Zar

Hi all: I found another thing worth commenting on: *** Erick wrote ... you open 1♠ on this hand ♠AQxxx ♥Kxxx ♦Qxx ♣x (zar point 27), and partner responds 2♣. I think the value of this hand has gone down... I suspect that subtracting a trick (5 points?) for a singleton opposite length would improve their accuracy. < This is an IMPORTANT consideration, which I have discussed with a number of former and current world champions indeed. So should we DECREASE the hand's value by 5 points, should we leave it AS-IS, or should we INCRESE the value by 5 points? The answer is (as usual) simple - it depends :-) Depends on 2 things: - side fit in the partnership; - footprints in clubs (there are many more things on the website besides the "Never Miss a Game Again" article). 1) The side fit. Let us consider these 2 hands of the player who bids 2C after the opening of 1S: - ♠xx ♥QJx ♦KJ10 ♣KQxxx, with 12 HCP: bids 2C and rebids 2NT to show the values in the unbid suit and NT orientation - ♠KJ10x ♥AJx ♦--- ♣Axxxxx, with 13 HCP: bids 2C to enable his PD evaluate his club holdings and rebids 3S. With the first hand you'll have a hard time moving the cards around on any contract ... With the second one, the SINGLETON is golden - it puts you at a GRAND with 87%, assuming that either trumps are not 4:0 or you have the filler trumps (10 and 9) if they ARE 4:0. Here is where the percentage comes from - [ 84% (36% for the 3:3 clubs + 48% for 4:2) + 3% (the heart-fines' 50% in half of the 5:1 (14%) when the singleton is after the A so you don't get overruffed) for a total of 87%]. Do you play 87% GRANDS? :-) 2) The clubs footprint. The first hand has a footprint of 1, while the second one - 0. "Misfit" with 0-footprint and a side fit is a powerhouse. I am sure we all realize the difference of the value of this singleton in the partner suit. Bottom line - re-evaluating at the first round is a no-no. Wait for the second round in such forcing situations and then re-evaluate. And yes - Zar Points make deductions in various situations and re-evaluations on as-you-go basis. Cheers: ZAR

*** Ben wrote: > I have been testing your hand evaluation methoid against a fair number of tough hands, and it is holding up very nicely. As the initiator of this thread I haven't formed a final decision yet on rather I am gong to use it every day or not, but I have decided, for me, the answer to the question of useful or waste of energy seems clear, it is useful. On the other hand, it does take a while to get use to all the counting. < I certainly hope it is useful - thank you. As with anything new, it takes awhile to get used to it, but soon you will not be counting points from distribution often, since you memorize the Basic Shapes themselves, so you know that if you see a 5-4-3-1 it's 13, if you see a 4--4--3-2 it's 10 etc. I first add the Shape and the Controls then go "back" to the HCP which you count anyway. This gives me a perspective on how the OTHER tables would treat this hand and how different the Zar Points view is. A 5-4-3-1 with 2 A and a K is already 18 Zar Points ahead, while a 4-3-3-3 with a K is HALF that (only 9) even though they might have the same amount of, say, 13 HCP. The first hand is in the "Second Division" of opening (31+ Zar Points) while the other one belongs to the garbage bin :-) I'd take advantage of both, since the field will threat them as 13 HCP hands basically, plus a couple of points from distribution either by Goren or Bergen. So they ALSO see these hands differently, but by 2 points, while I see them different by DOUBLE that, or 4 of "their points"(since Zar Points are roughly 2 times lighter than Goren, like the requirement of 52 for a Game against 26 for Goren - you adjust to 8 Zar Points to 4 of the "other" points). Do you make adjustments as the bidding progresses? Sure - you just use your head as usual :-) *** Misho wrote: > Welcome to forum! You can explain the bidding ideas in a thread about unnatural systems for example... < Thank you. I may post here the BASIC ideas of the Zar Points Bidding and get an earlier feedback actually. That would be great! I may post a short description of the ideas - like 20 lines for example. You'll see the basics immediately without the need to jump into the sophisticated relays and footprints and "non-rounded coefficients" (for example an A is 6.18 Points etc.). Just the fundaments on which the system stands (besides the Zar Points Evaluation which you already know) – easy to understand indeed. Make it a great day: ZAR

Hi all: Thanx for the "heated" discussions - just noticed this discussion list, never been here before. And since I am Zar himself, I decided that I may be able to shed a light on any questions or confusions you might have. Would be glad to. A quick remark - I noticed somewhere that you count 3+ Zar Points for any SIDE suit of a length of 4+. That's incorrect - you count "superfit" points of 3 per card above a fit of 8, regardless if that's a trump or a side suit. Also, this is the simplified fit-version, rather than the "Zar Ruffing Power" calculations, which assigns 3 points for a super-fit card (above 8) if you have a side void, 2 points if you have a side singleton, and 1 point per super-trump if you only have a side doubleton. With 4333 your additional trump gets no points at all. The simplified Zar Points that you know are programmed into the Zar Pid Mashine which you will find at the home-page (everything related to Zar Points, the Machine including, is free as you probably know). A last short note - comparing the Zar Points you know about (the simplified version) with Computer Bidding methods is comparing apples and oranges. I would be glad to run any comparison with the full version of Zar Points System (never published anywhere), which includes the Ruffing Power, the Footprints, sophisticated relays etc. which the average bridge player neither is interested in, nor would pay any attention to anyway. Zar Points with the 3-points fit adjustment are just an easy-to-remember and easy-to-use at the table Hand Evaluation system, tested on millions of boards, while the research itself involves tens of millions indeed. I intend to publish the bidding system itself, but I am still working on it. In the mean time simply try the Bid Machine at http://public.aci.on.ca/~zpetkov/ You simply use the SLIDERS to adjust the HCP, Controls, and Shape of the 2 hands and the Bid Machine bids in Goren, Bergen, and Zar (simplified Zar Points with 3-points superfits). The Contracts may look strange (like 3.75 H or 6.40 NT) but the goal is to let you play with the sliders and see WHAT is the effect of having 1 more control for example, or what is the effect of slightly shifting the Shape etc. I hope you'll find it interesting and illuminating. Have fun. ZAR P.S. You may find the seven articles on Zar Points in the Japan Bridge Bulletins (Eric Kokish editor) at http://bridge.cplaza.ne.jp/necfest04/nec.html Each short one-page article addresses different issues regarding Zar Points. Also an article will appear in tye next issue of The Bridge World. Make it a great day: ZAR