Vulnerable versus not at IMP’s I pick up 
J 10 
Q 9 8 3 
K J 10 7 
Q J 10.
RHO passes and so do you. LHO, third seat at favorable, opens 2. Partner doubles and RHO raises to 3.
What is your call? How many hearts do you promise with a double or if you bid the suit?
Look here for our “solution”.
Our team has been trying to implement agreements about NT ranges in various auctions. Here is an interesting example on that theme.
Playing in a KO final, with neither vul, you pick up the following hand:
8 6, A K 6 3 K J 7 5 A Q 6
Your partner opens 1. Since we play 3NT to show a 4 hand with some defensive values. Thus constrained, you respond 2 and partner rebids 2.
What now?
Playing IMP’s, red on white, you pick up the following hand as dealer:
K Q J 7 4, K T 9 5 T 6 3 A.
You open 1 and see LHO bid 3, partner calls 4, and RHO bids 6.
What do you call and why? In particular, does your action refer to hand quality, clubs, or both?
With neither vulnerable at IMP’s, you hold A 6 5 4 3 Q K T 6 5 4 K 7.
Your RHO, the dealer, opens 1 . Your suit quality is poor, but partner will find it difficult to compete with length in the enemy suit. Since you play a wide-ranging Michaels treatment, you decide to show both suits with a call of 2. LHO says DBL, showing a penalty interest somewhere. Partner and RHO pass.
What is your call?
It is well established that the Milton Work point count, popularized by Charles Goren, is grossly inferior to methods that emphasize aces and kings and supported honors. The resistance to learning something more complicated, even by experts, has always been surprising to me. If we were trying to do something simple, we could play bingo.
The Bridge World has published various articles on better hand evaluation methods, including the 6421 count and the Kaplan and Reuben method. The latter approach was created using Edgar Kaplan’s experience about actual values and later tested with computer trials. The support from the computer tweaked his values a bit, but provided strong support.
Bill and I have used this method for years. I’ll comment more extensively later, but the essentials are available at Jeff Goldsmith’s website. This is how I value hands, and it often leads to more aggressive “shape” openings and passing “quack” hands with higher Goren points.
Justin Lall has renewed his bridge blogging, and you should check it out. His posts are instructive and entertaining. The latest takes up the issue of “light openings.” He also takes up the recent study of Zar Points, a method with considerable resesarch support.
I find all of these ideas interesting and worth discussion. More later, but I invite exploration and comment.