[WesleyC]

Fluffy, on 2014-December-17, 15:43, said:

Do you really wanna argue about a basic style issue mikeh? Nobody is gonna change their mind, but perhaps it will be useful for intermediates.

Would you rather face...

1♥-2♠-pass-4♠? or....
1♣-2♠-pass-4♠?

The same applies for all level of spades from opponents, and most bids from partner. But it is not the main issue here. The main issue is that 1♥ is a lot more describing, and chances of partner raising a 5 card suit at first round are above 50%, a raise is extremely descriptive and avoids a lot of possible problems since after that.is just a matter of level. After a heart raise we can assume that there will be no club loser, and that partner will often have some honnor to cover our hearts. A delayed club preference when you open 1♣ leaves you in the dark about partner's heart holding.

It's funny that that you brought up the (2S)-(4S) auction as an example where opening 1H is better. I would use the same sequence that to suggest opening 1C! I'm planning to bid 4NT over 4S, and I want partner to preference clubs. I guess the difference is that you're treating this as a one bid hand, whereas i'm mostly planning to pattern out with a second bid if the opponents compete in spades.

Another point no-one has mentioned, is that constructive auctions which start: 1H 1S 2C make me feel pretty sick. If partner now bids 2H or 3NT i'm worried that we've missed a good game/slam because partner has downgraded a 'misfitting hand'.

As you point out, canape majors are a basic style idea but even though I agree with that idea in principle, the playing strength and suit disparity of this hand make it worth discussing.

[whereagles]

the hog, on 2014-December-18, 00:18, said:

I am with both of you.

The antipodes attract

[the hog]

whereagles, on 2014-December-18, 04:32, said:

The antipodes attract

Not just the Antipodes. Steve Robinson, the whole Polish Nation etc etc

[Fluffy]

mikeh, on 2014-December-17, 16:09, said:

Personally I have a preference for AKQxxx in a suit rather than QJxxx, but I suspect that's because I like describing my hand, and usually play with partners who know how to bid. If I played pro, as does gonzalo, I might want to hog the majors because describing my hand to partner is probably a waste of time and meanwhile I grab dummy as often as possible without letting the other two opponents have any more clue than cho has as to my hand.

It is a style issue, not a pro thing, my father taught me to open 1♥ so I know nothing else. His first argument was that you don't have space to show 11 cards, so you should focus on showing 10 properly. I haven't ever contested it, although years on the forums have taught me that the other style is playable, and some suit quality could make me do reversed (but never with the reds)

I had a funny lucky had partnering a foreigner last month where he didn't follow my style. We ended up playing 4 spades on a 4-2 fit with this holdings on te majors:

♠Qx
♥xx

vs

♠AKJx
♥xx

+650 was totally uncontested

[whereagles]

I actually prefer the following style with a 6-5, where the 5-carder is higher ranked:

With min/med hand (4-5 losers or more): open the 5-carder, bid the 6-carder twice.
With max hand (up to 3-4 losers max): open the 6-carder, reverse and bid the 5-carder twice.

This way you (1) get to show first the 5-card major when not strong enough to bid like crazy, and (2) tell your shape/strength very accurately when holding a strong 6-5, which is important when responder has a few cover cards and is slam-bound.

[Jinksy]

Another option is to put HCP maxes with 45 dist through something like Gazzilli, and save reverses to show specifically this dist. We've been trying it for a while, and while I was wary that we'd be overloading the Gazz bid as a result, so far it hasn't caused any problems - and is obviously a lifesaver whenever you do get a 5-6.

[mike777]

Not sure what the problem is as far as shape, I showed 65 and 64 by responder in my post.
I did not reverse as I thought the heart suit was bad( one top honor).
I do agree that opener's hand is extras and not a minimum opener.
I do agree that responder's hand is huge.
If any problem, I showed shape but not that strength due to the lack of fit and bad h suit.

[lowerline]

CamHenry, on 2014-December-17, 04:30, said:

Playing 2/1, at matchpoints, N deals. At the table neither of us bid well, I think.

---

I'd open 1♥ because I think the hand is not good enough for a reverse:

1♥-1♠
2♣-2♦
3♣-3♠
3nt-4♥
pass

[mikeh]

the hog, on 2014-December-18, 05:28, said:

Not just the Antipodes. Steve Robinson, the whole Polish Nation etc etc

the poles play an entirely different system, so that argument is silly. Robinson is an outlier and afaik not one single top US player, playing a standard-based system, agrees with him