Re: What's wrong with the Roth point count?

On May 1, 7:35=A0am, Stig Holmquist <stigfjor...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Forty years ago two oustanding bridge players, Alvin Roth and Jeff
> Rubens, wrote the book 'Modern Bridge Bidding Complete".
> It featured the Roth Point count Method.
>
> This method is similar to the British combination distributuin count.
> It is based on the standard Work =A0point count for HCP plus Goren's
> short suit count of 1,2 and 3 for ddoubletons, singletons and voids
> resp. but also adds points for suits longer than five cards.
> Specifically it counts 1 pt for each card over five for any major suit
> but counts such length points only for "good" minor suits having at
> least two =A0of the top three honor cards.
>
> Has any r.g.b. member ever used this method and if so, what are its
> shortcomngs? It specifically does not count quick tricks.Why is this
> method never mentioned any more?
>
> Stig Holmquist =A0

No, haven't used it, but I did read the book some years ago.
Obviously, this method is more aggressive at counting distribution --
Goren adds long suit points after a fit is found, Roth adds it in
advance. Opening light, shapely hands will get you to light, shapely
games, but makes your range uncomfortably wide when no fit is found,
and makes it harder for partner to judge when to penalize the
opponents. This latter objection can be partly offset by requiring ome
defensive strength (2 Quick Tricks or such) for a minimum opener.

Notice that, playing five card majors, partner already has the
information that you have a five card suit when you open 1H or 1S. If
you like opening majors aggressively, consider a forcing club system,
which make it easy to open light. I've played a style where we opened
most 9 hcp hands with a 5 card major, but I found the mental
adjustments this required wore me out. Currently I open most 11 hcp
hands when playing a forcing club. If either of us forgets overbids,
it isn't by much.