[blml] convention

[Grattan Endicott]

from Grattan Endicott
grandeval at vejez.fsnet.co.uk
[also gesta at tiscali.co.uk]
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"Never laugh at live dragons."
                     'The Hobbit'
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ton kooijman" <tkooij at tiscali.nl>
To: "'Mike Amos'" <sarahamos at onetel.net>;
 "'Sven Pran'" <svenpran at online.no>;
 "'blml'" <blml at rtflb.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2006 8:50 AM
Subject: Re: [blml] convention


> IMHO 5H shows high card strength and so is NOT a convention
> 
> (at the very least this demonstrates what poor definition this is)
> 
> Mike
> 
> That sounds like a poor conclusion. If the fact that somebody 
> draws a wrong conclusion from a statement (definition) makes 
> the statement (definition) poor there is nothing but poverty in 
> this world.
> 
> ton
> 
+=+ I agree. Over the years there have been repeated occasions 
when the definition of 'convention' has been questioned and fresh 
attempts have been made to define the word for the purposes of
law and regulation. It is one of those words where we all know 
what we are trying to say but which slips from grasp when we try 
to nail it down. I have had the benefit of opinion from Edgar Kaplan,
Ralph Cohen, Ton, and other luminaries on this subject, and I am 
conscious that there is still a lacuna to bridge. But it does no good 
if players attack the subject with pedagogic sophistry - no way to 
assist the game.  As to the case above, the key element, the primary 
message of 5H is that the suit is controlled and for me that message 
is fundamentally different from the message 'shows high card strength'. 
       Patience, we are working on it. 
                                            ~ Grattan ~   +=+