[jillybean]

What a great idea from Down Under
P Plates
‘Inexperienced’ players may carry a P-plate at our regular sessions which alerts the opponents that they are playing against new/inexperienced players.

This ‘asks’ that the opponents revert to ‘simple’ bidding.

When playing against a ‘P-plater’ please follow the ‘Monday Simple System’ bidding so:
• 1♣ openings should show at least 3; so an opening bid of 1♣ or 1♦ is ‘better minor’.
• No transfer bids after 1♣ Openings
• No Multi-2s • No brown sticker conventions or yellow systems

PLUS All to play Standard American with a strong 1NT AND then as the auction unfolds: Please ‘Keep-it-Simple’

Furthermore as per our updated Regulation 5: 5. NEW PLAYERS AND SYSTEM CARDS In accordance with the ABF Law 40-C-3a, new players will be allowed to consult their systems card, and notes, during the auction and play for the first year. NB: P-plates cannot be used in our ‘Special’ events which include Championships and Our Congress.

[pescetom]

 jillybean, on 2026-March-16, 06:57, said:

What a great idea from Down Under
P Plates
‘Inexperienced’ players may carry a P-plate at our regular sessions which alerts the opponents that they are playing against new/inexperienced players.

This ‘asks’ that the opponents revert to ‘simple’ bidding.

When playing against a ‘P-plater’ please follow the ‘Monday Simple System’ bidding so:
• 1♣ openings should show at least 3; so an opening bid of 1♣ or 1♦ is ‘better minor’.
• No transfer bids after 1♣ Openings
• No Multi-2s • No brown sticker conventions or yellow systems

PLUS All to play Standard American with a strong 1NT AND then as the auction unfolds: Please ‘Keep-it-Simple’

Furthermore as per our updated Regulation 5: 5. NEW PLAYERS AND SYSTEM CARDS In accordance with the ABF Law 40-C-3a, new players will be allowed to consult their systems card, and notes, during the auction and play for the first year. NB: P-plates cannot be used in our ‘Special’ events which include Championships and Our Congress.

It's a great idea, although in practice a lot of it is already in place, in the clubs I frequent at least: beginners are allowed to consult their card and notes, opponents are discouraged from playing weird stuff against them, clubs are allowed to restrict weird stuff in local games (although few do).

I suspect that "all to play Standard American" is a terrible choice for a simple standard system in Aussie, given that mycroft has repeatedly clarified that it is a poor choice even in NA.
I would mandate and synthesize whatever they are being taught, which is probably some flavour of 2/1.

[jillybean]

pescetom, on 2026-March-16, 10:09, said:

It's a great idea, although in practice a lot of it is already in place, in the clubs I frequent at least: beginners are allowed to consult their card and notes, opponents are discouraged from playing weird stuff against them, clubs are allowed to restrict weird stuff in local games (although few do).

I suspect that "all to play Standard American" is a terrible choice for a simple standard system in Aussie, given that mycroft has repeatedly clarified that it is a poor choice even in NA.
I would mandate and synthesize whatever they are being taught, which is probably some flavour of 2/1.

I can't speak for Aussie but NZ still teaches ACOL to new players.

[pescetom]

 jillybean, on 2026-March-16, 10:39, said:

I can't speak for Aussie but NZ still teaches ACOL to new players.

Better than Standard American at any rate, at least they will learn the basics of natural bidding without too many obsolete conventions (although then have to start again almost from scratch with 2/1 GF).

Italy now teaches a simplified 2/1 GF system directly, with 4 card diamonds and strong NT. That makes them immediately understandable to the rest of the room and helps them understand what little the others do differently and why.
I was sceptical at first but am now convinced, it gets them into the main game much faster even if they struggle to understand the underlying logic of what they are doing.

[jillybean]

I was teethed on SAYC and fiercely defended and hung onto it for years, it was marketed as the only way to play. I think I can agree now that if we are not going to take the plunge into 2/1, ACOL would be a better start