Small Differences
When you're in your 20s or 30s and not a parent, there's no difference between a baby who is 1 or 2. Or a 6 month old and a 11-month-old.
Now that I'm up to my elbows in dirty diapers, though, I can spot an advanced 11-month-old taking unsteady steps or a 19-month-old swiping a pacifier from a 13-month-old. There is a world of difference between 1 and 2.
In bridge, there are also differences between certain hands, even if they are superficially the same.
Let's look at two hands and then apply this concept. Two hands with 8 points in the form of an ace, a king, and a jack each:
Hand A
AJ109
K1098
2
109877654J32K53A43| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1NT | Pass | ? |
Hand A should start with Stayman. If North responds with 2 or 2, South should jump to game. Over a 2 response, I might bid 3NT rather than 2NT (and would definitely do it at IMP scoring). Even without a fit in the major, your partner might be able to take some extra tricks in more than one of your three suits.
Hand B, on the other hand, is junk. Garbage. Trash. A dirty diaper of an 8-count. This hand should pass. While there are some magical layouts between the opening bidder and the opponents that might allow 9 tricks to make, you shouldn't stretch to game when you need so much help from the bridge gods.
If you do choose to invite with 4-3-3-3 hands better than hand B, like:
xxxxxxxAJ10K109, J43KJ102Q92J32AJ10K10981082963A--A321098765432J94Q984K7632Q9292874AKJ1094! That's not a typo. You have controls and a 9-card holding in clubs (with partner holding at least two). Even if you are missing the AK of clubs, you might have one loser if the suit splits 1-1. and then pass. You might invite opposite a 2 response, but I would be happy to improve the contract. 2 and 2 are likely to be better scoring spots than 1NT.