rd/4th suit forcing

If opener has repeated his opening bid as second bid after a response and responder bids a new suit (a 3rd suit), this bid shows nothing about the suit named but makes the auction forcing.

If the first 3 bids have been made in 3 different suits, naming the 4th suit will be artificial. It makes the auction forcing and simply asks the opener to describe his hand.

Keycard Blackwood 03 14

Roman keycard blackwood with standard responses. The 4NT bid is used to ask partner to reveal how many keycards (the four aces and king of trump) they hold.

Responses are:

5♣ = 0 or 3 Keycards.
5♦ = 1 or 4 Keycards.
5♥= 2 Keycards without the Queen of Trump.
5♠= 2 Keycards with the Queen of Trump.

A continuation of 5NT asks for Kings (not counting the King of trump).

Responses are:

6♣ = 0 or 3 Kings.
6♦ = 1 or 4 Kings.
6♥= 2 Kings without the Queen of trump.
6♠= 2 Kings with the Queen of trump.

Splinter

A jump (or a double jump) shows a shortness (void or singleton) in the suit in which the jump is made and a fit in the last suit named by the partner. 

Smolen

Standard Smolen after 1NT or 2NT opening. After a 2♦ response by 1NT opener, denying a 4-card major, responder jumps to the three-level in their shorter major, therby showing five cards in the other major. For example, after 1NT (P) 2♣ (P) 2♦, responder’s 3♥ bid shows exactly 4 hearts and 5 spades, with a game going hand.

No support double by opener

After 4th player’s overcall with no jump, opener’s double shows a better than opening hand and does not promise support for partner’s bid suit.

Responses after an overcall

Double after a 1♦ or 1♥ overcall at the 1st level

After opponents’ overcall at the 1-level (1♦ or 1♥), doubling shows 4 hearts over 1♦  and exactly 4♠ over 1♥.

Truscott

After a takeout double, the fit at the 3 level becomes very weak and the invitational bid becomes 2NT.

Defense after overcalls at the 2 level over 1NT

All-natural.suits at the 2 level.

2NT is transfer to clubs.

3♣ is transfer to diamonds.

3♦ is transfer to hearts.

3♥ is transfer to spades.

Overcalls and responses to overcalls

X overcall over 1NT

Double of opponents’ 1NT shows a 4 card major and a 5+ card minor suit.

Michaels/Unusual NT and two suited overcalls

2NT jump overcall always shows 5-5 distribution or better in the two lowest ranking suits.

Over a minor suit opening, 2♦ shows 5-5 in the majors.

Over a major suit opening bid, the cuebid of that suit shows 5 of the other major and and 5+ clubs.

Over a major suit opening bid, 3♣ shows 5 of the other major and 5+ diamonds.

4NT over a minor suit opening shows a 2 suiter with the other minor and a major.

Leaping Michaels: Over a weak 2♥ or 2♠ opener, a 4 level minor jump overcall shows a two suiter with that minor and the unbid major.

Multi Landy over 1NT

2♣ overcall over opponents’ 1NT shows a two-suiter with at least 5/4 in the majors.

2♦ overcall over opponents’ 1NT shows a six card major.

2♥ overcall over opponents’ 1NT shows 5 hearts and a 4+ card minor.

2♠ overcall over opponents’ 1NT shows 5 spades and a 4+ card minor.

2NT overcall over opponents’ 1NT shows  5+ in both minors.

X of opponents’ 1NT shows a 4 card major and a 5 card minor.

Gambling cue bid

Over a minor suit opening, a cuebid of that minor at the 3 level shows a long running suit in the other minor and requests partner to bid 3NT with a stopper in opener’s minor

Preemptive overcalls

Other jump overcalls are preemptive.

Fit-jumps in response to an overcall

A jump fit shows length in the suit bid and a fit. Forcing.

Leads and Carding

3rd/5th leads in a suit contract, 4th best in notrump.
Direct attitude signal, with high encouraging and low discouraging.
On the first suit played by declarer, robot gives “count” (if it holds at least 2 small cards).
On the first round of a suit (by following suit or discarding), robot gives count in the suit if they cannot play higher, there is no case of unblocking and they hold at least 2 small cards.

In notrump, with an honour-third, robot leads the second card.
In a suit contract, robot gives upside-down count in the trump suit.
In a suit contract, with 4 small cards, robot leads the second one and the third one with an honour.