The Master List of Things Everyone Knows, but no one told me!

I keep stumbling across little normalities that I had no idea existed. So, I'm making a list. - So I don't forget them. You all feel free to chime right in.

1. In this auction 2c-2d-3nt... 4c can be stayman, and that's fairly standard. (Is it standard enough to be the default?)
2 If you make a take out x and then bid 1nt on your next turn you're not showing shortness in openers suit, you're showing a balanced 16-18ish nt hand.
3 Make that 18-19ish.
4 Don't signal with your high cards if it means setting up the suit for the opps. (Ok, maybe that's a bit obvious for this list, but I sometimes need reminders)

I Have A Theory

I have a theory, which is great cause for celebration around my house. Most days I don't just not have a theory, I barely have opinions and have to borrow some from other people. But I have a theory. It's this: I think whatever the relative merits of discard systems or lack or merits, it's got to be more profitable to just learn to discard wisely and signal well, before adopting one.

Recently I was talking with a friend about UDCA and she was shocked that I don't use O/E or Lav. And I didn't go into all this because I like her, and I didn't want to bore her, but I was thinking it all. I was thinking about when someone, about a year ago, pointed out to me that my discard was giving away a trick. I was so busy trying to signal what was in my hand that I didn't bother to think about what I was looking at in the dummy, what declarer might be planning or anything but the fact that I had an honor and p could lead that suit to me and I could take a trick.

Now, clearly, O/E as a device is in no way to blame for my shortcomings as a defender. But I find that not having to worry if my card is odd or even frees me up to think about what I should be discarding. It's one less distraction. Once I can be distracted by bright shiny things and still throw the right card I can revisit the issue.