[Jstroke]

I have several books that say this hand should be opened 1D.  But some inet sites suggest opening 1N with 2 doubletons when they contain an honor.  What do you think? 15-17 NT range.  sayc or 2/1

You deal NV vs NV
AK87
KT
AQTxx
Jx

[pbleighton]

Jx is too light - not a stopper at all.  Make it Kx (and reduce HCP elsewhere so the hand is 17) and 1NT is fine, imo.

[inquiry]

Quote

I have several books that say this hand should be opened 1D.  But some inet sites suggest opening 1N with 2 doubletons when they contain an honor.  What do you think? 15-17 NT range.  sayc or 2/1

You deal NV vs NV
AK87
KT
AQTxx
Jx

The deciding factor should be the easiness of your rebid (which 5-4 suits you hold). With 5C and 4S, I almost never open 1NT, for I anticipate an easy Spade rebid. With this hand, I would also open 1D, for you have no rebid problems over partner's most likely actions, thus,

1D-1H-1S
1D-1S-3S
1D-2C-2N (or 2S)
1D-1N-2N (partner surely has clubs)

Change the hand to:
Jx
AK87
AQTxx
KT

And what do you bid over 1S by partner? 1NT, a huge underbid. 3D on five,  yuck. A reverse to 2H, I think you are not strong enough. So I would open 1NT.

Change the hand one more time to:

KT
AK87
AQTxx
Jx

I will open 1D, and if partner bids 1S, I will risk the reverse, given that my SPADE K-T holding is more valuable in support of partners suit than the Jx I gave myself earlier.  But if you think over a 1S response, this hand still isn't worth a 2H reverse, then you would have to open 1NT (IMHO).

[keylime]

I'd open 1D--I prefer more classic shapes when opening NT and I do have values for a reverse unless pard's dead broke. I normally don't open NT with two doubletons even if they are good ones.

[the hog]

The concept that one needs a stopper in all suits to open 1NT is long dead. In this case you have the boss suit, so I would open 1D. Swap the H and S suits and 1NT is more attractive. 5-4 in the minors is more attractive again for a 1NT opening as this is more pre emptive

[pkl]

I do not mind opening 1NT on a 5-4-2-2 or 6-3-2-2 distribution. On the actual hand where the 4-card suit, i would never do it, though, as there are no problems with the rebid.
Changing the majors - making the hand 2-4-5-2 - would still not let me open 1NT. In spite of its 17-point count, the hand is simply to good and i would treat it as an 18-19 count.

Kind regards
Peter

[hrothgar]

Quote

I have several books that say this hand should be opened 1D.  But some inet sites suggest opening 1N with 2 doubletons when they contain an honor.  What do you think? 15-17 NT range.  sayc or 2/1

You deal NV vs NV
AK87
KT
AQTxx
Jx

I see nothing wrong with opening the occasional 4252 shape with a 1NT opening bid, however, the hand in question is too strong for a 15-17 NT.

Holding 5 losers/6 controls/11 slam points, this hand is easily worth reversing in spades.

For me to open a 15-17 NT with a 4252 hand, I'd want to be holding something like

5432
A6
AQJTx
K3