[aleaxit]

I've been trying to understand at what ACBL convention-card level(s) (per http://web2.acbl.org...HARTS2_2020.pdf ) I am allowed to play what seems to be emerging as a very popular approach -- "can be short" 1 Club opening bid (used on all balanced hands unsuited to an NT opening bid) with transfer responses (1D means Hearts, 1H means Spades, etc).

If I read correctly, only the "Open" and "Open+" levels would allow that (because they don't outright forbid it), not "Basic+"; so I could not use that approach in any limited-MPs competition, such as Midflight Pairs. Am I correct on this point?

[blackshoe]

Basic+ would allow it if the responses are game forcing, but I gather they're not. So yeah, you need an open or open+ event. Open would apply at a limited event if the limit is above 3000 master points. I don't know what the limit is on the mid-flight pairs.

[mycroft]

Depends on the flighting. The NAOBC had 1500 and 5000 (and open); 1500 was Basic+, 5000 was Open. Online Regionals I think were 1500 if GR (750) or 2500 if "Super GR" (1250); neither of those would be Open. The one-session side games are open, though, and therefore are Open Chart.

My firm belief is that the MP limits triggering Basic/Basic+ are too high; I'd put them at 500/1500 or so. There are too many open club games following the ACBL's suggestion to play Open Chart that the club A players with 2000 are in for a big shock when they go into the 0-2500 or 0-3000 game because they don't want to play "all those pros". I personally have had to warn two pairs so far that their agreements aren't Basic+ legal, and heard of a third, and I'm only part-time Tournament director. But they don't listen to my opinions for very good reasons.

Note: as always, my opinions are not those of the ACBL, and I never speak for them here.