User:P64/Bridge/point-count

Reference: OEOB, eds. 1 and 4, which match; page references for ed. 1

Robertson count

7 5 3 2 1 for A K Q J 10 — or 4-3-2-1-0 plus 3-2-1-1-1

Edmund Robertson published this high-card point-count in 1904 and explained that for two balanced hands, "39 points should produce a game in notrump or a major suit; and 52 points should produce a small slam." [If I understand correctly, that is OEoB's paraphrase of Robertson's Rule and Robertson developed the count for this limited purpose rather than as cornerstone of a bidding system. Probably I misunderstand because 1904 is too early for game and slam bonuses. Were such rules valuable in earlier variants of bridge?

465 Robertson Rule

Reith count

6 4 3 2 1 for A K Q J 10 — or 4-3-2-1-0 plus 2-1-1-1-1

George Reith wrote the "first book on one-over-one" bidding and presented Reith's One Over One in a "series of five books published 1930–1933". member of the leading auction bridge team (Knickerbocker Whist Club)

451 Reith, George; Reith's One Over One

--?and the first presenting a bidding system based thoroughly(?) on any high-card point-count. 1930-1933. [NEEDS WORK - how thoroughly based on hcp count?]

Bamberger count

7 5 3 1 for A K Q J — or 4-3-2-1-0 plus 3-2-1-0-0

Paul Stern of Austria developed the Vienna System using the 7-5-3-1 hcp count in the mid-1930s. "the first highly artificial bidding system to achieve international success." Descendants of Vienna are in use today. In contrast, while One-over-one is a universal principles --perhaps due more to Culbertson than to Reith or the Four Aces-- the Reith and Four Aces systems are obsolete. [NEEDS WORK]

531 Stern, Dr. Paul(1892-1948);

Stern Austrian System Two-club System of Bidding, co-author

662 Vienna System

Four Aces count

3 2 1 1/2 for A K Q J (equivalent to 6 4 2 1) — or 4-3-2-1-0 plus 2-1-0-0 (= "controls" or CTRL)

David Burnstine and his Four Aces teammates used their "One-over-one system" in the 1930s and promoted it in The Four Aces Method of Contract Bidding (1935). One of the younger team members Howard Schenken later advocated the equivalent 6-4-2-1 count. including 11-1/2 to 13 one notrump where 9-1/2 is a mandatory opening bid

53 Bruce, David (formerly Burnstine) - introduced strong opening 2C; life master #1 (1936); probably the bidding theorist

187 Four Aces System; Four Aces Team

188 Four Horseman "Sims's efforts to develop and promote his own system in opposition to Culbertson did not suit Jacoby and Bruce, who successively left the team."

(Milton) Work count

4 3 2 1 for A K Q J

Milton Work was a leading teacher and author at the end of the auction bridge and beginning of the contract bridge era. He taught the 4-3-2-1 high-card point-count, which OEoB attributes to McCambell in 1915. Fred Karpin and Charles Goren separately made the Work count one cornerstone of their bidding systems in the late 1940s.

431 Point-count - "In general use is the h-c valuation introduced by Bryant McCampbell in 1915 and publicized by Milton Work" ... "It was regularly used by English experts in the thirties but did not find favor with American experts until it was adopted by FK and CG in the late forties. They supplemented the basic h-c count with valuation for distribution."

276 Karpin, Fred (1913- )

220 Goren, Charles H (1901- ) - "His introdcution of point-count valuation, adding points for distribution to the high-card values of 4,3,2,1 for A,K,Q,J, swept all other systems into the discard and made his methods into what came to be called Standard American. More important, because this valuation method proved much easier to learn, it helped make millions of new bridge players ..."

677 Work, Milton (1864-1934) - leading author on whist, bridge, auction bridge and (barely) contract bridge; leading authority/author of the auction bridge laws - U Penn athlete and bridge club leader

Bissell count There was another count expressed in terms of honor combinations; that is, high honors missing and present. plus 1/3 point for the fourth card and 1-1/3 for each succeeding card.