[Mbodell]

I'm with many others. It is a no brainer in 3rd seat to open. While I'd open it always in a strong club, in 2/1 I'd pass in 1st or 2nd if playing a forcing NT and open it in 1st or 2nd if playing semi-forcing NT.

[yunling]

This is an about-average 10 count, so not a common choice to open this at 1st/2nd seat playing 2/1.

[SteveMoe]

Very quacky hand with a good 5-card ♠ suit. Using the 4.5 - 3 - 1.5 - 0.75 - 0.25 HCP scale, this hand is 9 not 11.
With the right tools (5-card Ogust) I'd open 2!S in all positions. I want 1st, 2nd and 4th seat 1-bids to have 2 defensive tricks.
If you open these hands routinely, be sure your 2NT invitation is sound (12, not 10-11).

[mycroft]

One thing to think about playing 2/1 (it's actually the other side of the same question):

What's your minimum 2/1 hand? What's your minimum "too strong for limit raise" hand? Does a LR set up forcing passes?

If you're going to GF on quacky or ugly or misfitting 12s, or "pretty much any opening hand", then you can't really afford to open this one (in first and second seat). If your partner doubles freely, especially at the 3 level at matchpoints, expecting you to actually have a trick on defence, then you can't really afford to open this. Similarly, though, if your partner can't "see the power" and auto-passes p-1♣; 1♠ on 13-and-3, you can't afford *not* to open this one.

So, as everyone is saying, it's a partnership agreement. I've *agreed to* open "all" 8 counts; I've agreed to pass bad-for-the-system 14s (while opening good-for-the-system 11s, even if they are much worse hands). For a *regular* partnership, this is something you have to hash out, and take the lumps you get from bad-hands-for-your-agreement in stride. For a non-regular partnership, Simon's advice, lo these many years ago, is still right: "make sure partner thinks you're just like him. When you violate that, make sure it's in a situation where partner doesn't have to play it [because as long as it works, partner isn't going to notice what your hand is]." Okay, that last is a little more difficult on BBO...

[P_Marlowe]

UdcaDenny, on 2015-September-14, 13:21, said:

My partner and I play 2/1. Now he says he dont want to play with me anymore if I open too weak. Is following hand too weak to open ? I think its a boarderline.
KQJxx Qxx 10x QJx. He says its not enough quick tricks to open this hand in first or second position.

I would pass.

If you want to form a regular partnership, you need to formulate some lines in the sand,
which are never crossed, never meaning never, i.e. this crossing is not judgement question.
Usually this is a take and give, some things you like have to be traded for things you dont
like.
Asking questions about on BBF wont help you in your partnership, except if you have a tiebreaker,
along the lines ... we take a BBF poll to decided, if we dont get a decision on our own.
Your partner should try to write down the req. for a 1st / 2nd seat 1 level opener, something like
# 12+ HCP
or
# rule of twenty,HCP in the long suits
or
# 10-11 HCP and ??? quick tricks

If a hand meets the line in the samd req., does not necesarrily mean,
that the hand is an opener, such hands can be passed or opened.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: My line in the sand: 12+HCP or 10HCP + length points >= 12, excluding
5332 hands with 11.
A common excample is AKxxx Axx xxx xx which lots of peoble would open, but
I wont.

[steve2005]

It's a balanced hand which is very quacky I wouldn't stretch to open. The spade suit is the only reason to open and that might not be lost if you pass.

[mikeh]

Opening is simply not my style. It is an awful hand. Far too many people think that just adding up hcp is the answer. Q's and J's are grossly overvalued by the 4321 count. We have 1...count it...1 control and 11 hcp. Yes, it can be a style question, but ask yourself this......does it make my constructive bidding better when I significantly lower my opening bid standards and don't lower my 2♣ standards? and if I lower those, what does that do to my ability to bid big hands intelligently?

Meanwhile, by opening these hands you lose a lot of penalties when partner can't risk doubling when you have no controls, or you double making contracts when he plays you for values.

These problems far outweigh the preemptive value of getting in the auction first, but they tend to be the kind of outcomes that aggressive players pretend don't happen.

It isn't that I am blind to the advantages. It is just that if you really want to enjoy those advantages while minimizing the disadvantages, switch to a strong club method.

[phil_20686]

I would pass in first or second playing 2/1, but opening these hands is more of a style thing than anything else. Its not a clear error to open these. But this hand is very bad. I'd count it as a 10 count. Its just so soft.

Its an auto opener in third seat.

In fourth seat its an auto opener at MP. At imps I might well pass, then again, I might not. Its borderline.