Here is a fun, freak hand I held the other day. I am in 1st seat facing favorable vulnerability:
I can’t open a preemptive 2 hearts when holding four or more spades. Instead, how about opening one heart? Okay, I do like holding the K 10 9 in each major, but that’s not enough to justify opening one heart with only six high card points. However, with 11 cards in the majors I don’t plan to go quietly into the night as the auction progresses (unless it becomes clear there is no fit with partner for either major).
Here’s how the auction proceeded until it got back to me:
At that point it looks like there is high likelihood of major suit fit with partner, so I overcalled three diamonds (Michaels cue bid for the majors). West bid four diamonds passed back to me. Having better hearts than spades I competed to four hearts ending the auction. When play ended I had made four hearts for plus 420!
Bottom line: Points Schmoints — this kind of a freak hand is much better than its high card holding suggests. It’s loaded with tricks. Those low cards in the majors are going to take tricks even though they don’t contribute to your high card count.