From: Professor WHO?
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Preemption and Interference overrated?
Summary: [Was Subject:  Re: Defense against defense against Precision 1 club]
Keywords: interference, club, 2-way club, vulnerability.
Date: 10 Sep 92 11:30:57 GMT
Reply-To: maboyiny@ccvax.as.edu.tw (Dr. Weird)
Organization: Ayatollah's Correct Bidding Lessons
Originator: boyiny@kovalevskaya
X-Subliminal-Message: You can stop playing bridge anytime.

[ALAN JAFFRAY responding]
>>[Carrot 2-way Club] forces the opponents to be more constructive.
>Nonvul I've had such nice results with a 10-12 or 10-13 NT that I'd 
>prefer not to have to open 1C on such hands.  

Especially as for many people the only REAL reason to play a strong club is
so that they can use that fashionable preempt, the mini-no-trump  [I am
exaggerating, but only slightly.] without destabilising the rest of their
system.  Sigh.

>...excellent idea if one wishes to play a big club when vulnerable...

The idea of being nailed in one heart for 500 somehow frightens me (lurking
with strong NT's was the standard defence against Roman, which was only a
3-point heavier Carot Club of sorts).  I prefer to get my major suit in if
possible with those hands if I open at all.... to each his/her own.

>It seems absurd to play a one-way big club when vulnerable against not,
>because of interference from opps and less gains from light openings,  

Seems presumptious to say that when the whole world's best pair in the
Americanocentric view plays Precision throughout.

>but I haven't seen any Precision pairs which drop their system at that
>vulnerability.  Is this just disinclination to have to play two distinct
>system, or do the big clubbers out there really think they still show
>a gain when red on white?

Aye, quoth I.  REALLY!  Those who knows me should know that I have played
two different STRONG CLUB systems according to vulnerability for a while.

>>[snipped system description]
>Hmmm...  My current feeling is that the object of interference should
>be to get to the 2S or higher level as often and quickly as possible,
>without giving them much useful information in the bidding or play.

_THAT_ sounds like a self-contradiction right there.  if you get up to the
level of 2S you have either given them a chance to double you (if you
promised no great shape) or gave them help in the play (otherwise).

>[stuff that I don't really agree with deleted.]  By the way, IMHO when
>holding a nice 5-5, one shouldn't use a 2-suited overcall. [...] With
>1525, for instance, you might overcall 3C, holding hearts in reserve.

So that you'll give me another bit of vigorish when I gamble out a penalty
pass of partner's optional double [running to the wrong suit]?  Thanks.  It
happened to several people actually......!

Kidding aside, I am beginning to wonder whether all this preemption is
really worth its while.  My unofficial count is that I get more penalties
over my own big club than the difference between constructive auctions to a
beautiful spot and completely messed up constructive auctions,
percentagewise.  Something is wrong here.

Edgar Kaplan had this quip about preempts:
"Somehow it has become a form of noblisse oblige for experts not to double
one another.  Witness the proliferation of non-penalty doubles at the same
time of more and more undisciplined 'preemption'...."

My personal opinion is that this is really not worth it since the opponents
can simply gamble doubles, take their lumps when it backfires and collect
on a percentage basis.  To quote Kit Woolsey, another of my idols...

"Preempts are meant to be doubled."

Amen.
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge