[blml] convention

[Wayne Burrows]

On 16/12/06, Grattan Endicott <grandeval at vejez.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>
> from Grattan Endicott
> grandeval at vejez.fsnet.co.uk
> [also gesta at tiscali.co.uk]
> *****************************
> "Never laugh at live dragons."
>                     'The Hobbit'
> ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
> ----- 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.

I disagree with your interpretation of the primary message.

If the primary message was that the suit was controled you might make
this bid with a void (or even a singleton or void).  Partner asked for
a specific sort of control - an ace which is a high-card.  Therefore
the bid meets the definition of showing high-card strength in the suit
bid.  The primary message of the bid is that it shows an ace - a
high-card, a specific type of high-card strength.

If the bid showed a control only (that could be shortage) then I would
agree that the bid was by definition conventional.

Wayne