What if I gave up on Bergen?
Assume this: p-p-1s-p-3c. This scares me. 3c has to say no spade support, 6+clubs and invitational values. This is scary. You're at the 3 level with no known fit and p could have opened on a good 8 count and a club void. What happens here?
In you're a passed hand you can't use Bergen, and really would you want to? That's what drury is for. And two way drury you can even show a fourth trump if you have one.
This all started when at a class in 2/1 an instructor said that bergen should be on in all seats. I question this. First, as just stated we have a bid for an invitational hand with support. Second if we don't have invitational values is it crucial that we go to the three level? Just because with 9 trump we can play at the three level, does it mean we must? If p makes a game try then we can, ith a 7-10 point hand, look at our 4th trump and factor it in. I don't think I want to use Bergen in all seats.
So, I asked an expert. (When in doubt ask an expert.) He said Bergen raises are silly. He suggested I give them up. Well, I believe him. I mean if you ask someone a question because you trust their expertise, isn't it foolish to dismiss their response because it wasn't what you wanted?
So, what if I gave up Bergen? What do I gain? What to I lose? I gain a way to show an invitational hand with a long suit.
What scares me isn't that I lose the ability to show a fourth trump on the hands where I have 7-12 points, though I worry about giving up my preemptive 1M-3M. What scares me is being out of step with the other players at my level. Now, I recognize that the players at my level aren't going to make me better. But playing a lot will. And they're the people I get to play with most.
What would happen if I gave up on Bergen Raises? And do I ever want to bid 3c invitational when p opens in 3rd seat?
In you're a passed hand you can't use Bergen, and really would you want to? That's what drury is for. And two way drury you can even show a fourth trump if you have one.
This all started when at a class in 2/1 an instructor said that bergen should be on in all seats. I question this. First, as just stated we have a bid for an invitational hand with support. Second if we don't have invitational values is it crucial that we go to the three level? Just because with 9 trump we can play at the three level, does it mean we must? If p makes a game try then we can, ith a 7-10 point hand, look at our 4th trump and factor it in. I don't think I want to use Bergen in all seats.
So, I asked an expert. (When in doubt ask an expert.) He said Bergen raises are silly. He suggested I give them up. Well, I believe him. I mean if you ask someone a question because you trust their expertise, isn't it foolish to dismiss their response because it wasn't what you wanted?
So, what if I gave up Bergen? What do I gain? What to I lose? I gain a way to show an invitational hand with a long suit.
What scares me isn't that I lose the ability to show a fourth trump on the hands where I have 7-12 points, though I worry about giving up my preemptive 1M-3M. What scares me is being out of step with the other players at my level. Now, I recognize that the players at my level aren't going to make me better. But playing a lot will. And they're the people I get to play with most.
What would happen if I gave up on Bergen Raises? And do I ever want to bid 3c invitational when p opens in 3rd seat?
posted by Deborah at 12:04 PM
1 Comments:
Hey there, Miss Monster, glad to see that you have resumed blogging.
From a theoretical viewpoint, I share your expert's view on Bergen raises - I'd rather be playing 2NT as an invitational-or-better raise with 1M:3M as a weak-but-not-stupidly-so raise, mainly because I feel that invitational jump-shifts are pretty useful.
As a passed hand, it is fairly standard to play jumps as fit-showing, something like five decent cards in the suit bid and four card support for partner's major. If you would open light, a natural 2NT response is worse than useless - many playing Drury use 2NT as a maximum passed hand with 6+clubs.
Having said that, I'd suggest falling in line with your class. The quality of your agreements is fairly unimportant in the grand scheme of things - which is unfortunate, as I'd be a much more successful bridge player if that was not so!
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