[shugart24]

Is it true that the allowable HCP range for opening 1NT is now 5 HCP ?s eg 11-15 is legal ? ACBL land

[steve2005]

https://web2.acbl.or...tion-charts.pdf
Disallowed
4. *** A Natural 1NT opening bid that could contain fewer than 10 HCP.
5. *** A Natural 1NT opening bid that has a Range greater than 5 HCP.
So yes 11-15 is ok. This has been the case since Nov 2018

[shugart24]

steve2005, on 2025-October-04, 08:27, said:

https://web2.acbl.or...tion-charts.pdf
Disallowed
4. *** A Natural 1NT opening bid that could contain fewer than 10 HCP.
5. *** A Natural 1NT opening bid that has a Range greater than 5 HCP.
So yes 11-15 is ok

thanks Ive been away from the game for a number of years needed to verify that because it surprised me. so can use system with that kind of range....

[pescetom]

shugart24, on 2025-October-04, 08:32, said:

thanks Ive been away from the game for a number of years needed to verify that because it surprised me. so can use system with that kind of range....

It is very liberal.
In Italian regulations the maximum range is 4 in pairs tournaments, and I already raise eyebrows when I announce 14-17 (although more to avoid arguments than because 14 is really frequent).

[johnu]

shugart24, on 2025-October-04, 08:00, said:

Is it true that the allowable HCP range for opening 1NT is now 5 HCP ?s eg 11-15 is legal ? ACBL land

Legal? Yes, A good idea? That's very debatable.

[Shugart23]

I coukd see the value in 3rd or 4th seat ,white , where you don’t own the spades of using 10-14, or 11-15 with 2-3 passes to you

[mycroft]

Actually, it always was legal. In fact, the new Convention charts restrict 1NT openers in ways the old charts (GCC, etc) did not. I used to play 8-"we don't have game" (15 or so) third seat. But we were playing EHAA, so, partner was somewhat more restricted...Never came up in over a year.

Frankly, that was because the Laws were different when the GCC was written, and I have several posts here from after the Laws changed warning people that if there was going to be any change, it was going to be "DISALLOWED: 7" ("you can, but you can't play any conventions, including Stayman and Blackwood") going away in favour of "thou shalt not" rather than liberalization.

And sure enough, when the new charts came in, DISALLOWED: 7 went away, and was replaced with "thou shalt not".

Practical answer, however: if you do have such a range (I know a few Precision pairs that play 1NT 11-15, which allows 1♦ to be "natural") know that you don't get to use judgement to upgrade the best 10 or downgrade the worst 16 (or, at least, don't get caught). Best to have a 4 max HCP range and keep your flexibility.

[PrecisionL]

Best to have 3 hcp range (for accuracy).

[Shugart23]

Thanks. I’ll be sticking with 10-13 and 13-15 variable NT. I was surprised when an opponent announced 11-15 because I always thought maximum was 4, provided you wanted to use system. Back in the day I think we used 8 or 9 to 15 Hcp in 3rd seat white.