[Lobowolf]

♠Txx
♥ATxx
♦AKTxx
♣A


Opponents silent at matchpoints...Anyone have a preferred alternative to a 15-point reverse after 1♦-1♠?

[mtvesuvius]

This looks like a 2♠ raise to me. If partner needs to know, partner can raise ask with 2NT, I will bid 3♦ (Maximum with 3♠). Otherwise, I have described my hand. I don't think this is worth a reverse.

[xcurt]

Slow roll with 2♠.

If I reverse, my next call will be 3♠ which guarantees we reach game and also precludes 3NT when partner has moderate clubs. 2♠ keeps in play

* doubling the opponents if they come in
* 3NT
* diamond contract
* spade partial -- and there's no reason to assume that we're making a game yet

Someone will surely point out that this is another win for 1m-1M; 2♣ artificial handing many death hands.

[mike777]

I understand raising 1s to 2s.....I also understand if pard opens 1nt.

[rogerclee]

two spades

[Phil]

2♠ but can live with a 1N opening.

Reversing is out of the question.

[jdonn]

I'll reverse. I don't think I've ever reversed with a 4-5 15 count, but A A AK T T T and three card support for partner, what can I say? I think it's too easy for 2♠ to miss game.

[whereagles]

Easy reverse. I reverse with 15 on a regular basis for systemic reasons.

[Codo]

Agree with Josh. 2 Spade looks like Txx, Axxx,Akxxx,x f.e.

[gnasher]

Codo, on Jan 19 2009, 11:49 AM, said:

Agree with Josh. 2 Spade looks like Txx, Axxx,Akxxx,x f.e.

Are you saying that would be a minimum 2♠ bid? If so, I don't see why adding a singleton ace and two tens makes it into more than a maximum.

[andy_h]

Aces, Kings and Tens also get me. I will also reverse.

[Codo]

gnasher, on Jan 19 2009, 08:26 PM, said:

Codo, on Jan 19 2009, 11:49 AM, said:

Agree with Josh. 2 Spade looks like Txx, Axxx,Akxxx,x f.e.

Are you saying that would be a minimum 2♠ bid? If so, I don't see why adding a singleton ace and two tens makes it into more than a maximum.

Nice point. But as a 2 Spade response normally is around 11-15 HCPS, an Ace difference could be enough to make a stronger bid.

And no, A,AK and a stiff are not minimum.

[jdonn]

gnasher, on Jan 19 2009, 06:26 AM, said:

Codo, on Jan 19 2009, 11:49 AM, said:

Agree with Josh. 2 Spade looks like Txx, Axxx,Akxxx,x f.e.

Are you saying that would be a minimum 2♠ bid? If so, I don't see why adding a singleton ace and two tens makes it into more than a maximum.

For clarification, and I bet you would have guessed this, I would bid 2♠ with Txx ATxx AQTxx A.

[xcurt]

jdonn, on Jan 19 2009, 10:21 AM, said:

gnasher, on Jan 19 2009, 06:26 AM, said:

Codo, on Jan 19 2009, 11:49 AM, said:

Agree with Josh. 2 Spade looks like Txx, Axxx,Akxxx,x f.e.

Are you saying that would be a minimum 2♠ bid? If so, I don't see why adding a singleton ace and two tens makes it into more than a maximum.

For clarification, and I bet you would have guessed this, I would bid 2♠ with Txx ATxx AQTxx A.

Josh, why is the playing strength of this hand so much less?* Even if partner has a doubleton diamond the difference in value between ♦AKT and ♦AQT is very small since we probably need to attack diamonds anyway if we hope to make 10 tricks.

I'd say that on hands where partner is passing a raise to 2♠, we are less than a 50% favorite to make a game. And if partner has good spades and little else, 2♠ should be our highest scoring partscore. And if partner has bad spades and a little else, at least we protected our plus. The danger hand for a raise to 2♠ is something like J8xxx, Kxx, Qxx, Kx which is probably 60-70% to make 4♠ and 3NT rolls unless diamonds fail to come in (and makes an overtrick in practice if diamonds and hearts play, and they misdefend or spades block). But if I reverse and partner has that hand, the auction is going to end in 4♠, not 3NT.

[jdonn]

xcurt, on Jan 19 2009, 11:08 AM, said:

Josh, why is the playing strength of this hand so much less?

I didn't say it was "so much less". It's simply where I have a cutoff. Everyone has a cutoff somewhere, which means there will be two hands on either side of it that differ by very little. Since I admit this is the very minimum I would reverse with (generally not with this shape and strength at all), then naturally a hand that's only a little worse would not be a reverse.

Quote

I'd say that on hands where partner is passing a raise to 2♠, we are less than a 50% favorite to make a game.

I agree. However I do not thinking missing a game (for example) 40% of the time is very good. Do you?

Quote

And if partner has good spades and little else, 2♠ should be our highest scoring partscore.

AKQxx xxx xx xxx is 'good spades and little else' I would say.

Quote

And if partner has bad spades and a little else, at least we protected our plus.  The danger hand for a raise to 2♠ is something like J8xxx, Kxx, Qxx, Kx which is probably 60-70% to make 4♠ and 3NT rolls unless diamonds fail to come in (and makes an overtrick in practice if diamonds and hearts play, and they misdefend or spades block).  But if I reverse and partner has that hand, the auction is going to end in 4♠, not 3NT.

I would always admit 2♥ (edited, I mistakently typed 2♠ before) can get us too high, just like you would always admit 2♠ can lead to a missed game. I don't feel the need to enumerate the cases.

[xcurt]

jdonn, on Jan 19 2009, 11:22 AM, said:

Quote

I'd say that on hands where partner is passing a raise to 2♠, we are less than a 50% favorite to make a game.

I agree. However I do not thinking missing a game (for example) 40% of the time is very good. Do you?

If the alternative is stopping in a making partscore then yes. I'm claiming that if we reverse, we'll almost always reach game, so we should not reverse if it's a favorite to get us a minus score.

[hrothgar]

Lobowolf, on Jan 18 2009, 08:05 AM, said:

♠Txx
♥ATxx
♦AKTxx
♣A


Opponents silent at matchpoints...Anyone have a preferred alternative to a 15-point reverse after 1♦-1♠?

A 1NT opening....

Having opened 1♦, I'll raise to 2♠