Re: S:JT H:KT63 D:A72 C:9764, ok, what happens next...?

On Apr 28, 10:22 pm, Charles Brenner <cbren...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Apr 28, 12:50 pm, Andrew <agump...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Apr 28, 10:33 am, Histriadogsilver <andjelka.rich...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > wrote:
>
> > > West   North   East   South
> > >  ------      1H       p        2H ( constructive raise otherwise 1N
F1
> > > with subsequent 2H rebid)
> > >    p        2S!!      p         ?
>
> > > The bid of 2S!! is showing a shortness somewhere. What do you do
now?
>
> > > A.) You ask with 2N since you are interested in knowing in which
suit
> > > the shortness is
> > > B.) You deny the invitation with 3H since your hand has minimum
values
> > > for the shown raise
> > > C.) You just blast to game
>
> > > I'll show you partner's hand later.
>
> > > Boris
>
> > I am glad I bid 2H instead of making partner guess by using a Bergen
> > 3C. Now I ask for the shortness. If opener has a minor suit singleton,
> > I have an obvious game bid. If opener has shortness in spades, I will
> > sign off in 3H.
>
> > The key to the hand is the short suit total (total of length in the
> > partner****p's two shortest suits). If partner has a minor suit
> > singleton, then the short suit total is 3. With a short suit total of
> > 3, I will require only 20 working HCP to make game (of which I can
> > provide 7 or 8 working HCP).
>
> > If instead partner has a stiff spade, then the short suit total is
> > probably 4 (since my doubleton spade is wasted and the partner****p's
> > next shortest suit is probably 3). With a short suit total of 4, the
> > partner****p will require an extra working king to make game. Since I
> > have only 7 working HCP, opener will need approximately 16 HCP outside
> > of spades and 16 HCP plus a stiff is a game bid, not an invite.
>
> > Andrew
>
> Intriguing notion, "short suit total", and new to me. Can you expand
> -- e.g. the bidding rules, the origin of this idea, and the
> justification for the stated thresholds? Google got me nothing so I'm
> stuck.
>
> Charles

Andres Wirgren devised the idea, and then he and Mike Lawrence
collaborated on a book to popularize it. My own experimentation
suggests it is a valuable evaluation tool--far more valuable than
LOTT. The article Boris posted explains the theory better than I can.
The basic approach works like this. When a pair of hands has an 8-card
trump fit:

1. Calculate the sum of the length of the two shortest suits held by
the partner****p. Examples:
*  Opener is 5-4-3-1 and responder is 5-2-3-3. Short suit total is 3
(2 +1).
*  Opener is 5-4-3-1 and responder is 5-3-3-2. Short suit total is 4
(3+1). (Responder's doubleton club is not counted because it is facing
the singleton)
*  Opener is 6-4-2-1 and responder is 3-4-3-3. Short suit total is 3
(2+1). Opener holds both of the shortest holdings used in our count.

2. Subtract the short-suit total from 13. That is what I call the
"Trick basis"

3. It will require 20 (+/- 1) working high card points to make the
trick-basis. A working high card is one that contributes to taking a
trick.

4. Each additional trick will require approximately an additional 3
working high card points.


Andrew