Modern Bridge Conventions [antikvár]

Introduction This book is about many of the bidding conventions that have revolutionized the game of bridge. It would not be feasible to cover every convention, so we have included what we feel are the best of the lot. Although the adoption of all these conventions would closely resemble our bidding system, the book is not intended for this. Instead, the reader is encouraged to choose from among the proposed conventions to form his own bidding system. WHAT IS A BRIDGE CONVENTION? A bridge convention is a call (bid, pass, double, or redouble) that is given a specialized meaning, usually contrary to its natural interpretation. The constant improvement of bidding methods over the years is mostly due to the invention of useful conventions. All conventions, however, are not good. Some are outright poor, and others are reasonably good but hardly worth the extra memory required. In order to qualify as a good convention, the following three tests must be passed: 1. Effectiveness. Does the use of the convention greatly improve your bidding? 2. Cost. Can you readily dispense with the natural call taken away by the convention? 3. Simplicity. Is the convention simple enough to remember in the heat of battle? If your answer is no to any of the above questions, then the convention is not worth adopting. xiii