WHY NOT KEEP THE GAME SIMPLE?
Joey Adams, a comedian and columnist who died in 1999, said, “Never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you.”
Adhering to “kiss” — keep it simple, sensible — at the bridge table is an excellent idea. Look at the North hand. Partner opens one spade, you respond two clubs, and he rebids two diamonds. What would you do now? Would it make a difference if you were using Standard or two-over-one game-force; and would it matter whether you were playing in teams or pairs?
This deal was played 14 times in a pairs event scored by international match points (team scoring), so that overtricks were unimportant. Only three pairs reached the ideal contract of seven diamonds. One pair got to seven no-trump, which made because the clubs were 3-2, and would have been a top in a pairs event.
The simple players sitting North jumped to four no-trump over two diamonds, (Roman Key Card) Blackwood. Over a two-ace reply, a kiss advocate jumped to seven diamonds. How bad could it have been? Two others asked again with five notrump, but even if South had shown a king, that would not have stopped seven diamonds’ being best. As you will have noticed, even if clubs had been 4-1, that suit could have been established with one ruff.
Yes, North could have rebid a forcing three diamonds (in two-over-one) or four diamonds (in Standard), but how would that have helped?
Four pairs got to a small