[Meareboy]

When we have finished a session and check results with other tables, playing in the Acol Club, I notice that our results are compared with players who play SAYC, and therefore bid in a different way. This surely affects the way the game will proceed. So does that make our final imps score suspect?

[Zelandakh]

Do you feel that your final score is suspect when you play at the local club and there is a pair playing Precision and another using Polish Club?

[fromageGB]

The freedom of choice of what bid to make with a given hand is one of the joys of the game. If someone arrives in a better, or worse, contract than you it is commonly because their judgement is better or worse, or their methods are more or less suited to the hand in question. Either way your result is a valid measure. For the scoring, how you bid is as important as how you play.

You are lucky to be in a position to be able to compare your methods with others. Check the multiple contracts for each hand afterwards, and see if you can distinguish a difference based upon known methods of pairs. If there is a consistent superiority to one method/system or another, let us know!

[kenberg]

Certainly it would not lead me to suspect anything, but this suggests a line of thought. My guess is that variation in results is about 80% (or more) due to variation in skill, and 20% (or less) due to the system being played. Q: Is it possible to define such a relationship precisely enough so that meaningful numbers can be attached?

Anyway, to your question, I say that no it doesn't mean that your results are suspect and I will be amazed if anyone takes the other side of that argument.

Added: Besides "system being played" there is "system being played at the basic level" and "well-developed system with extensive notes". Surely this matters a lot.