Goren Points

Before you can even begin to learn how to bid, YOU MUST BE ABLE TO EVALUATE OR ASSESS THE VALUE OR STRENGTH OF YOUR HAND. You have done this already using Quicktricks. Well today, we are going to turn to Goren points, and break you of some very bad habits.

RULE #1:

IF THERE HAS BEEN NO BIDDING...YOU MAY NOT COUNT ANY SHORT SUIT DISTRIBUTION ...POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE. This is because NO OPEN BID YOU MAKE IN BRIDGE, OTHER THAN A PREEMPT, CAN BE BASED ON ANY POINTS IN SHORT SUIT DISTRIBUTION. And since you DO NOT COUNT POINTS FOR PREEMPTS, NO OPENING BID IN BRIDGE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT SHORT SUIT DISTRIBUTION POINTS.

RULE# 2:

IF THERE HAS BEEN NO BIDDING...YOU MUST NOT COUNT ANY HONOR IN YOUR HAND WHICH IS NOT SUPPORTED. ANY JACK WITH THREE SUPPORTING CARDS IS SUPPORTED. Any jack with the ace or king and one other card IS ALSO SUPPORTED.

RULE # 3:

WHEN YOU HAVE SHORTNESS IN THE SUIT BID BY PARTNER...

YOU MUST COUNT NEGATIVE DISTRIBUTION POINTS FOR THAT SHORTNESS:

MINUS THREE FOR A VOID
MINUS TWO FOR A SINGLETON
MINUS ONE FOR A DOUBLETON

AND THE RULE CONTINUES...you must continue to count such negative points until you and partner have found at least and eight card fit in a suit.

What these negative points will do for you is PROTECT YOU FROM THE most feared beast in Bridge..THE DREADED MISFIT BEAST!!! IF YOU SMELL THE MISFIT BEAST...BEWARE...AND IF YOU SEE HIM...RUN LIKE HELL (pass).

RULE #4:

YOU MAY COUNT POSITIVE DIST. POINTS FOR ANY SUIT BID BY THE OPPONENT...AND FOR ALL SUITS ONCE YOU AND PARTNER HAVE FOUND AN 8 CARD OR BETTER FIT IN A SUIT:

· THREE FOR A VOID

TWO FOR A SINGLETON
ONE FOR A DOUBLETON

RULE #5:

WHENEVER ONE OF THE OPPONENTS BID A SUIT...you must now COUNT YOUR HAND IN TWO WAYS:

YOU MUST COUNT IT UP OFFENSIVELY
AND YOU MUST COUNT IT UP DEFENSIVELY

When you count it defensively, you PRETEND THAT THE CONTRACT IS IN OPPONENT’S BID SUIT…AND WHEN you count it up offensively you pretend that the contract is in either partner’s bid suit or your long suit.

COUNT BOTH OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE POINTS EVERY TIME THERE IS A NEW BID SO THAT YOU CAN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: "Is my hand an offensive or a defensive hand?"

RULE #6:

YOU CAN COUNT ANY UNSUPPORTED HONOR IN A SUIT BID BY PARTNER. AND THE RULE CONTINUES...YOU CAN COUNT ALL UNSUPPORTED HONORS IN ALL SUITS IF YOUR PARTNER OPENS OR BIDS A STRONG NOTRUMP.

RULE #6 ½:

ASK YOURSELF IF YOUR HONOR(S) ARE WELL PLACED??

IF THEY ARE ...ADD A POINT, IF THEY ARE NOT...SUBTRACT A POINT.

DO NOT ADD A POINT FOR A WELL PLACED ACE BECAUSE ACES ARE ALWAYS WELL PLACED.

Question: What is a Yarborough?

Answer #1: It is any hand containing no Goren points and no tens.

Answer #2: It is a particularly long Marlborough cigarette.