[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

[HardVector]

I'm going to disagree, and I'm willing to bet that nobody will agree with my take. I'm all for teaching new players to bridge...wait for it...Goren. Everything is natural. All jump shifts are strong and forcing to game. This, in my opinion is the easiest entry to bridge. You do let them know that there are more efficient and informative methods, but this is easiest to understand. The problem with just saying learn SAYC or learn ACOL, is that everyone has their pet version of this they use all around the conventions that are considered standard to the system. For instance, you agree to play SAYC and the bidding goes; 1c-2h, what did your partner just describe? I've seen the following hands all shown after this, all of them stating that is the "standard" meaning of it.
A KQJTxx Ax xxxx, xx KQxxxx QJx xx, Jxxx KQJxx Kxx x, x Jxxxxx xxx Qxx. What is your "standard"?

[pescetom]

 HardVector, on 2026-March-17, 14:32, said:

I'm going to disagree, and I'm willing to bet that nobody will agree with my take. I'm all for teaching new players to bridge...wait for it...Goren. Everything is natural. All jump shifts are strong and forcing to game. This, in my opinion is the easiest entry to bridge. You do let them know that there are more efficient and informative methods, but this is easiest to understand. The problem with just saying learn SAYC or learn ACOL, is that everyone has their pet version of this they use all around the conventions that are considered standard to the system. For instance, you agree to play SAYC and the bidding goes; 1c-2h, what did your partner just describe? I've seen the following hands all shown after this, all of them stating that is the "standard" meaning of it.
A KQJTxx Ax xxxx, xx KQxxxx QJx xx, Jxxx KQJxx Kxx x, x Jxxxxx xxx Qxx. What is your "standard"?

I disagree because I don't think Goren can claim more than one of the three (admittedly contrasting) desirable characteristics for a beginner system: natural, simple, effective. Acol at its purest is both simple and natural, all it takes is some discipline in not embellishing it with pet conventions. The problem is that they will take a hiding while playing it and if they are still around in a year then have to start over again with a better system.

FWIW I I like the almost opposite approach of starting them with a basic strong club system: incredibly simple, surprisingly effective. Natural can come later, in the meantime they get into the big pool and learn more important skills like hand evaluation and defence.

But I am increasingly convinced by just starting with 2/1 and minimal conventions. They struggle to understand the logic of what they are doing, but they get into the big pool and can play with anyone who is willing. Our experienced players accept that much better than they would an order to play some beginner system.

[blackshoe]

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

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.

"No, I don't know Precision, but I do know Standard American, and what better reason could I have for playing Precision." -- The Hideous Hog.

[jillybean]

I don't think the problem is with SAYC, or any system per se. It's is that newer players are taught that you must never stray from this system, it is the Law.
If every bridge expert and teacher said, "this is one way to play the game, yada yada, but as you progress you will find many other options"

But back to the OP, we can understand the intent of asking you cowboys to play "SAYC", please play vanilla bridge against "P" players.

[pescetom]

 jillybean, on 2026-March-20, 09:15, said:

I don't think the problem is with SAYC, or any system per se. It's is that newer players are taught that you must never stray from this system, it is the Law.
If every bridge expert and teacher said, "this is one way to play the game, yada yada, but as you progress you will find many other options"

But back to the OP, we can understand the intent of asking you cowboys to play "SAYC", please play vanilla bridge against "P" players.

Agreed, but even if they accept that request (ours won't, unless the tournament is expressly for beginners, not merely open to them) many of them struggle to understand what is vanilla and what is not, or their vanilla is still loaded with obsolete or bizarre conventions (vintage Stayman sequences, 1NT-4NT ace asking, etc.) which no beginner will understand (or have the wisdom to ignore).