[FrancesHinden]

Jlall, on Sep 30 2005, 04:39 PM, said:

It seems obvious to me that playing strength should matter. When you open 1N with this hand, youre saying your hand is roughly the equivalent of a 15-17 balanced hand.

Your first hand is wayyyy stronger than your average 15-17. 2N is closer. You can make game opp xxx xxx xxxx Axx. That's pretty impressive. Your hand is suit oriented, you don't want to play from your side, AND you have a good rebid (1C then 3C). I would open 1C.

You seem to be saying that 1C followed by 3C shows a much stronger hand than than a 1NT opening. I've always thought of it as showing a good 15-18 HCP (obviously depending on distribution etc), which is only fractionally stronger.

A 3C rebid isn't forcing.

On hand 1 I'd probably open 1C and rebid 2NT.

[mike777]

Winstonm, on Oct 2 2005, 11:30 AM, said:

Although I agree that 1N is certainly acceptable, I'm not sure I agree that it is the best bid.

When one opens 1N, overall HCP and texture is still the best way for responder to determine a pass, a try for game, or a game bid.  Hands with considerable sources of tricks are not factored into this equation.  As we would like to reach most games at imps that are >40%, it seems that showing the trick source is more important that anything else in this hand.

Dealer: East Vul: Both Scoring: IMP

♠ 1064 ♥ 832 ♦ A1042 ♣ A73 ♠ A3 ♥ AK5 ♦ 86 ♣ K109642

I cannot bring myself to raise a 1N opening here; however, I can easily raise a 2C over 1D rebid.  It seems to me that we all agree that primes and length with a good suit makes a hand too good for 1N; if we extend that logic, isn't this hand either too good or too bad for 1N depending solely on partner's club holding?  How can partner ever know that QJ2 of clubs makes the NT hand worth 8 tricks unless the club suit is emphasized?

Winston

1) 22 hcp game
2) Responder has terrible shape 3343
3) You must pick up club suit 2-2? or if honour drops do you finesse?

If you think 1nt is easy opener here, as I do, you must decide if you gain more than you lose from this bid.

[mikeh]

Jlall, on Oct 1 2005, 06:00 PM, said:

Winstonm, on Oct 1 2005, 04:43 PM, said:

Now, what do you open with this one?

---

1N for me too, just so mikeh can disagree This is my style, and the hand is certianly worth it on playing strength. Wouldn't fault 1C-2C at all.

I hate being predictable.....not I like the fact that my partners can trust my constructive bidding as being descriptive.

Let's take a somewhat strained holding for partner: KQxx Qxx xx Axxx.

Open 1N and guess where you play

Open 1♣ and rebid 2♣ and you may reach 5♣ or not (I'd expect to reach it most of the time), but I'm winning mps or imps against all of you 1N hand-hogs anyway.

Change the hand to KQxxx Qxxx x AQx and where are you guys playing?

Yes, I suppose you can construct hands on which 1N wins, but it is going to be much tougher... after all, 1♣ 2♣ is a sequence that actually includes this hand in its text-book definition

I have found, through bitter experience, that partners do better when you describe your hand, rather than try to maximize your chances of being declarer

[Fluffy]

Blofeld, on Oct 2 2005, 04:02 PM, said:

I don't understand the logic behind that, Fluffy. If partner bids 1♥, surely your hand looks more suited to suit play than if he bids anything else? And it makes your hand better, so doesn't 1NT become a big underbid?

Yeah , but playing on a 4-3 fit where I have concentrtated values on the 3 cards is wrong. I wanna give partenr the chance to rebid his 5 card suit.

[cherdano]

Fluffy said:

1♣ opening, followed by 2♣ unless partner bids 1♥, then I would try 1NT better.

Blofeld, on Oct 2 2005, 06:02 PM, said:

I don't understand the logic behind that, Fluffy. If partner bids 1♥, surely your hand looks more suited to suit play than if he bids anything else? And it makes your hand better, so doesn't 1NT become a big underbid?

You are misunderstanding Fluffy's 1NT rebid. It is actually two-way:
1. A normal 1NT rebid.
2. A normal 3-card raise to 2♥.
For him, 1NT is the most encouraging bid for hearts when he has 3 of them (except a 2NTGFwtp of course).

Arend

[pclayton]

Whenever 1N is opened with a 6 card minor, there is a chance that we will miss an excellent 3N with a combined 21 - 24 because of a good trick source that will remain undisclosed.

I think its tougher with a 10-12 NT or a 12-14 especially at MP's where other good pairs that play a 15-17 NT rate to breeze into these games.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

if have agreed to it, not likely, but since this is your assumption
1) 1C
2) 1 NT, most of your points are in the short suits,
the suit quality is not that great

With kind regards
Marlowe

[P_Marlowe]

Winstonm, on Oct 1 2005, 04:43 PM, said:

Now, what do you open with this one?

---

1C, planning to bid 2C.

Sometimes you have a maximum for your bidding.

With kind regards
Marlowe