Points Schmoints

V N Ramamoorthy

Ladies and Gentlemen,

"Points can be pointless in Bridge! "

First thing a beginner is taught is to count the points. The points (or HCP count) is the basis to decide whether to open , over call, game or slam, double / redouble, defend or declare.

As you progress, you learn that points are only a guideline. More important is the "Trick taking power" of the combined wealth!

The point is how many tricks you can take out of 13. The bidding / auction offer you a lot of clues, but are you listening or observing?

Even if you hear / listen are you processing the details and drawing inferences? That is the point!

Recently I was playing a mini pair event. My partner and I were playing Precision system.

My Partner opened 1D ( 11 -15 , minimum 2 cards in D, no 5 major). My RHO bid 1S.

My hand : Axxx, AKxx, 8764, 3

I doubled (take out probably indicating Hearts, may be 8-10 or max 11).

My LHO bid 2S and partner comes in 3C.

My first thought was to bid 5D.Reasoning was that my p's hand could be
1-3-5-4 or 0- 3-5-5 . Holding SA and singleton club and 4 trumps ( assuming D as Trump), my first thought was to go full hog and bid 5 D!

Then my second thought.. What if pd has bare minimum of 11 counts and a 2-2-5-4 hand?

I dropped the Dollar and went for the penny 😭

I bid 3D and we made 11 tricks 😅

It is pointless to argue with people who go only by points 🙃

Catch my point?

Happy bridging,

Cheers
VNR

Disclaimer : All opinions are entirely those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the BridgeFromHome Team.

 

Registration Links

TournamentEventDeadline
HCL South Zone Teams Register for Event25th October, 2024, 8:00 pm
HCL South Zone Pairs Register for Event24th October, 2024, 8:00 pm
Gimatex Swiss Pairs Register for Event25th December, 2024, 9:00 pm
Total Page Visits: 804 - Today Page Visits: 1

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *