Close calls?

[gwnn]

No offense meant to your pard Edi, but that 2NT opener was horrible.

[Cascade]

No offense meant to your pard Edi, but that 2NT opener was horrible.

The 2NT is near maximum. It was explained as 10-Bad 22.

 

I might have bid the same way.

 

In my partnership we play a slightly different range Good 20-22.

 

I use a rule of thumb based on the controls as a tie-breaker for good/bad 20s.

 

The average number of controls for any hcp value between around 5 and 30 hcp is:

 

Expected Controls = 0.4 * HCP - 1

 

If I have average or better controls I say i have a good 20 otherwise a bad 20.

 

For 22 HCP the rule is 0.4 * 22 - 1 = 7.8

 

So a hand with 7 controls or fewer is bad and 8 or more is good. This hand has only 7 (sure it has some other good features).

 

This rule works well when partner is contemplating slam as she will know you either hand good controls (slam cards) or extra values.

 

Here is a table of HCP and Expected controls if you are interested:

 

     Expected 
HCP  Controls  Rule of Thumb
0    0           -1
1    0           -0.6
2    0           -0.2
3    0.320197     0.2
4    0.803729     0.6
5    1.060915     1
6    1.355393     1.4
7    1.801656     1.8
8    2.190595     2.2
9    2.538884     2.6
10    2.935475     3
11    3.372256     3.4
12    3.75236      3.8
13    4.151926     4.2
14    4.580263     4.6
15    4.989942     5
16    5.390077     5.4
17    5.811109     5.8
18    6.23443      6.2
19    6.627308     6.6
20    7.049111     7
21    7.464047     7.4
22    7.859953     7.8
23    8.258722     8.2
24    8.672875     8.6
25    9.05688      9
26    9.418196     9.4
27    9.835929     9.8
28   10.16499     10.2
29   10.5083      10.6
30   10.88096     11
31   11.12181     11.4
32   11.46308     11.8
33   11.67227     12.2
34   11.84657     12.6
35   11.96154     13
36   12           13.4
37   12           13.8

[Halo]

1.Pass

2.4D

3.4H

 

Maybe need to rethink 1., but right now no choice but to pass.

 

On 2. I just like to be a simpleton. If I keep losing out to 3NT, I'll have to rethink.

 

Partner says I can't splinter on singleton Ace. Not sure, but that's the current position.