By Valerie Rhead
POINT COUNT – Are You Using Length Points?
Meet Charles Goren (1901 – 1991), educated as a lawyer, but the game of bridge became his career. In the 1950’s Goren became a promoter of new ideas from other personalities in the game of bridge. Milton Work invented the point-count system of evaluating honours in bridge hands; the 4-3-2-1 system that we still use today. William Anderson of Toronto, President of one of Canada’s foremost life insurance companies, suggested a distributional point count system for shortness whereby voids were worth 3 points, singletons 2 and doubletons 1.
Goren combined these two systems, popularized and promoted them in his books and columns and they took off. (For more information, see Encyclopedia of Bridge, 7th Edition, p52). The problem was that giving points for shortness at the beginning of the auction sometimes gives extra value to a suit that is useless to partner. Therefore, a major change in using distribution points is that, at the beginning of the auction, you give points for length, not for shortness. Any suit of more than four cards is worth extra length points to open the bidding. A five card suit is worth one extra point, a six card suit two extra points etc.
We now change our count (re‑evaluate our hand) as the bidding progresses. As it would be inconvenient to add together point counts that include decimals, the point counts have been rounded off. Aces actually are worth more than four points (close to four and a half). Kings are right on at three. Queens and Jacks are worth less than the two and one point assigned to them. I sometimes smile a little when I hear an opponent apologizing to her partner because her hand only contains three aces and no other points. The three Aces alone are worth a thirteen-point opening bid! Don’t pass such a hand.
You should sometimes deduct points from a hand that is deficient in some respect. For example, after your opening bid, a doubleton queen is not worth two points if your partner has not bid that suit or if the opponents have bid that suit. Therefore, deduct two points from your hand before your next bid. Add count for length only (not shortness) until you and your partner have agreed upon a suit.
Four-card support (even little ones) of your partner’s opening major suit bid is worth an extra point. If you know that you are going to be the dummy hand in a suit contract, with support for your partner’s suit, now you should count extra points for shortness. A void, singleton, doubleton is worth five, three, one extra points respectively for your re-evaluation, the extra points are due to extra ruffing capability.
If you are declarer with an agreed upon suit, now you should count extra points for shortness. A void, singleton, doubleton for declarer is worth three, two and one extra points in your re-evaluation because the shortness in declarer’s hand helps to control the play. The dummy hand shortness is worth more because you are able to gain extra tricks by trumping on the short side! This process of continuous re-evaluation by both partners must go on with every bid until you reach your final contract whether it be a part-score, game or slam. This process is the reason you sometimes see a player make a slam with perhaps only 21 high-card points.
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group, send the information to [email protected] and I will include it in this column.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesday evening 7:15, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Call Betty 705-789-2560 [email protected] or Susan at 705-789-7156 [email protected] for information and partnerships. For the winter, the game is now held downstairs in the warm basement. To avoid the long stairs, enter from the door on Main Street. Circle your calendar for the Christmas Party Dec 8, 4:30 at Tall Trees, game back at Trinity. Sign up for the party Nov 24 and Dec 1.
The following results are for Tuesday, Nov 17 with 7 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Chris Karn and Vern Foell; 2. Val Rhead and Peter Rhead; 3. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 4. Barb Green and Joanne Garvey; East-West 1. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie; 2. Fay MacDonald and Yvonne Cox; 3. Liz Barnes and Rod Dixon; 4. Heather Hockin and David Hockin
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games at the Bracebridge Club are at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road 7pm Monday evenings. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before game time. For information/partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]
Circle your calendar for the Winter Party Nov 30 5:00 for 5:30 Curling Club, game back at Knox. Sign up for party Nov 16 and 23.
The following results are for Monday, Nov 16 with 9 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 2. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 3. Pamela Jardine and Ralph Mitchell; 4. Bev Parlett and Vern Foel; 5. Carol Anne Robinson and Nancy Barber; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Fay MacDonald and Yvonne Cox; 3. Art Insley and Don Evans; 4. Joanne Garvey and Kelly Andresen; 5. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie
Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our twice-weekly email digest and get some of our top stories delivered right to your inbox.
* indicates required
0 Comments