5+ - 5+

This convention provides specialised sequences for accurate bidding of hands with 2 suits of 5 or more cards & <7LTC.

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

There are 6 sequences that BETA provides starting with the opening bid to announce hands with 2 5+ card suits. ABSOLUTE MINIMUM SPECIFICATION IS SIMPLY <=6.5LTC.

In BETA the following strong hands are absolutely NEVER to be considered as 5-5+ hands:

BETA's 2Ma Opening

This bid caters for either. A 6+ card Major or a 5+ card Major with a 4 card side suit.
Requires an LTC <=5

2♣ This bid is for either:

Balanced hands with 23+ HCP
Unbalanced Single-Suited hands with <= 3.5 LTC

Counting LTC of 5-5+ hands

In each suit of 5 or more cards count 1LTC for each A or K or Q missing

Thats uo to 3LTC in each of your 5+ cards suits

In each of the short suits:

A Void or singleton A count 0LTC.
Other singletons count 1
Doubletons count 1 for each A or K missing
Tripleton: count 1 for each A,KorQ missing ; count 1 for each missing A or K or Q

Arrival Routes from Opening bid

3♣ opening bid: Shows 5+-5+ or better in Red Suits
3♦ Shows 5+-5+ or better in Majors
2♦ Opening and a 3♣ or a 3♦ rebid: showing 5-5+ in Clubs & Hearts OR Diamonds & Spades

1♠ or 1♦ opening and a 3♣ rebid with or without a jump! showing 5-5+ in Spades & Clubs or Diamonds & Clubs te: a 2♣ rebid shows 5|4 cards.

Pls Take note that jump responses to the 3 level in a new suit are Break-outs with long suits.
Also: 1mi - 3mi (same minor are also pre-emptive in nature - part of the inverted minor convention.)
Also: 2Ma - 3mi shows 6+ card minor weak also denies Major support
Also: 2D - 3mi shows 6+ card minor weak

Remember in BETA that any response in a new suit bid without jump is to be considered forcing for 1 round. [This is BETA's change of suit rule enforced as we have long abandoned the classical rebid 'reversing values']. Paired with this is the usage of BETA's Forcing Negative Double which we can use freely in our auctions -

Arrival routes by means of o'calls

Cue-bid: Highest 2 unbid suits
2N: Highest + Lowest unbid suits
1N: followed by a 3mi rebid : lowest 2 unbid suits e.g. 1any(opp)-1N-P(opp)-2C(relay)-2H(strong) & 3C(weak)

c) Shown By 3mi jump overcalls <= 5LTC

Jump minor cue-bid: Shows BOTH Majors e.g. 1♣(opp)-3♣ or 1♦(opp)-3♦
1Any(opp) - 2N Jump overcall: SHOWS the lowest unbid minor & the highest unbid Major e.g. 1♦(opp)-2N shows Clubs & Spades & 6|7 LTC. 1♠(opp)-3mi shows the minor and the highest unbid Major (hearts in the example) <=5LTC.

d) Shown by a 1N overcall and 2♥ rebid <= 5LTC

The 2 lowest unbid suits. Ex: 1♦(opp)-1N-2♣(partner)-2♥ rebid Shows Clubs & Hearts

BETA's 55+ convention now Kicks in following any of the above introductory sequences AUTOMATICALLY.

Note: Following all the above sequences showing 5-5 or better the responder is considered to be fully in control.
Only the responder has the responsibility of choosing the denomination and level of the final bid. The 5-5 holder is expected to accept this with the possibility ONLY with good reason to increase the level BUT NEVER the denomination.

Responder's 1st decision to be made:

1st Key decision: Consider if at least game is probable, is there a reasonable possibility of a slam to be bid? If there is: issue a 3NT key distributional inquiry bid, else bid game directly if that's the limit of the hand as you see it. Nevertheless making a 3NT request in most cases makes sense when your intention is a Major game. When heading for a minor game bidding bidding of the preferred minor gives partner the message to consider game if he has that necessary extra!
If game is not in sight: aim to close the bidding safely at the 3-level. [Partner will have an option to continue to game if holding additional values compared to those shown so far:- just bid the chosen suit without jump.
On very rare occasions neither of partners suit is fitted to your hand BUT you hold a 7+ card suit:- Beta allows you a breakout option to bid your suit - not one of the 5-5 suits partner declared to close the bidding. Very frequently it will work out better to go for a break-out!

Summary:

Stop the bidding at the 3-level in one of partner's named suits - if choosing a minor it may be best to PASS and let it be played at the 3-level .
Bid Major|4 minor game (in this case responder shows NO interest in a slam BUT open on a game contract)
A Breakout in a new suit of 7-8+ cards and firmly denies any real support for either of partners suits or Hx even.
Close the auction by choosing either of the 2 suits exposed at the 3 or 4 level (minor) - and partner may make a further simple raise to game WITH GOOD REASON. BUT be sure there is no chance whatsoever of a slam before taking this action!
Make a 3NT forcing inquiry to investigate the hand further by obtaining additional distributional information! This 3NT bid may neverbe passed - your reply gives valuable distributional information that allows your partner to observe how the hands fit together.

Responding to our 3NT inquiry:

The four normal response steps to a 3NT inquiry without intervention in preferential order are:

4♥: Shows 5+-5+ and a void or Ace singleton in the lower unspecified suit & max 2 losers in the other suit - see note below
4♠: Shows 5+-5+ and a void or Ace singleton in the higher unspecified suit & max 2 losers in the other suit - see note below
4♣: Shows 5-5 and a singleton OR void in the lower unspecified suit
4♦: Shows 5-5 and a singleton OR void in the higher unspecified suit
Note: the admission of certain 5-5-[3-0] on condition of max 2 losers in the 3 card suit. Also 5-5-[2-1]
distribution on condition of a singleton A. These admissions increase the frequency of 4H|S responses...reducing frequency of 4C|D responses.
Note: if 6-5 its automatically true however with a 5-5 any 3 card suit must hold an A or K to qualify to qualify for a 4H|S response.

One should make your usual response to a 3N inquiry if available. if opponent intervenes with a bid: Instead:

Still bid 4♥|♠ if available - If they bid 4♠: * means you Meant 4♥ & PASS indicates you meant 4mi.
If they bid 4♦ * indicates you meant 4♣. If they bid 4♣ and you meant to bid it just PASS - all others bids are available.
PASS if intended to bid 4♣ and * if intended to bid 4♦ - responder should now choose the suit of his preference or make a 4N! inquiry with slam intent

5♦ Shows 4|5LTC + no loser in higher unspecified suit
5♥ Shows <=3LTC + no loser in lower unspecified suit
5♠ Shows <=3LTC + no loser in higher unspecified suit

Now a Second decision has be made:

Following the 3N 'shape' inquiry which determines shape information - essentially where the shortage is.
This key information gives a strong insight into how the two hands fit together.
If it appears that there are 2 losers: bid 5 of your preferred suit. Partner may adjust only with good reason: e.g. you are 6-5-1-A partner will think you have 2 losers in D's this could be a good reason to raise the 'final' contract 1-level....
Bid 4N to request a precise LTC count from partner if you are confident the total loser tally is <=3.

Responding to our 4N inquiry

Responses are a countdown from the known LTC maximums
Most 5-5 are bid with min of <=7 LTC tag: 3mi openings; 1N o'call + rebid of 3mi; 1♠|1♦ opening & rebid of 3♣; cue bid : 2 highest unbid
A few are bid with a <= 5LTC tag namely: [3mi jump overcalls the minor bid & highest unbid Major; also 1N o'call + rebid of 2♥: 2-lowest; jump cue 2 highest unbid]

5♣=7 or 5
5♦=6 or 4
5♥=5 or 3
5♠=4 or 2
5N=3 or 1

Now you have had the distributional information and one can now adjust the above figures with your own covers

any A|K|Q in either of the 2 long suits or a known tripleton need to be deducted
also any A|K you hold in a partners known side suits of 2|3 cards can be deducted
also an A held in a known singleton can be deducted
An ace in a known void is potentially useful to eliminate a loser from a doubleton or tripleton
Also a K in a side suit is a potential reduction of a loser too.
When you have 6-5 or 6-6 or 7-6 one is likely to have discards from the non-trump suit that can aliminate secondary losers from short suits THAT are covered with an Ace.

The best way to figure out things is to imagine how the two hands interact with eachother and even how the play will go.- by combining the information given for 3N & 4N inquiries and the highest LTC count associated with the 2-suited call..
Responder has to analyze to figure the likely outcome. Working on the distributional information one first determines the losers in the external suits compared with your holdings (A|K)
Responder then calculates the LTC in the two key suits & his cover in them counting 1 for any A|K|Q held in either suit. Although we count Q's iin the principal suits we also realise a Queen can be finessed (50%) with suitable placed J's ONLY if considering a small slam - where we allow going for 50% probability - but not in the case of a grand!
This gives rise to the final combined LTC and thereby deducing the maximum bidding level feasable.

A final asking bid of 5N can be made on known 6-5 or better hands ONLY

Here you will be asking about the LTC in the other 2 suits ONLY when distribution is known to be 6-5 or 6-6 or 6-7!

6C shows 1 LTC
6D shows 0 LTC

This will give you two pieces of further deduction:

The split of the 4N provided LTC between the 2 long suits and the short suits yielding a count of losers in the short suits
Therefore number of potential losers in the 2 long suits becomes known too.

These refinements should enable one to make a shrewd decision on chances of a grand etc!

FINAL WORD. This now needs a good workout in the field. We will learn the strengths and weaknesses which could lead to further innovation.

Remember a 6 level contract is worth bidding on a known 50%+ chance.
However a 7 level contract needs to be 75+%

Handling Intervention

On occasions an opponents intervention may lie beyond your intended 3N or 4N asking bid - now a 3N inquiry is announced by a *|**. Opener replies as normal in 4 steps. Similarly interference blocking a 4N inquiry is signalled by *|**

If opener has seen a 3N bid or * by his partner and an intervention is made by an opponent the four steps follow our usua standard in conventional situationsl::
PASS
*|**
+1
+2

Final remark never respond 4N or 5N without passing through 3N & 4N. Responder should treat these bids if they occur by choosing his preferred suit at the next level. [preference given first to the longer suit and tf equal in length then show the suit with the lower LTC].
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-