[blml] convention

[Wayne Burrows]

On 20/12/06, Sven Pran <svenpran at online.no> wrote:
> > We can easily make own classes that bids but that is irrelevant.  The
> > question we need to answer is does the bid have a meaning that does
> > not show high-card strength in the suit bid.  Please show us all a
> > hand that has the hA but does not have high-card strength in hearts?
> > I am curious.
>
> If the 5H bid could be made on any hand holding a heart suit with that
> strength you could have had a case. But as the strength is not in question
> your bid does not show that strength, it shows something different namely
> the particular card.
>
> If the bid shows strength then it must be applicable to any hand satisfying
> the strength in question, and the 5H bid is not applicable to any hand not
> holding the AH regardless of the strength of that hand (or the strength of
> the heart suit held by that hand).
>
> Look at it from another angle: If you do not bid 5H you deny holding the AH
> (unless you have another Ace to show with higher priority), but you do not
> deny strength in hearts. Therefore the 5H bid does _not_ show strength!
>
> (Basic information theory)

That implies a very restrictive definition of strength.

There is nothing in the law that prevents me from using a metric that
evaluates any suit with an ace as stronger than any hand without an
ace.  This is certainly the evaluation that is commonly used when
investigating slam.

(High-Card Points are simply a guide better used in other contexts).

Wayne