Ben Beever

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ben Beever is an English juggler (and math teacher) who comes from Huddersfield and has helped in the understanding of the juggling notation Siteswap. He is known for being able to juggle highly complex siteswaps, perform phenomenal tricks with 7 balls, long runs with 9 balls and for being able to flash 11 and 12 balls.

Around 1999, he became interested in bridge and has since developed a large number of bidding systems and conventions for the game, such as the Juggler's Club, Beever's Doubling Rule and Beeverized Kabel.

Beeverized Kabel was developed in 2002 from the Kabel 3NT convention, with the intention of lowering the responses, making it more versatile and able to be used with weaker, more pre-emptive hands. It asks partner semi-specifically which aces he holds. The responses are:

Step 1 = No ace
Step 2 = 1 minor suit ace
Step 3 = 1 major suit ace
Step 4 = 2 aces of the same rank
Step 5 = 2 aces of the same colour
Step 6 = 2 'odd' aces (C+H or D+S)
Step 7 = 3 aces

The player employing the convention should hold at least 1 ace, but may have a void; usually there will be no ambiguity as to the usefulness of the ace(s) held by responder.

Beever also developed the "Juggler's Club" system. THis is a highly pre-emptive (>75% opening frequency) strong club system for bridge bidding, using '5 card majors' and 5 'weak 2s' of various types. It is distinguished from most other strong club systems by virtue of the mini NT (allowing all 10+ HCP hands to be opened), the weak artificial 2C opening (promising both majors), the 'dustbin' (10-15 HCP) 1D opening, and the fact that 1 major openings guarantee 5 to 7 losers, but may be up to 20 HCP.

The system began to evolve from Acol with weak (12-14) 1NT in 2000, when the 'Benji' 2 level structure was added, along with '5 card majors'. By 2002 it had acquired a 'multi-coloured 2D', a strong 1 club opening, and artificial 2C and 2D rebids (after opening 1C) to enable a wide variety of strong hand types to be described accurately. The 2 level opening structure has since undergone many refinements before crystallising into its present form.

It was developed originally by Beever in partnership with Graham Currie (both jugglers - hence the name), with later suggestions from Eddie Thornton-Chan. Since 2007, the system has become more widespread through the bridge website BBO (Bridge Base Online), but is likely to remain a work-in-progress.

The opening bids in 1st and 2nd seat (at UK level 3) are:

Pass = 0-9 HCP

1C = 16+ HCP approx (no 5+ major unless 4- losers or 20+ HCP)

1D = 10-15 HCP, balanced, clubs or diamonds (inc 4441)

1H/S = 10-20 HCP, 5+ cards in the suit, 5-7 losers

1NT = 9-12 HCP, 5 card major / 7 card minor ok

2C = 5-10 HCP, 4+ spades and 4+ hearts

2D = 5-10 HCP 6 card major OR (for legality) 7+ minor, 4 losers exactly

2H/S = 5-10 HCP, 5 card suit exactly (must be 8-10 / 4+ minor at vul)

2NT = 7-10 HCP, 5-4 or better in minors

3C/D = 7-10 HCP, 6-8 card suit

3H/S = 5-10 HCP, 7 card suit

3NT = 10-15 HCP, longish minor, maybe stoppers outside the long suit

4C = Beeverized Kabel (asking aces: 4D=no, 4H=c/d, 4S=h/s, 4N/5C/D=2:RCO style)

4D/H/S = Natural, pre-emptive.

4NT = 6-5 or better in the minors, 5-10 HCP

Notes:

10-12 HCP hands with 5332/5422 & 5 card major are opened 1NT (excepting 5 spades 4 hearts).

13-14 HCP hands with 5332/5422 & 5 card major are opened 1D (excepting 5 spades 4 hearts, or 5 hearts 4 diamonds).

All other 10-20 HCP hands with a 5+ card major are opened 1H/S or 1C.

In 3rd seat, 1NT = 9-15, and 2 level bids become 0-14 where legal. In 4th seat, 'rule of 15' applies.

[edit] External links

Languages