[hrothgar]

This one generated a bit of discussion at the bar last night

You're playing KS with a 21-22 HCP 2NT opening

You get dealt the following:

♠ AK543
♥ AT6
♦ AT7
♣ AQ

What do you open?

[Gerben42]

Is this too good for 21-22? I would just open 2NT.

[rogerclee]

2♣ then 2NT. This hand just has too much playing strength opposite a slam try in one of the red suits.

[655321]

I probably open 2♣, but I don't feel that strongly about it, and don't mind 2NT.

[skjaeran]

I'll upgrade this to 23 because of all the controls, the fifth spade and the red tens. It's close though, with the empty spade suit.

[OleBerg]

Depends a little on what continuations you play on 2♣.

I'll take the liberty of a semi-hijack.

If you play 2♦ as a waiting bid, made with many hands, it is easy to incooperate all balanced hands with 5-card majors, in the sequences:

2♣-2♦
2♥/2♠

Responder has many ways of showing different degrees of support, and it makes the evaluation of the hand easier.


If I have to start showing a balanced hand, 21-22 is a wtp.

If the question is whether to get to game, we do not have anything more than maximum, trick-wise. If slam is the question, I will most likely get another chance to put the pedal to the metal.

[Free]

2NT wtp? Simple indeed

[gwnn]

Partner will (well, should) shoot to game with a King or so, which sounds accurate, 2NT for me, of course if partner looks for slam I will be very cooperative. I will try the infamous 3 card superaccept if cho has hearts.

[jdonn]

I think upgrading by more than one point on a hand that's not utterly unusual is fairly ridiculous.

[Edmunte1]

2NT, not time for an upgrade. I agree that we have a number of controls bigger than expected, and we have a 5 card suit but we have too many points in club shortage and no intermediattes in the long suit.

[pclayton]

2N is obvious.

Four aces, two tens, and a nice 5 card suit. That's useful.

This hand has plenty of negatives too, particularly the doubleton AQ and no real spots beyond those tens.

By the way, why would you play a 21-22 in a KS structure? Do you like a 3 point range for 1m-1x-2N? I sure don't.

[han]

I also never upgrade 2 points (unless I have a good 6-card suit). However, if find clee's argument compelling. It is true that opening 2NT vs 2C..2NT differs mostly on slam hands. Usually partner will go to game at least anyway oppposite a 2NT opening (although if partner raises to 3NT on nothing but a red queen then you wouldn't be in a very good spot).

If partner has a 1-suiter then 2C.. 2NT would probably work better, you do have great playing strength no matter what partner's suit is. If partner has a balanced hand with a doubleton spade then 2C..2NT is more likely to get you too high though.

So I wouldn't upgrade this hand by two points but I don't think it is far off to do so, and certainly not ridiculous.

[han]

pclayton, on Oct 12 2008, 12:26 PM, said:

This hand has plenty of negatives too, particularly the doubleton AQ and no real spots beyond those tens.

Talking about bad hand evaluation, a friend of mine opened 2NT yesterday on Ax Qx AKx AKJxxx, playing 20-21.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

2NT is certainly down the road, especially if you are
able to locate the 5 card spade suit.

You should still be able to convey the control richness
of the hand in the later auction.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[lilboyman]

In an article on bridgeguys

homepage.mac.com/bridgeguys/pdf/KSupdated1991.pdf

Kaplan writes on page 17:

"Strong Opening Bids

D – STRONG OPENING BIDS

For very strong balanced hand, these opening bids:

2 NT 20-21 points (not a "bad 20" - too many queens, honors in short suits; treat a "bad 22" as 21), balanced, includes 5-3-3-2 even with 5-card major if no other flaw, but not more eccentric pattern.

2 C 22 points up. First rebid to be in notrump. If response is 2 D, 2 NT=23, 24, 3 NT=more; over other responses, notrump rebid is unlimited."

It appears that Kaplan would recommend 2NT for these cards.

Would you open 1 S and jump to 2NT with this hand if it were onlly 20 HCP?

[TimG]

hrothgar, on Oct 12 2008, 05:54 AM, said:

♠ AK543
♥ AT6
♦ AT7
♣ AQ

♠ T
♥ KQ7
♦ KQ9832
♣ 632

Since Richard is likely sleeping now and busy tomorrow, I'll take the liberty of revealing the result. We reached 7♦ after Richard opened 2♣ and I responded 3♦ (we do not play the KS control type responses to 2♣). This was in the District 25 NAP -- of the 26 times this was played in Flights A & B, 7♦ was bid and made only twice (spades were not 4-3, but the ♣K was onside) and one pair went down in something.

I'm curious how you would handle the auction after a 2N opening.

As to why we play 21-22 2NT: I do not know. When Richard was giving this hand to someone, they asked our 2NT range and I said "20-21". Richard said I was wrong, and sure enough, our card says 21-22. I'm sure that was my mistake, Richard copied his CC from mine before the event started.

[pclayton]

TimG, on Oct 12 2008, 06:33 PM, said:

hrothgar, on Oct 12 2008, 05:54 AM, said:

♠ AK543
♥ AT6
♦ AT7
♣ AQ

♠ T
♥ KQ7
♦ KQ9832
♣ 632

Since Richard is likely sleeping now and busy tomorrow, I'll take the liberty of revealing the result. We reached 7♦ after Richard opened 2♣ and I responded 3♦ (we do not play the KS control type responses to 2♣). This was in the District 25 NAP -- of the 26 times this was played in Flights A & B, 7♦ was bid and made only twice (spades were not 4-3, but the ♣K was onside) and one pair went down in something.

I'm curious how you would handle the auction after a 2N opening.

As to why we play 21-22 2NT: I do not know. When Richard was giving this hand to someone, they asked our 2NT range and I said "20-21". Richard said I was wrong, and sure enough, our card says 21-22. I'm sure that was my mistake, Richard copied his CC from mine before the event started.

2N - 3♠
3N - 4♦
4♥ - 4♠
4N - 5♣
5♥ - 5N
6♣ - 6♥
7♦

Seems like a reasonable auction.

I think most of you know what these calls are so i won't bother to explain them.

[han]

Agree with Phil's auction.

[gnasher]

2NT  4♠  (single-suited slam try in diamonds)
5♣   5♥
5NT  6♦   (RKCB / 1)
6♥   6NT   (Queen ask / yes)
7♦

I might not bother with the queen ask.

[gnasher]

pclayton, on Oct 13 2008, 03:39 AM, said:

I think most of you know what these calls are so i won't bother to explain them.

I'm surprised that methods over 2NT in your part of the world are so uniform that everyone knows what this sequence means without explanation.

Anyway, can you show pity on a poor ignorant foreigner and tell me what it all means?