[Phil]

1. What is the guIding principles using 321 points after discovering shape? Ie, if we have X we should have a good play for slam? I'm thinking 20 is a magic #? Is 18 equivalent to the proverbial 30 point deck?

2. Is there a good rule about 5 level safety?

3. What are sensible brackets for various opening bids? Two? Three? What would be a good low point for an 11 point minimum? 14 point minimum?

[awm]

We use 5-9 for a minimum opener. For 11-13 balanced you can't actually have more than 9. It's possible to have 4 (QJxx KJx QJx Jx) but it's really a lousy hand and we wouldn't open it.

For a hand weaker than a strong club we use 5-11 which splits into minimum (5-9) and maximum (7-11).

In general we do not make "counting" rules like you describe and instead try to visualize hands give shapes and our own holding.

[Phil]

 awm, on 2016-June-04, 12:17, said:

We use 5-9 for a minimum opener. For 11-13 balanced you can't actually have more than 9. It's possible to have 4 (QJxx KJx QJx Jx) but it's really a lousy hand and we wouldn't open it.

For a hand weaker than a strong club we use 5-11 which splits into minimum (5-9) and maximum (7-11).

In general we do not make "counting" rules like you describe and instead try to visualize hands give shapes and our own holding.

Thanks Adam. I haven't played relays in about 30 years and some of the principles are new to me.

[Zelandakh]

Phil, if you consider that 3-2-1 is equivalent to 4.5-3-1.5, that gives you a fairly easy way of converting. Basically you have to allow for jacks (ie subtract a point or 2) and then multiple by two-thirds. So 13 might be considered as about 8 ((13-1)*2/3). You can check by constructing a suitable hand with kings, such as KJxx Kxx Kxx Kxx. I personally think it is easier to stick with the modified Milton (4.5-3-1.5) scale for familiarity but that is probably just because I have not used QPs in their pure form very much.