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

Stig Holmquist <stigfjorden@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in 
news:dq9j14pkh249j8vr0nfvr5k5g85fvusbvp@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 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  point 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  of 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  

I haven't.  In fact I've never graduated beyond 4 for an ace etc.

From the system cards I've seen of world champion players, they do the 
same.  Essentially, count the high-card points and then make the necessary

adjustments intuitively based on their experience.  

Essentially, I think most top players have a mental qualitative equivalent

of Kaplan's computer count and use it to judge their hand.

I've never talked to an expert player who has said: "I had 17 ZAR points" 
or "you have 15 Roth points".  They say: "that's a crap 12 count and you 
should just bid 2S", or "nice 8 count - I'd splinter".

Cheers ... Bill