Acol - Bidding System Structure

Bidding System Structure

As a bidding system, Acol has the following characteristics:

  • It is a natural system: most opening bids, responses and rebids are made with at least 4 cards in the suit bid, and most no trump bids are made with balanced hands.
  • It is a four-card major system: only four-card suits are required to open 1♠ or 1♥, unlike Standard American and many other systems where five-card suits are typically required.
  • It is an approach forcing system: whether or not a bid is forcing (systemically requiring a response) depends on the previous bidding ("approach"). This is in contrast to level forcing systems, such as 2-over-1, where the level of the bid determines whether or not it is forcing.
  • It makes extensive use of limit bids: limit bids describe the hand so closely, in terms of high card points (HCP) and shape, that the one who makes the limit bid is expected to pass on the next round, unless partner makes a forcing bid.
  • Understanding and correct use of limit bids and forcing bids is fundamental to applying the system: all no trump bids below the level of 4NT are limit bids, as are all suit bids that merely repeat a suit already bid by the partnership; changes of suit may be forcing or not depending on the approach bids.
  • The level of the 1 NT opening bid influences other bids: the normal choice is between a "weak no trump" (12-14 HCP) and a "strong no trump" (15-17 HCP).

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