Toucan

by Ron Beall

Don't be put off by the name Toucan. Toucan is just your normal bidding system (e.g., standard or two-over-one) with one major improvement, namely, the structure when you open one club and next hand passes. Toucan is an effective, easy to use, easy to learn, system (no relays, no step responses to memorize, and natural after the initial transfer response when the bidding begins one club -- pass. The only difference between Toucan and a standard system such as two-over-one is that it uses TOOOCO (Transfers Over Our One Club Opening).

As the acronym TOOOCO (Transfers Over Our One Club Opening) implies, the response to a one-club opening (when next hand passes) are transfers: one diamond shows four-plus hearts, one heart shows four-plus spades; one spade suggests that opener rebid one notrump; one notrump shows five-plus clubs, and two clubs shows five plus diamonds.

If responder shows four-plus of a major, opener accepts the transfer with exactly three card support. With four-card support, opener bids the suit at the two-level, showing four card support but a minimum opening hand. In standard, the bidding would have been one club -- pass -- one of a major -- pass -- two of the same major. Note that although the suit and level are the same as in standard bidding methods, opener is declarer, which is likely to be superior when responder is weak (often the case). Note that responder no longer needs to worry whether the opener raised with three- or four-card support.

Consider another standard auction: one club -- pass -- one notrump (showing 6-10 HCP or 8-10 HCP, depending on style). The weaker hand is playing the contract (probably with fewer tenaces), the lead is going through the stronger hand, plus most of our side's assets are in plain view. Using TOOOCO, the bidding goes one club -- one spade -- one notrump. Yes, it is the same contract, but now probably played from the better side.

TOOOCO also allows you to reach two of either minor with ease. One club pass one notrump (or two clubs) can end in two clubs (diamonds) when that is the right spot.

Since the transfers are forcing, responder has options for reaching to three notrump--e.g., with tenaces in all suits, responder bids one notrump (initially probably showing clubs). When opener obediently rebids two clubs, responder can rebid three notrump knowing that the contract is probably rightsided.

How do you bid a hand with a long solid suit (presumably a minor) where you want to play in three notrump from opener's side? Bid one spade (transferring partner to one notrump) then jump to three notrump.

How do you show a game-forcing hand with at least five cards in a minor and five cards in a major? Transfer to the minor then bid the major.

How do you bid an extremely weak (0-4 HCP) hand with five-five in the majors? Bid one diamond. If opener accepts hearts, pass; if not, opener may bid one spade, which you can pass. Just hope that opener doesn't jump or reverse.

How do you show five spades and five hearts with (5-8 HCP)? Bid one heart. If opener accepts at the one-level, pass. If opener accepts at the two level, pass or possibly raise. If opener does not accept the transfer, bid hearts.

How do you show a game-forcing hand with at least five-five in the majors? Bid one spade (temporarily transferring to notrump). If partner bids one notrump, bid two diamonds revealing your hand-type. If opener prefers hearts, the contract will probably be rightsided; if he prefers spades, the contract may not be rightsided, but you will be in the same boat where standard bidders will start with a one-spade response.

How do you show five spades and four hearts with a weak (5-8 HCP) hand? Respond two diamonds (reverse Flannery).

How do you show an invitational hand with long clubs? Bid one spade transferring, then two clubs. This is the equivalent of one club -- two diamonds (criss-cross) in two-over-one bidding (but you are lower, allowing you more room to explore).

Consider the following familiar situation in standard bidding: Partner opens one and you have 5-3-3-2 with a five-card major. Partner rebids one spade over your one-heart response or one notrump over your one heart or one spade response, and you need to decide what to do. If you have game-forcing strength, you presumably have some way to find out if opener has three card support. Lacking game-forcing values, many players rebid two of their major, hoping that partner has support. At best, partner will have two- or three-card support, but even then, the contract is very likely to be wrongsided. How much easier and better it is for you to transfer to your major suit and for partner to accept the transfer showing exactly three-card support. You now know the suit you wish the contract to be in and can concentrate on finding the correct level, and the contract will be rightsided.

Notice that partner shows exactly four card support by accepting your transfer at the two-level and the contract is likely rightsided. Also notice that you don't need to worry about whether opener might be raising on three-card support, so you don't need mechanisms to discover his trump length.

Toucan allows for Soloway Jump-Shifts to be used. A response of two hearts or two spades (preferably showing the major not bid), can be used in this way.

If the opponents interfere after the initial transfer bid, I recommend using support doubles.

If opener doesn't accept the transfer to one of a major, the bidding reverts to standard, as if the response had been one of the major transferred to.

Weaknesses? The opponents can double the artificial transfer suit for lead-direction.

Against TOOOCO, I recommend doubling the transfer to show two-suited takeout (the suit you are doubling and the suit not clubs and not the suit being transferred to). One notrump and two notrump could also be two-suited takeout, with weaker high cards but more shape.

Toucan is a simple, easy-to-use improvement of your current bidding structure. It doesn't require a lot of memorization. Toucan rightsides contracts more often than standard methods, allows entering the auction on some hands would otherwise not qualify, enables describing distribution of some game-forcing holdings at a very-low level.

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