[inquiry]

HeartA, on Apr 7 2006, 02:26 PM, said:

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.

♠ACE is hardly useless. For one thing is covers a sure loser in my hand (the spade singleton that I hold) giving me 9 tricks instead of 8. For another, they may not be able to beat me in 3NT... ♦ may split, ♦ honors maybe well placed, partner may have useful ♦ cards in the form of length of some thing iwth the Ten. Even if they could beat 3NT on ♦ lead, they maynot find one.

All in all, ♠Ace is a very useful card.

[Al_U_Card]

Maybe under the right conditions and with a bid from the opps i might bid 4H, but in 1st or 2nd seat, I am opening 1H and anything else is not close. For me 2C requires more defensive quick tricks than losers so that makes the choice much easier. All the other suggestions about what will or won't happen if pard is weak or strong hold for me too.

[HeartA]

inquiry, on Apr 7 2006, 02:31 PM, said:

♠ACE is hardly useless. For one thing is covers a sure loser in my hand (the spade singleton that I hold) giving me 9 tricks instead of 8. For another, they may not be able to beat me in 3NT... ♦ may split, ♦ honors maybe well placed, partner may have useful ♦ cards in the form of length of some thing iwth the Ten. Even if they could beat 3NT on ♦ lead, they maynot find one.

All in all, ♠Ace is a very useful card.

You got me, ben.

SA is a good card in a sense, but it is not as goog as it looks. SAK would score only one trick, and if opps led S, SA will not serve as a meaningful entry.

[whereagles]

Thx all. Hands were

Scoring: MP

What to open on the West cards?

---

Opening 1♥ sees pard pass most of the time and a game is missed. So you should have opened 2♣, right?

WRONG It takes four to bridge, as they say, so LHO is kind enough to double your 1♥. Not playing gadgets to show a weakish raise, pard passes and RHO bids 1♠.

Now you get your second slice at the pie and bid 3♥. Why only 3♥? Well.. you have to be consistent: if you evaluated the hand as not worth a 2♣ opener, you can't force yourself into game now Anyway, LHO passes and surely pard will now bid 4, right?

WRONG AGAIN Pard could hardly believe you could be THAT strong and passed!!! (Ok, your fame of overbidder didn't help either, but you see the point.)

Anyway 3♥ +1, a zero and some food for thought

[asdfg2k]

Partner was right. Where was your 2S bid? or your 3S bid? (reasonable shot, although not as good, IMO)

3H was indeed too weak.

I believe it was Frances who gave you the secret to this hand. You are too weak, in most systems, to open 2C. The reason is that you are concerned about getting too high if partner has fair values. Now that the bidding has all but guaranteed partner's lack of significant values, I think bidding to game is normal. The only question is what route you take to get there.

There are just too many hands where partner can produce the necessary tricks on skimpy values not to ensure bidding to game. The current hand is a case in point.

And since this is matchpoints, and you know that many other players, lacking your superlative judgment, will no doubt have opened 2c and find themselves in game with your hand, you are going against the field to stop below game.

The question is whether you are playing with a partner who, over 2s, will recognize that the given hand is enough to bid game. If not, then you might as well bid 4H instead of 2S.

[Fluffy]

P_Marlowe, on Apr 7 2006, 09:06 AM, said:

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

With kind regards
Marlowe

If I open 2♣ I would have rebid problems after

2♣-4♠-X-ps

[bid_em_up]

1H.

While this hand certainly contains enough playing tricks, it does not contain any semblance of defensive tricks that a 2C opener should have, imo. If opps get into the bidding, partner may eventually end up doubling a making contract, expecting more defense in your hand.

[P_Marlowe]

Fluffy, on Apr 9 2006, 09:45 AM, said:

P_Marlowe, on Apr 7 2006, 09:06 AM, said:

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

With kind regards
Marlowe

If I open 2♣ I would have rebid problems after

2♣-4♠-X-ps

of course if I open 1H I have the
same problem.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[hatchett]

Quote

QUOTE (Fluffy @ Apr 9 2006, 09:45 AM)
QUOTE (P_Marlowe @ Apr 7 2006, 09:06 AM)
2C, I have a single suiter in
the mayor, and no rebid problems.

With kind regards
Marlowe 


If I open 2♣ I would have rebid problems after

2♣-4♠-X-ps 


of course if I open 1H I have the
same problem.

With kind regards
Marlowe

Not really, if I have opened 1♥ partner has a 10 count or so. I expect 5♥ to definitely make and slam maybe on.

If you have opened 2♣ partner might have anything from a balanced 0 count that doesn't fancy the 5 level (pass is forcing) to an out and out penalty double of 4♠

[P_Marlowe]

hatchett, on Apr 9 2006, 11:50 AM, said:

Quote

QUOTE (Fluffy @ Apr 9 2006, 09:45 AM)
QUOTE (P_Marlowe @ Apr 7 2006, 09:06 AM)
2C, I have a single suiter in
the mayor, and no rebid problems.

With kind regards
Marlowe 


If I open 2♣ I would have rebid problems after

2♣-4♠-X-ps 


of course if I open 1H I have the
same problem.

With kind regards
Marlowe

Not really, if I have opened 1♥ partner has a 10 count or so. I expect 5♥ to definitely make and slam maybe on.

If you have opened 2♣ partner might have anything from a balanced 0 count that doesn't fancy the 5 level (pass is forcing) to an out and out penalty double of 4♠

, I agree, but the question / remark was,
that I have a rebid problem, which I do not
have, I know what to bid: 5H.

I dont know, if I bid to make, but that does
not matter since I will bid it anyway, ...
IF I had opened 1H, I would even bid 5H over 4S
without a X from partner, although this is probably
not 100% clear cut.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[pigpenz]

I like 1♥, ill go MR Clayton one further what if you open 2♣ and you get a dreaded 4♠ by the opps