[Trpltrbl]

Let's start a thread now about what you all think about what the best convention is out there ?

Mike

[PriorKnowledge]

Little known useful conventions:

• Smith Echo - 100% essential
  
• Lead of Ace against NT demands partner's highest honor or count if none
  
• Double of splinter asks lead of higher ranked side suit
  
• Double of 3N after both defenders have bid asks for lead of opening leader's suit, not doubler's
  
• Slam double after previous lead-directing double, cancels the previous lead-direct

[Gerben47]

Double for takeout.
Forcing raises to 1-level opening bids when done in a sensible way.

[Flame]

PriorKnowledge, on Jul 9 2004, 11:32 AM, said:

Slam double after previous lead-directing double, cancels the previous lead-direct

Why is this good (ther others were good)

[Chamaco]

To name the best convention I will choose as criteria:
1) high frequency
2) high benefits
3) no memory burden

Given that, my votes are for the classics.
They may be abused for sure (being played so frequently by so many people, it's more likely they get screwed up), but the benefit/cost ratio is high compared to what the bridge would be without them:

1) takeout double (any form: t/o doubles, negative dbls, responsive dbls, etc.)
2) stayman (any form)
3) Blackwood (any form)
4) cuebidding agreements (any)
5) 4th suit forcing

Other conventions are - in my opinion - improvements on the overall structure, but not so fundamental.

Among these, my personal vote will go still to simple but effective tools such as splinter raises and, for those who play them, fitshowing raises: they both help describing the hand fairly accurately.
Drury major raise can be also a life safer if you play with wild partners

[DrTodd13]

Maybe it is too basic but attitude and count signals are carding conventions and those are among the last things that I would give up. If you want something a bit more complex then trump suit preference is also underrated.

On the bidding side, "2N never natural in competition" is one of the most useful if less frequently used conventions.

[EricK]

The conventions I don't think I could do without are

Take out and negative doubles
Control showing cue bids (although I might be persuaded to change them for a full set of asking bids if partner really insisted)

The conventions I could do without but only under protest are

Cue bid of opponent's overcall to show a good raise along with Pre-emptive direct raises
splinters
a coherent response structure to 1NT (Keri, or stayman plus transfers)

The convertions I like are

2NT response to 1M as a forcing raise (I prefer INV+, but would accept GF) along with Pre-emptive raises of 1M in unopposed auctions
Fit Jumps in competition (in fact, practically the whole Robson-Segal method)
RKCB

I have done this rather rapidly, so I have probably left some great conventions out. If you are such a convention, I apologise

Eric

[Chamaco]

DrTodd13, on Jul 9 2004, 06:15 PM, said:

Maybe it is too basic but attitude and count signals are carding conventions and those are among the last things that I would give up.

Agree with Todd. I forgot carding agreements. Add them to my list

[EricK]

Chamaco, on Jul 9 2004, 06:25 PM, said:

DrTodd13, on Jul 9 2004, 06:15 PM, said:

Maybe it is too basic but attitude and count signals are carding conventions and those are among the last things that I would give up.

Agree with Todd. I forgot carding agreements. Add them to my list

I didn't include carding conventions on purpose.

Whereas playing with carding conventions is better than playing without, I am not at all sure which specific set of carding conventions is the best.

Eric

[whereagles]

The Lightner double. When used well, it will swing a thousand points into your side.

[Chamaco]

whereagles, on Jul 9 2004, 06:40 PM, said:

The Lightner double. When used well, it will swing a thousand points into your side.

How frequently do you use the Lightner double ?
Once every how many boards ?

I guess that on a sufficiently long time-window, you use more frequently (and score many games/slams or stay out of bad ones) Stayman (or puppet or Baron, or whatever you like) , takeout doubles and Blackwood or 4th suit forcing (to rightside NT game or show extra strength)

But of course everyone - including myself - feels proud to defeat an unbeatable contract thanks to a lead-directing convention, even if it happens twice a year or so

[luke warm]

journalist leads (if that's allowed in the voting) are way up there on my list... and i'm partial to the various uses of leb... 2 way checkback... truscott forcing stayman... and (the more i read up on it, and if legal) encrypted bidding/leading

[twcho]

Transfer bid (many variations) is the one I like most. It can let the strong hand declare and let the transfer bidder one more chance to show his hand. Invaluable tool in my opinion. Should adopt as much transfer sequences as possible.

[inquiry]

hands down,
no question
about it....

The takeout double. Try playing without it....

[whereagles]

People did play without it for many years

[tysen2k]

whereagles, on Jul 9 2004, 04:50 PM, said:

People did play without it for many years 

They also played strong 2s and "stronger" 3s.

[pclayton]

inquiry, on Jul 9 2004, 08:50 PM, said:

hands down,
no question
about it....

The takeout double.  Try playing without it....

I DONT play takeout doubles (1N is takeout). I have no problems whatsoever.

[pclayton]

My favorites - no particular order:

1) Jacoby Transfers. Makes game and slam investigation significantly easier.

2) Negative Doubles. Solves impossible bidding problems.

3) Woolsey over 1N. Much better use a double than Capp or DONT

4) Obvious Shift when defending. I like this even better than Smith, which I also play.

5) Overcall Structure. The best treatment in bidding devised during the last 20 years.

[flytoox]

1) stayman
2) t/o

[PriorKnowledge]

On a plane trip to the Nationals, Steve Robinson was seated next to another bridge player. They were arguing about conventions. Finally, the guy said, "Well, at least we can agree about Stayman!"

Steve agreed, but did not have the heart to tell him that he did not play Stayman, either!