Zar Points by Zar Petkov Part 6

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Zar Petkov

Never miss a game again – Zar Points Bidding  Source: BridgeGuys Read [ilink url=»http://csbnews.org/?p=47693″]Part 5[/ilink]

The Aggression

So do you have to be aggressive or conservative in bridge? I hope you know the answer to that question – it’s both. Karen McCallum said once “I’ve never passed a hand with a void in my life”, and when you think about it, a hand with a void already has at least 14 Zars from the S2 and L2 components (as opposed to the only 8 points that a flat 4-3-3-3 hand would give you – a minimum of 6 points difference). Put a couple of Aces for another 12 Zars (2 times 4 HCP plus 2 CT) and you have a hand with 8 HCP but with 26 Zars!!! Opening hand with 8 “standard” points!

Here is an example of the “Two opening hands make a game” rule in the old-fashioned HCP style and the
Zar-style. First – the common question “to game or not to game” with 24 HCP, with standard bidding (Std) and Zar
Points (Zar):

 Qxxx
 QJx
 QJ
 KJxx
KJ10xx
Kxx
Kx
Qxx
Std: Este tiene 12-puntos con 5 buenas cartas de espadas, Oeste tiene 4-cartas de apoyo y 12 PH, ambos tienen apertura, pero no hay chances de cumplir 4 o 3NT (la defensa tarde o temprano va a cambiar a diamante). Zar: Este tiene 12+3+3+8 = 26 puntos (apertura) mientras que Oeste tiene 12+1+2+8=23, no tiene apertura aun con la corrección +1 para la Q. 49 Zars, cuando se necesitan 52 para game.

Now, the above mentioned “Karen-style” approach to the “to open or not to open” question, again Std vs. Zar:

KQxxx
 KJxxx
 xxx

Axxx
A10xxx
xxxx
 

Std: Este tiene 8-puntos y Oeste 9 PH, nadie tiene un palo mas largo de 5 cartas, casi todos deben admitir que pasarían con ambas manos. Zar: Este tiene 8+4+9+5 = 26 Zars, Oeste tiene 9+2+10+5=26 Zars, ambos tienen manos con apertura, y dos manos con apertura juegan game. El resultado 4 tendidos.

I am sure you have already noticed that if you switch the and in EITHER hand (but not both :- ) it’s a GRAND! A GRAND SLAM that you would simply have as an ALL-PASS board!

Wouldn’t that be a shame even for Bob Hamman (arguably the most experienced bridge player on Earth) with his 3% on bidding – if only he’d have an ALL-PASS board here, though… I am sure he wouldn’t and that’s simply because his 3% are NOT your 3%! Now you have the tool to come closer to Bob’s 3%.

Looks strange, but … only if you are still judging and evaluating the hands based on HCP and “vague feel” about things like shape, controls, distribution, offensive power, suit-support, etc. – all of which come into account with the Zar Points evaluation system. You only have to be able to count to 26 and confidently open the bidding.

To finish the «aggressive opening» subject, we just have to show what REAL AGGRESSIVE actually is. Some readers have already noticed the hand in the beginning of the article suggesting opening with 7 HCP. This sounds kind of crazy, I hear you mumbling.

Let’s explore this avenue a bit, though – is this the limit? Here are several hands that will provide the answer to that:

Kxxxxx
Axxxx
 xx

  

Kxxxxx
Kxxxxx
 x

PH = 7   PH = 6
Zar Points= 7 + 3 + 6 + 11 = 27   Zar Points=6 + 2 + 6+ 12 = 26
     

Kxxxxxx
Qxxxxx

 

10xxxxxx
Axxxxx

PH = 5   PH = 4
Zar Points= 5 + 1 + 7 + 13=26   Zar Points= 4 + 2 + 7 + 13 = 26
     

Wow … an opening hand with 4 HCP ???? Well … you probably like «calmer» hands, like 4-4-3-2 with 8 HCP that anyone in the world (me including 😆 ) will pass:

AJxx
Kxxx
 xx
xxx

PH = 8

 Do you see where I am heading? Front of…

10xxxxxx
Axxxxx

PH = 4
Zar Points= 5 + 1 + 7 + 13=26
 

It’s a GRAND my friend, if trumps drop 1:1. Do you play bridge? 😉