[whereagles]

Matchpoints, int/adv field, expert pard. All vuln, you hold:

Scoring: MP

You
..??

---

Playing Sayc or 2/1, what would you open?

[P_Marlowe]

2C, I have a single suiter in
the mayor, and no rebid problems.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Gerben42]

If I can stop low if partner has nothing yes, otherwise no. In my regular "standard" system this hand would qualify even though I'd feel bad about it

[inquiry]

I open 2♣ because my partner with no tricks will bid 2♥ and i will pass. If not playing this 2♥ instant double negative, I would open 1♥

[hatchett]

1♥. A matter of agreement I suppose, but for me with the stiff K not even that close to a 2♣ opener.

[inquiry]

hatchett, on Apr 7 2006, 06:43 AM, said:

1♥. A matter of agreement I suppose, but for me with the stiff K not even that close to a 2♣ opener.

Funny, for me you can remove the ♠K and the ♦Q and I would still open 2♣ with tmy regular partners. This is because I open Acol 2 in either M with 2♣ and....

x
AKQJxxx
xxx
Ax

Is a reasonalbe minimum for this bid: 8 "sure" tricks, a suit that can play opposite a singketon in slam, and at least five controls. Note, for me,

2C - 2D
2H - 2N
3H -

is one way out (in addition to 2C-2H-all pass)

The noted auction, 2D promises at least one trick
2H - shows a heart suit, forcing one round
2N - is artificial "negative" showing exactly one trick for heart contract
3H - one trick is not enough (and I hope your one trick is not the spade king).

This is definately not "standard" 2/1. I got this treatment from Chris Ryal's webpage.

[hrothgar]

Clear 1♥ opening

[Hefaistos]

To answer the question: I'd open 1 heart with this, all my regular partnerships include the 2cl description as: "8+/9+ playing tricks in a M/m with 3-4 top tricks outside the main suit when holding a one-suited hand". Also I have no way to stop in a partscore after the 2cl opening, except 2cl-2d (very weak) - 2M/3m (min hand) - pass. This has many advantages and disadvantages of course .
To elaborate a bit: actually we open some kind of South African Transfer with this. All hands with a major between a normal 4 level preempt and a 2cl opening are opened with 4h/sp.
Again this has some plusses and minuses.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Better keep your mouth shut and let people think you're a fool
Than open it and remove all doubt.
Mark Twain
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[FrancesHinden]

I would open 1H. I'm not missing game if partner passes, and I'll get too high opposite a fair hand if I open 2C.

I haven't compared responses, but on another thread a lot of people said they wouldn't open 2C holding

A109
AKQx
AKJxxx
-

Which is a massively stronger hand. That hand makes slam opposite the right balanced 0-count. The hand here can't make game opposite a balanced 9-count.

How many of you who would open 1D on that hand are opening this hand 2C? I know, minor-suited hands harder to handle, 3-suiters harder to bid, etc etc but when it comes down to it, although there is some overlap, a 2C opener is fundamentally a stronger hand.

[kenrexford]

The problem kis not so much when partner is weak. The problem is when partner is strong. When he responds 2D, I now have a 3H call (setting trumps, demanding cues), with insufficient values for that action. If I walk the dog on partner, he will expect a broken suit in honors.

Better to Open 1H. If it passes out, I make 1H. If partner can make a 2/1, amazingly, my 3H is right on target now. After a forcing 1NT, I bid 2NT (a GF relay to 3C) and then 3H to show a game-forcing hand with hearts, also allowing cuebidding without lies to partner.

Move the spade King to diamonds, and I open 2C. I just do not like handling a solid suit through 2C when I have 4 1/2 losers. Understand, though, that I am less concerned about handling a broken one-suiter with 4 1/2 losers through 2C, if that makes any sense.

[whereagles]

hrothgar, on Apr 7 2006, 12:15 PM, said:

Clear 1♥ opening

Is it also clear what to rebid if pard responds, 1♠ or 1NT?

Or are you going to use Fluffy's "2NT, wtp?" gadget

[whereagles]

FrancesHinden, on Apr 7 2006, 12:46 PM, said:

A109
AKQx
AKJxxx
-

That hand makes slam opposite the right balanced 0-count.

But on a bad day this hand takes 6-7 tricks, whereas the heart hand always takes 8.

And I don't think you make slam opposite the ideal 0-count 3424 (2 spade losers). Think you need 5 hearts.

[Blofeld]

whereagles, on Apr 7 2006, 08:48 AM, said:

FrancesHinden, on Apr 7 2006, 12:46 PM, said:

A109
AKQx
AKJxxx
-

That hand makes slam opposite the right balanced 0-count.

But on a bad day this hand takes 6-7 tricks, whereas the heart hand always takes 8.

And I don't think you make slam opposite the ideal 0-count 3424 (2 spade losers). Think you need 5 hearts.

I think the right balanced 0-count is a 2344 or 2443.

If everything splits, 6♦ makes opposite a 3334!

---

I'm opening 1♥ on the hand in this thread, by the way, unless my methods (e.g. Trebuchet) allow me to show an 8-trick hand with hearts and get out at the 2-level.

[mikeh]

1♥ for me, but that will surprise no-one, I suppose.

As for whereagle's question of rebid: of course there are gadgets available:

My own favourite is a gf jumpshift to 3♣: either natural or a massive one-suiter. Responder's usual default call is 3♦. If not playing that, then one could well jumpshift anyway or jump to 4♥.

While the difficulties flowing from a common response to 1♥ should not be ignored, it is not as if you will be overwhelmingly happy with most common 2♣ developments either.

In my experience, the average player actually screws up 2♣ auctions more than any other constructive sequence.

For me, if I have expert opps, I hate it when they open 2♣: when I have intermediate or advanced opps, I kind of enjoy it: my score expectation is above average in that case.

[pclayton]

1♥ and I don't think its close. If pard passes, we don't have game.

Over 1♠, I rebid 3N by the way.

[zasanya]

I voted 2♣ and now find myself agreeing with the 1♥ advocates.The culprits are singleton ♠ K and tripleton ♦ Q.Shift that K to ♣ and I think the whole world will bid 2♣ and shift it to ♦ and at least half the world will bid 2♣.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I voted for 2C, since I think the hand qualifies
for a Acol 2H bid.
Personnaly I play Benjamin, i.e. 2C shows only
8/9 playing tricks.

Looking at the answers, and thinking about my first
reaction to the question, playing 2C american style,
1H is probably better, but I dont think it will matter
a lot.

We have the controls and the playing strength for
a min. 2C opener, and we know what we want to
play: hearts, the only open question is, how high,
and does partner have Aces / Kings.

The auction could simply proceed:

2C - 2D (1)
2H - ???
3H (2) -

(1) waiting, but even a suit bid wont hurt, because
we would like to hear a strong side suit
(2) setting trumps, asking for cue bids, hopefully
our first cue promises a top honor


With kind regard
Marlowe

[hatchett]

Quote

I would open 1H. I'm not missing game if partner passes, and I'll get too high opposite a fair hand if I open 2C.

The game you might miss is 3NT opposite nothing but a lead away from the ♠A, and it is not hard to construct a pass for partner where 3NT is reasonable, but I agree with the second bit about getting too high.

Quote

We have the controls and the playing strength for
a min. 2C opener, and we know what we want to
play: hearts, the only open question is, how high,
and does partner have Aces / Kings.

The auction could simply proceed:

2C - 2D (1)
2H - ???
3H (2) -

I disagree strongly with this, we may well want to play in 3NT in on this hand, that's why I like the plan of 1H and rebid 3NT.

[P_Marlowe]

hatchett, on Apr 7 2006, 12:36 PM, said:

Quote

We have the controls and the playing strength for
a min. 2C opener, and we know what we want to
play: hearts, the only open question is, how high,
and does partner have Aces / Kings.

The auction could simply proceed:

2C - 2D (1)
2H - ???
3H (2) -

I disagree strongly with this, we may well want to play in 3NT in on this hand, that's why I like the plan of 1H and rebid 3NT.

Hi,

a matter of style, I prefer to play the mayor,
even when playing MP, this maybe a losing
strategy, but I think the 10 NT points NT
are overrated, people forget, that this
assumes, that we will take the same number
of tricks.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[HeartA]

zasanya, on Apr 7 2006, 11:00 AM, said:

I voted 2♣ and now find myself agreeing with the 1♥ advocates.The culprits are singleton ♠ K and tripleton ♦ Q.Shift that K to ♣ and I think the whole world will bid 2♣ and shift it to ♦ and at least half the world will bid 2♣.

It's not just stiff SK and DQxx, but also CAx. When dummy lay down some "good" cards: SA and CQ (even CK on side), they are actually useless.

DQ may not be as bad, since any honor in that suit from dummy could be helpful.