[mike777]

Assuming little or no discussion except 2/1 100% game forcing, strong nt and a WC pickup partner:

If need be assume the WC partner knows you are not WC.

What does a minimum one of a minor look like for you in first and second seat?

With a balanced hand?
With an unbalanced hand?

Feel free to elaborate, ty in advance.

[hrothgar]

With a balanced hand

♠ xxx
♥ Ax
♦ K962
♣ Axxx

With an unbalanced hand

♠ Axx
♥ x
♦ AQJxx
♣ Txxx

[Gerben42]

I would require a bit more for the balanced hand than Richard. Balanced 11-counts are not THAT great so they need great intermediates, maybe:

♠ xxx
♥ Ax
♦ KT9x
♣ Axx

[paulg]

I'm not close to a WC player, but I would advise beginners/intermediates to play a consistent game when playing with such a player.

Consistent does not necessarily mean solid openers, but I'd pass balanced 11 counts, open balanced 12 counts and open unbalanced hands using the Rule of 20 (your high-card points + length of 2 longest suits adds up to 20 or more).

Paul

[awm]

The idea with a good pick-up partner is to play a down-the-middle sort of game. It can certainly work to agree to open very light or to open very sound, but you need to have some discussion about expectations and follow-ups in order to do this, which is not the case in a pickup partnership. Note that failing to open a hand which partner expects to be a clear opening bid could potentially be just as bad as opening a hand which is lighter than partner will expect.

My recommendation is:

(1) Open all hands with thirteen or more points.

(2) Open most twelves. It's okay to pass on twelve points if you are 4333 with poor intermediates, or if your points are not in your suits (holdings like Qx and singleton K are downgrades).

(3) Pass balanced elevens. It's okay to open eleven with some shape, like 5431 or 55 patterns with points in the long suits.

(4) Pass (or preempt) almost all tens. I wouldn't open a typical 5-5 ten-count in a 2/1 GF system without discussion -- you will often get too high when partner forces to game and it's usually easier to "catch up" after an initial underbid (pass) when a fit materializes than it is to "slow down" after partner game forces on a misfit. It's okay to open with ten points holding an exceptional long suit (say a seven-bagger) since this will always make for a "fit" of sorts.

Obviously this approach is heavy on "point counting" and light on "evaluating shape." I think this is the proper approach to a 2/1 GF system, since partner often needs to decide whether to force game early in the auction without knowledge of a fit, and high card points are a good guide for this sort of thing.

[cherdano]

Obviously it depends on who the world class player is, but usually I would open a bit more aggressively than what Adam is describing. I would automatically open xx ATx AQJ9x xxx (IMO it doesn't make sense to open most balanced 12s but pass this one), and would still open with slightly worse honor structures.

I also disagree with Adam about catching up. When I pass a nice 11-count with 5 spades, the auction may well go P P 1m P 1S AP, making 4. Sometimes you can, but often you cannot.

[hrothgar]

awm, on Sep 4 2007, 05:36 PM, said:

My recommendation is:

(1) Open all hands with thirteen or more points.

(2) Open most twelves. It's okay to pass on twelve points if you are 4333 with poor intermediates, or if your points are not in your suits (holdings like Qx and singleton K are downgrades).

(3) Pass balanced elevens. It's okay to open eleven with some shape, like 5431 or 55 patterns with points in the long suits.

Here's my issue with Adam's post:

I think that we all know that traditional work HCPs are quite innacurate (especially where suit contracts are concerned). Queens and Jacks are overvalued significantly. Aces and Kings are undervalued.

I consider myself a fiarly sound opener within the context of a 2/1 GF system. Even so, I find it quite difficult to pass a hand with a pair of Aces and King.

When I posted the following hand, I tried to identify an example where I was (essentially) indifferent between opening and passing.

♠ xxx
♥ Ax
♦ K962
♣ Axxx

Personally, I think that being able to see actual hands is a lot more useful than general rules sets and platitudes.