Bridge: Acol

Bridge: The UK Acol bidding style

This guide to the Acol style of bidding is meant to reflect what one might expect sitting down with a pickup partner and agreeing to play 'Acol' or 'Benjaminised Acol'.

Unfortunately there is no 'Standard Acol' system and its 4cM Weak 1NT chassis gets much modified. This page has a list of things to discuss as you sit down - depending on how much time you might have.

Acol summary

Responding to
one of a Suit

Rebids

Weak No Trump

Opening 2 level:
- Standard Acol
- Benjamin style

Preempting

Slam Bidding

Competitive
auctions

Play conventions

Important
agreements

Sitting down opposite an "Acol" player

Here in Britain it is commonplace to sit down and agree to play "Acol" or "Benjamin" with only a little extra discussion. The following list (in a sort of rough order of importance) suggested what I'd like to clarify about partnership methods playing with a stranger.

Traditional Acol or 'Benji': This is really fundamental as that 2 could be eight tricks in "trad", otherwise five!
Weak NT: "WNT" is best confirmed - Default is 12-14. Assume everyone plays Stayman
Red suit transfers: "RST" - Default is probably "on" and "also over 2NT
Card signals: Default probably McKenny (=Lavinthal) and HELD
Blackwood: Simple or RKCB? - Default is simple. Default "RKCB" is 3041
Sputnik: to what level? - Default seems to be to 2 or so
Defence to 1NT: there is much variation here - default should be "natural". I like 2=majors "Landy"
Jump overcalls: Default probably "intermediate" but it doesn't often matter. "Strong" (= Acol Two bid) is now rare
Splinters: Most good players seem to play 4 and 4 opposite majors
Note: A partner who doesn't play RST, Sputnik or splinters is likely to be old-fashioned in his bidding
Crowhurst (checkback): over 1NT rebid is common, and implies a wide 12-16 range and 2 enquiry ?good/bad ?major fit
Shall we use Michaels and/or lebensohl: If the latter, does fast arrival show or deny a stop?
(Partner's undiscussed cue overcall is usually Michaels in my experience)

I think that's enough unless you play together regularly - good luck!

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