[Echognome]

Scoring: IMP

---

1. Do you open or pass?

2. Suppose you open 1♠ and the auction continues:
1♠ - 1NT(F)
2♦ - 3♠
?

Do you take the push?

3. Suppose you open 1♠ and partner bids 3♠ (limit). Do you take the push?

[jdonn]

I would open.

I definitely do not accept the invite, the singleton is fairly marginal in a 5-3 fit and we have awful trumps. I would accept if partner had made a 4 card limit raise, but I would sooner pass there than accept here.

[vang]

1. I open (i'm a sound opener ;-)

2/3 probably yes (bid 4). if 1S-3S limit promisses fit 4, bid game for sure. i'm minimal (7 losers) with a bad suit but nice controls and 10-9 in diamond. if partner has values in clubs, too bad. if part has values in hearts/diamonds, i have a good chance.

[pclayton]

I open but its a minimum.

If you'd take the push on this hand, you might as well play that 3 major is forcing, not limit.

[Codo]

open/pass

[mike777]

PASS
Not close to an opening bid

not close in roth/stone

if I open on junk and i got my junky opener then I bid 4s at imps...100% i got a stiff

To repeat
1) not close to a sound opener..pass
2) If partner knows I open this junk then bidding game is 100% clear

[helene_t]

I would have opened but passed the 1NT response.

[the hog]

Clear opening and pass the invite.

[foo]

Echognome, on Nov 6 2007, 02:17 AM, said:

South,None,IMP,
♠J8753 ♥AQ5 ♦AT93 ♣5

1. Do you open or pass?

2. Suppose you open 1♠ and the auction continues:
1♠ - 1N(F);2♦ - 3♠;??

Do you take the push?

3. Suppose you open 1♠ and partner bids 3♠ (limit).  Do you take the push?

7 losers, 2.5 Quick Tricks, 11 HCP + 1 Length Point= 12 Playing Points, an easy rebid, and the longest suit is Spades (the "Master" suit).

A easy opener.

OTOH, it is a clear minimum. For Us to belong in Game, Responder has to promise 4 cover cards in a 4M contract or enough tricks added to our ~4 1/3 expected tricks for us to make 9 tricks in NT or 10 tricks in a suit contract.

[Trinidad]

I would open and consider my hand a minimum hand. When responder shows a three card invitational raise, I pass.

However, when responder shows a four card invitational raise, I will raise to game, since now my singleton is worth about 2.5 HCP's. Opposite a three card raise the singleton isn't worth much since it will only serve to loose trump control. But opposite four card support I don't need to worry about trump control. Now my singleton will play nice in a dummy reversal or a cross-ruff.

To summarize this in a general rule: After a three card invitation, put emphasis on high cards. After a four card invitation, put emphasis on controls and distribution.

Rik

[brianshark]

My first impression was to pass with such a poor suit, mainly cos I don't particularly want partner leading it if we defend. But perhaps I should just bid as it's the boss suit after all and we need to compete for that spade partial if it's that kinda deal.

[joker_gib]

Well, if you ask yourself if it's an opening, you are min so you have to pass the invite !

[whereagles]

The_Hog, on Nov 6 2007, 09:45 AM, said:

Clear opening and pass the invite.

Yes. 3 rates to be the limit unless pard has a very specific hand, say,

AKx
Kxx
Jxx
xxxx

And even this cherry-picked 11 requires good breaks and some luck to make 4.

[Al_U_Card]

Same as Justin, but since I dont play the cards as well as he does (I hope!) I would refuse the 4 card invite at mp.

[Edmunte1]

I'll open and pass the 5-3 fit and hope making. The poor trumps and the short fit means there we'll be a lot of work to do. I'll bid the game vs. a 4 card invite anyway due to the good shape and controls.

[neilkaz]

Clear opener for me. Rule of 20 + 2.5 QT. Quite poor trumps, but the hand is 5431 rather than 5422 and the T9 in ♦ are often worth something.

Clear pass of the 3 card limit raise as game would be rather unlikely and if I bid it and run into a stack and a 4-1 split it is so easy for the opp to whack as he may be sitting on something like AQxx when 3♠ will probably be set, but he may not dare X us to game, and 4♠X will be a distaster.

If I had been given a direct 4 card limit raise ..ie 1♠-3♠ I think game has good chances and will bid it.

If playing Bergen with a couple of my favorite PD's I have the option to invite game after 1♠-3♦ with the quant 3♥ bid and will do so since we give 4 card limit raises with borderline hands when we have an invite bid available.

[skjaeran]

Jlall, on Nov 6 2007, 05:54 PM, said:

clear opener and pass. This is an accept of a FOUR card limit raise, but not a 3 card limit raise. The missing trump is huge when you have a hand like this.

Agree with this.

[han]

That's pretty funny. I was partner and had a 10-count with 4-card support. I had no idea what we were playing and decided to sell my hand as a 3-card limit raise, planning to ask for agreements after the hand.

Matt made 4, the fourth trump was a really big card.

I thought he had a 4S bid, maybe influenced by posts in this recent jillybean thread where opener had Axxxx x KJx Kxxx and it went 1S-(2C)-3C.