I am a staunch advocate of "less is more." My observation is that at every level of the game, players are using too many conventions. Too often I see players (from beginner to world champion) misusing or forgetting their methods. Everyone would benefit if they would just KISS. (Keep It Simple, Sweetheart). Don't spend all of your time learning new conventions instead of working on your play.

If I had to choose just 4 conventions, this would be my list:

A)

1. Responder's double for takeout Negative Doubles
2. Conventional response to notrump to ask about majors Stayman
3. Jacoby transfers
4. Abbreviation for A system to ask for not only the 4 aces, but the trump king as well Roman Keycard Blackwood rkc">A 4NT bid to ask for aces (or in RKC, keycards) Blackwood

If you forced me to choose 4 more, this would be the next group:

B)

5. Responder's Bid in the 4th suit as When a suit is bid but says nothing about the holding in that suit artificial and forcing to game 4th Suit Abbreviation for Game Forcing GF
6. Methods (I prefer A convention to interfere against a 1NT opening dontover1nt.pdf">"DONT" ) vs. Opponents' Notrump
7. Weak jumps in competition
8. 2NT ask (Conventional 2NT response to a weak two-bid that asks opener to show a high card in a side suit if he is not with a minimum preempt Feature) after our Weak 2-bids

If you insisted I fill my convention card with 12 conventions, these would be the next four:

C) A notrump bid to show the 2 lowest unbid suits Unusual notrump / Conventional bid to show a 2-suited hand Michaels bids, An artificial bid to look for major-suit support in the hand of an opener who rebid notrump checkback">Responder's bid in a new minor after opener's notrump rebid to check for major suits New Minor Checkback, Conventional GF 2NT response to 1M to show 4+ card support Jacoby 2NT, Opener's double to show 3-card support Support Doubles

And, since people just love to learn/play/teach conventions, these would be my D-list -- choices 13-16:

D) Convention used when the opponents interfere against a 1NT opening bid lebensohl, A convention used after a 3rd or 4th seat major-suit opening bid Drury, A convention that inverts the meanings of raising one-of-a-minor opening to the two or three lvel Inverted Minors, An unusual jump showing 0-1 in that suit and support for partner Splinter Bids

Honestly, I think it would be counterproductive for 99% of players to go any further than this. The memory strain is not worth it. Someone once said, "The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Conventions."

This list is referred to in more detail in "Talking Bridge."

updated: November 2019