ASkolnick

Opposite a dead minimum. You can see 1 Spade loser 2 Minor losers and thats it. Even if it does not make all the time, it rates to be 50% since I don't see where your losers are coming from.

About ZARS count (I have talked to him as well), 1) yes, you can come up with things more accurate than 6-4-2-1, but you also need to include practicality as well. I am sure 5.85-3.72-1.96-.85 is more accurate, but who is going to remember to the x decimal place. 2) There are negative adjustments in misfit hands (minus 2 lengths) 3) Some of his premises about 5-3 fits are inconsistent on whether suits should be bid versus NT. 4) Short honors need to be deducted and interior spots need value. Also, interior spots are better when working with working honor and not in long suits. Kaplan created a value for this in a simulator, but once again, to what extent are you learning. But we are just talking about a reasonable solution without using a calculator.

The problem isn't 2♦ shows 6 diamonds, its that 1♦ shows only 3. So, you are more than happy to play in a 5-3 fit, but partner won't do anything with his 4 count and 3 diamonds (reasonable length, if LHO has 2). Also, your diamonds are strong enough to play against either a weak doubleton or even a stiff T would not be so bad.

1) Invite in NT is fine. 2) Why does everyone want to wrong side the NT. If partner holds Ax, you now have two stoppers, but only if you bid the NT. And when I am balanced, I show a balanced hand. 3) 1 Spade. I agree, WTP? Don't always have to be clever.

I don't understand why any bid but pass is right. He said he had a hand with 2C, you passed. He bid 4D, asking you to bid and you passed. He doubles 5D, he is not playing you for any tricks and he is over the NT bidder. If he needs this to be taken out, he could have bid 5H and not double. I assume he is not doubling on tertiary tricks in the majors, so why am I turning a plus into a minus?

The 6421 system is a perfectly reasonable system and is included in a different method of counting called ZARS. I have gone over many hand records and it seems to usually land you in the right contract based on the counting provided you have a fit. If not, sometimes distribution plays too vital a role. Count: (HCP+Controls) This gives you your 6421 count. + (2 longest suits) + (Diff long-short) Means with a fit you have roughing values. Instead of using 13 as your magic number, 26 becomes the magic number, with 52 being game and each level higher 5 points. I am not claiming its better since all I am doing is quantifying the fact people saying "Look, I have a good hand and its 5-5", but sometimes people like seeing the value on paper.

Um, isn't he playing fishbein (cheaper minor for takeout)? Although not illegal, it is now considered an unusual method so it needs to be alerted.

Or if you give up weak and fit showing jumps. 1m 2m - Natural (I think this is much more useful than people think) 2m+1 - Mixed w/ shortness 2m+2 Asks +3 low +4 mid +5 high 2m+2 Mixed with no shortness 2m+3 Limit 2m+4 Forcing 2m+5 Preemptive This allows you to distinguish your 4 card junk raises from your 5 card junk raises. Also, with the mixed raise, you can determine if it is more appropriate to play in a minor or NT opposite the strong NT hand.

Must bid 6 spades. Hand worth in Spades 9 tricks? Hand worth in other contracts? 0 tricks, or 1 trick at most (spade lead)

I pass. If partner has 4 clubs with me, that is the only time we can guarantee 3N making. I will take the chance of going -670 since I think there is a good chance they are going -2. Besides, where are there tricks coming from?

Um, unless you have some special treatment isn't 2♣ passable? I think 2N is a fine bid.

You see the whole convention ban is a CATCH-22 in itself: The reason people in the ACBL are uncomfortable with Multi is because they don't get the practice to defend against it. The reason they don't get to defend against it is because you are not allowed to play it. Me personally, never understood why it was so difficult. I don't play probably the most efficient system against it, but all I do is play natural with double being slightly stronger. 2N shows both minors. People also seem to forget some of the drawbacks of multi: 1) You get to bid 2H over the "2S preempt" (If you play naturally). The times when it is 6-5-1-1 around the table, I lose. I'll take my chances. 2) They don't know the suit either. 2D-3D-(what does he do 4-2 in majors). 3) You usually can get back in the auction. 4) You get a cheap way to show the minors. Will you lose out some of the time? Sure, but not really sure why it is so difficult.

2S Not a big problem, 99% of the time he has spades and there is no guarantee we are beating 2H. If my hand were slightly stronger (10-12), I would bid 2N since I am one of the few people who thinks there is a big problem with playing Lebensohl in this auction. 1) I sometimes hold invitational hands in NT. 2) Although my spots in preempt suit may be bad for tricks since they are badly placed, they give me time as stoppers. 3) When doubler holds the strong hand, you have just wrong sided the NT. 4) 2H-x- 3rd person takes action with fit or good values, so you can gauge it.

OK. I play Wk NT's, but wouldn't that make a 1N rebid easier for me, not harder since I have the 15-17 range. The only auction which buries me, is 1D-1S-1N-4S, but everything else gets me off. If my hand was weaker (12-13 HCP), it would be a harder question I don't play 1D-1M-2C as artificial, however, I do play it as forcing for one round. So, it would not be a terrible lie.

Your system would be fine but shouldn't it be -2(i^2).

Actually, its not a bad format, its a golf format playing Best Ball. But I would think that one should play conservatively and one should be more aggressive since this way you would get the best of both worlds.

I agree with Mike H, but I would have guessed 1-2-4-6 good hand, not forcing 2-2-4-5 since 3N is playable with that hand. I also don't know if 1M-2m-2x-3m is 100% GF.

But everyone uses a point count system even if they are not a HCP count systems per se. Even the experts who use "judgement" are using a count system whether explicit or implicit. Let's take the argument: "I look at my hand and say its an opener because it is 5-5 and has 10 HCP". You could come up with a rule set of which hands you open and which hands you don't open and come up with a formula based on it. You have just created a point count system. Now true it may not be solely based on HCP, but you still are defining a count. Just like losing trick count, Zar Points, etc. People are trying to redefine the point count system, so there is less of a variance since although we are taught 26 HCP makes a game, we know there are plenty of hands without 26 HCP which make game. Unless you do come with some basis for counting, how can you make sure you will open the same hand tomorrow? Also, as your partner, it is important that I know your basis for counting, so my hand may fit in context. The only problem with QJ being given worth extra value is that in a very long suit it becomes much less important. I think Kaplan had a whole formula on suit strength

Have played both styles: Was originally a 6 bagger, but change to minimum catch all I think the minimum leads to more flexibility but will make some auctions much more uncomfortable when partner holds a doubleton spade. 1S-2C- 2S- Do you always bid 3S with a doubleton now? What if you are 5-4 in clubs ind diamonds? So there are compromises this way as well However the fact that bidding 2N as catch all wrong sides the contract is one of the most overrated concepts. Try looking at hand records to figure out if who has the lead is very important. It is only a very few hands and it usually has nothing to do with which hand has the strength. It usually depends who has the better lead. The one who has 5 cards in our weakness has an easier time to lead it. I hold Qxx, Qxx, Qxx, Qxxx opposite Axx, Axx, Axxx, Axx do I really want to lead through the queens.

I used dealer, xp and Bridge Analyzer together but I only used the free copy.

I don't know what time you get on, but I would be more than happy to play with you. I am usually on at around 1 AM eastern time which I am not sure what it is Australian time. Although I consider myself an expert, I am not into giving lessons (too much other stuff to do, even though qualified). When I was younger, I had a lot of support to play, so I am more than happy to encourage people to play. ID is ASkolnick.

It's close. Aces and Kings are undervalued in traditional point count. We tend to use the rule of 22 (HCP+2 Longest+ Quick tricks). You have (5+3)+(11)+(2.5) so it is 21.5. Probably pass second seat, but wouldn't yell at partner if opened.

Two different points: I think it is just a question of how well does your partner field what I call "balls in the dirt?" Most people don't discuss every possible auction on every hand, but certain people have a better ability to derive the answer following the same line of thinking. The Meckwell question, with one partner I would never make that bid because he would always get it wrong then come up with the appropriate meanings. This is why I think he plays precision and must follow a strict series of rules to derive the answer. Another partner I would always make the call because I am sure he would be able to derive it on the fly. 2) Midnight games - You will notice that attendance or even creation of midnight games are down since the game started taking on some serious values. It used to be the purpose of a midnight game was to have a 5 man team so someone could go get the beer. That doesn't mean you wouldn't try, but it may be the time to try some new gadgets in a "not as competitive" event. The problem was once you started awarding master points as if it was a serious event, you had different types of people attending.

If you want, I can either A) send you his PDF file with his findings or :) You could look up ZARS aggressive bidding. I find much of his theory interesting, but some areas contradictory. The focus of the importance of shape is true, but he fails to address the problem of volatility with shapely hands. He makes the negative adjustments, but too late with interference The auction 1D-2S- What do you do with a normal response hand. If you are holding the 1D HCP type hand, there is a level of safety and you want to bid. If you are holding the shapely hand, very good if you have a fit. Very bad, if you don't have a fit and you will get too high.

I'm dumb, so I'll ask. 3D: Does it show shape (6-4) or does it show a cue-bid? If shape, wouldn't that require opener to bid 4D to indicate the Ace of Diamonds. Switch the AD to the KD and I don't think you like slam as much? If a cue-bid, Then partner has a big hand with the diamond. On this hand, even if you don't know. 3S has to be a probe for 3N without a 5 card heart suit. It is possible that a 5-2 heart fit could play better. Opener with the 6-4-2-1 needs to know about the AS. So, he should cue-bid the AS since I don't think 3S showed that. Personally, I like 4D better than 4H as the cue-bid on the auction though. If partner has the AS, he can cue-bid it. If not and the auction goes, 4D-4H-5C, he can figure out you are missing the spade.