Standard Precision

The Precision Club system described on this site is not a "standard" version of Precision. Indeed it is not even a standard version of Super-Precision. Precision Club itself does not use Asking Bids and does have some features that are not often used in normal practice today (eg: 2-way Stayman). I make no apologies for the fact that the system I teach is not "classic" Precision: Over the years I have arrived at a system that really works for me but even now the system is constantly evolving as new methods come along. In case you are looking for a description of "Standard Precision" what appears below is a fairly simple description of basic Precision. At the bottom you will find a description of the 5 main Asking Bids that are normally included in Super-Precision.

Summary

1♣ = 16+, any distribution. The only exception is 22-23 balanced (opened 2NT)
1♦ = 11-15 with a hand unsuitable for an opening of 1♥, 1♠, 1NT, 2♣ or 2♦. It denies having a 5-card Major or a 6-card Club suit unless it's weak.
1♥ = 11-15 with 5-card Hearts (Spades shorter)
1♠ = 11-15 with 5-card Spades (Hearts not longer)
1NT = 13-15 throughout (balanced or semi-balanced with a 5-card Minor)
2♣ = 11-15 with a fairly good 6-card Club suit or a 5-card Clubs Suit with a 4-card Major.
2♦ = 11-15 with exactly 4414 shape (singleton Diamond).
2♥ = 5-9 with a 6-card Heart suit.
2♠ = 5-9 with a 6-card Spade suit.
2NT = 22-23 balanced.
Normal pre-empts.

Intermediate Openings

One No Trump

Shows: 13-15 throughout, balanced or semi-balanced with a 5-card Minor. Precision does not normally open 1NT when semi-balanced with a 5-card Major unless the Major is very weak (eg: 9xxxx).
Standard Precision prescribes 2-way Stayman and no transfers, so
- 1NT-2C is non-forcing Stayman, and
- 1NT-2D is forcing Stayman.
(Most Precision pairs ditch this in favour of normal Stayman and Transfers, but it doesn't affect any other part of the system so you're free to do as you like here).

Major Suit Openings

1♥ shows 11-15 with 5-card Hearts (Spades shorter)
1♠ shows 11-15 with 5-card Spades (Hearts not longer)

Simple change of suit responses forcing for 1 round.
2/1 responses normally treated as forcing to 2NT.
Direct suit raises normally pre-emptive, for the most part, based on trump support and a ruffing value rather than a solid point count limit raise.
Splinters as normal, normally 16+ with good 4-card or longer trump support and a shortage.
The 1NT response is an artificial 1-round force normally showing one of the following:
1. Balanced limit raise in Opener's Major to the 2-level or higher
2. Balanced raise to at least 2NT with no good support for Opener's Major.
3. A weak hand with a 6-card or longer suit of its own and no tolerance for Opener's Major.
Opener now does one of the following:
- shows a second suit (jump rebids show a maximum and at least 5-5)
- rebids a 6-card Major (jump rebids a maximum)
- bids their cheapest 3-card Minor with any 5332 shape hand.
Responder now supports the Major at the appropriate level with (1), bids No Trumps at the appropriate level with (2), or bids their long weak suit at the minimum level with (3).
Short-suit trial bids are the norm with Precision, so 1♠...2♠-3♣ would show a club shortage and be invitational to 4♠.

One Diamond

Shows: 11-15 with a hand unsuitable for an opening of 1H, 1S, 1NT, 2C or 2D. 1♦ denies having a 5-card Major or a 6-card Club suit unless it's weak.

Responses and continuations are almost completely natural.
Bear in mind that 1♦ does not promise a Diamond suit so a sequence such as 1♦-1NT-2♣ does not have to show a Minor 2-suiter.
1♥ and 1♠ responses promise 4-card holdings only and it is normal to explore for a Major suit fit at the 1-level
1NT response normally shows 8-10 balanced
2♣ and 2♦ responses are 1-round forces showing those suits, but normally denying having a 4-card Major unless responder's hand is strong enough for a game-forcing reverse.

Two Clubs

Shows: 11-15 with a fairly good 6-card Club suit or a 5-card Clubs Suit with a 4-card Major.

2♦ Response is a forcing enquiry ostensibly showing 12+ over which:
- 2♥/3♥ and 2♠/3♠ show a 4-card holding in that suit (Min/Max).
- 2NT shows a 6-card Club suit with 2 outside suits stopped (Now 3♦ asks again and Opener bids the suit they cannot stop, and 3NT with no Diamond stop)
- 3♣ shows a 6-card Club suit with only 1 outside suit stopped (Now 3♦ asks again and Opener bids the suit they can stop, and 3NT with a Diamond stop)
2♥ and 2♠ Responses are limited, normally showing a 5+-card suit with no tolerance for Clubs
2NT response shows about 11-12 points balanced with no 4-card Major

Two Diamonds

Shows: 11-15 with exactly 4414 shape (singleton Diamond).

Almost all continuations are natural and non-forcing.
2NT Response a forcing enquiry on Opener to show their range/controls:
1. 3♣ shows Lower Range, 0-3 Controls
2. 3♦ shows Lower Range 4+ Controls
3. 3♥ shows Upper Range, 0-3 Controls
4. 3♠ shows Upper Range, 4+ Controls

1C Sequences

1♣ shows 16+ with any distribution. The only exception is 22-23 balanced or whatever other range you assign (opened 2NT) .
1C is unconditionally forcing for one round. Responses are as follows:
- 1♦ shows 0-7 points, any shape (or a positive response with 4441 distribution)
- 1♥ shows 8+ points with 5+ Hearts, game-forcing
- 1♠ shows 8+ points with 5+ Spades, game-forcing
- 1NT shows 8+ points balanced, game-forcing
- 2♣ shows 8+ points with 5+ Clubs, game-forcing
- 2♦ shows 8+ points with 5+ Diamonds, game-forcing
- 2♥/2♠ are semi-positive, promising 5-7 with a 6-card suit
- 2NT is semi-positive, promising 7-8 points balanced with 3334 shape and no 4-card Major.
Continuations (if not using Asking Bids) are wholly natural
4441-Shape Hands
- If Responder has a 4441-shape hand with positive values, then their actions are to give a 1♦ Negative, initially, and then to take action inconsistent with that negative response on the second round of bidding. This is the so-called Impossible Negative and takes the form of
  1. Jumping in No Trumps if Opener has bid their singleton suit, or
  2. Jumping in the singleton suit if Opener has bid one of their 4-card suits.
- If Opener rebids No Trumps then Responder the Captain of the Hand and can use Stayman etc to ascertain the right contract.

Slam Investigation

If not using the Asking Bids then cue-bidding and whatever flavour of Blackwood you want. Even if you are not using the whole slew of Asking Bids, an alternative is to make a more limited use of Beta

Super-Precision Asking Bids

Alpha (Primary Trump Asking)

When?
- Jump-shift over an Intermediate Opening bid or
- A simple new suit rebid over a positive response to 1♣
Responses (in steps):
1. No Support (less than Hxx or xxxx) and 0-3 controls
2. No Support (less than Hxx or xxxx) and 4+ controls
3. Support (at least Hxx or xxxx) and 0-3 Controls
4. Support (Hxx or xxxx) and 4+ Controls
5. Good Support (At least Hxxx) and 4 Controls
6. Good Support (At least Hxxx) and 5 Controls
7. ...
Suit Agreement: A 3-step or greater response agrees the suit as trumps.
Repeat Asks: If Alpha gets a negative (1 or 2-step) response then a rebid in the same or a new suit is Theta
Alpha always affects the scale used in any subsequent Beta ask

Beta (General Control Asking)

When?
- 4♣ (unless Clubs agreed as trumps or suggested as trumps and no trump suit yet agreed)
- 4♦ (if Clubs agreed as trumps or suggested as trumps and no trump suit yet agreed)
- 1NT Rebid over a 1♥ or 1♠ Response to 1♣
- Relay in the next suit over a 1NT, 2♣ or 2♦ response to 1♣
- A bid in a explicitly shown short suit (eg: 4441 shape described or a splinter)
Responses (in steps):
- Responses show Controls (Ace = 2, King = 1)
- There are 3 different Scales for Beta
- Normal (Responder's strength unknown or known to be intermediate)
  1. 0-2 Controls
  2. 3 Controls
  3. 4 Controls
  4. 5 Controls
  5. ...
- Weak (Responder known to be 0-10 or with less than 4 controls)
  1. No Controls
  2. 1 Control
  3. 2 Controls
  4. 3 Controls
  5. 4 Controls
- Strong (Responder known to be 16+ or with 4+ Controls)
  1. 0-4 Controls
  2. 5 Controls
  3. 6 Controls
  4. 7 Controls
  5. ...
Repeat Asks: If a low-level Beta gets a 0-2 or 0-4 response, then a second high-level Beta is available but will always be on the weak or strong scale rather than the normal one. Alpha always affects the scale used in any subsequent Beta ask and may make a Beta Ask unnecessary.
Precedence: 4♣/4♦ Beta takes precedence over 4♣/4♦ Epsilon if Responder's exact number of controls is not yet known. 4♣/4♦ Theta or Gamma takes precedence over 4♣/4♦ Beta if no suit has yet been agreed as trumps.

Gamma (Trump Asking in Responder's 5+-card Suit)

When?
- If Responder has shown a 5-card or longer suit (positive suit response to 1NT), then a bid of responder's suit if no suit has yet been agreed as trumps is Gamma. No Other bid can be Gamma.
Responses (in steps):
1. No Top Honour
2. 1 Top Honour, Minimum Length
3. 2 or 3 Top Honours, Minimum Length
4. 1 Top Honour, Minimum length +1
5. 2 Top Honours, Minimum length +1
6. 3 Top Honours, Minimum length +1
7. ...
Repeat Asks: If a Gamma Response shows 1 or 2 Top Honours, then a repeat ask can be made in the same suit below game level to ascertain which Honour is held (and whether the Jack is held as well). The Responses are
- If 1 Top Honour has been shown:
  1. Q or KJ
  2. K or AJ
  3. A or QJ
- If 2 Top Honours have been shown (or 2/3 Top honours, Minimum length):
  1. KQ or AKJ
  2. AQ or KQJ
  3. AK or AQJ
  4. AKQ
Precedence: If another suit has already been agreed as trumps, then a bid can never be Gamma and is instead Epsilon or Beta.
Suit Agreement: Gamma always agrees Responder's suit as trumps unless followed immediately by a bid in No Trumps.

Epsilon (Specific Control Asking in a Side Suit)

When?
- If a suit has already been agreed as trumps during an Asking Bid sequence, then any bid in a side-suit that is not Beta (which takes precedence) is Epsilon, unless it is a jump-shift into a side-suit, which is always to play. A bid can never be Epsilon unless a suit has been agreed as trumps during an Asking Bid Sequence.
Responses (in steps):
1. No Control
2. 3rd Round Control
3. 2nd Round Control
4. 2nd & 3rd Round Control
5. 1st Round Control
Repeat Asks: Repeat Epsilon asks are allowed to ascertain what kind of control has been shown. The responses are:
1. Shortage
2. Honour
3. Both

Theta (Secondary Trump Asking)

When?
- If a low-level Beta Ask has been made (see above), then a simple bid in a new suit over the Beta Response is Theta.
- If Alpha gets a negative Response, then a repeat Ask in a new or the same suit is Theta.
Responses (in steps):
1. Singleton or Void
2. H or xx
3. Hx or xxx
4. HH or Hxx
5. xxxx
6. HHx or Hxxx
7. HHxx
8. xxxxx or xxxxxx
9. Hxxxx or Hxxxxx
10. HHxxx or HHxxxx
Repeat Asks: A Repeat Theta in the same suit is possible to distinguish between 2 possible options, and the shorter option is always shown as the 1-step response.
Suit Agreement: A 4-step response to Theta agrees the suit. In the event of a repeat Theta in the same suit, or a Theta that is a Repeat Alpha in same same suit, this always agrees the suit as trumps, whatever the response.

Other Asking Bids

The other asking bids used in our scheme are extensions of the basic 5 shown above:
- Delta uses the same responses as Theta, and is a very strong asking bid (a jump-shift over a 1♦ negative response) normally showing 24+. It is the only way a 1♣ Opener can insist in an Asking Bid sequence over a 1♦ Negative.
- Zeta uses the same rules and responses as Beta, but it sets the trump suit unilaterally at the same time (a Jump-shift over a positive response to 1♣).
- Eta is a form of Gamma but used only when responder is known to have a 4-card suit (Impossible Negative). It uses a different scale that is more detailed.
- Iota is a slightly contracted version of Theta used when responder has shown a balanced hand. It merges the first 2 steps into "Less than Hx or xxx".

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