[Jlall]

gnasher, on Jul 20 2009, 11:50 AM, said:

I've noticed before that I raise a minor-suit opening in competition more often than most on these forums.  What's wrong with this one - too few clubs, or too little high-card strength?

A little of both imo.

Edit: Also for the record I am admittedly sounder than almost everyone good after 1x-(1Y) when making negative doubles, raising minors, and bidding 1N. Would have guessed most would bid 2C with this hand.

[nick_s]

gnasher, on Jul 20 2009, 11:50 AM, said:

I've noticed before that I raise a minor-suit opening in competition more often than most on these forums. What's wrong with this one - too few clubs, or too little high-card strength?

Maybe because you play a weak NT?

[jdonn]

Jlall, on Jul 20 2009, 11:51 AM, said:

gnasher, on Jul 20 2009, 11:50 AM, said:

I've noticed before that I raise a minor-suit opening in competition more often than most on these forums.  What's wrong with this one - too few clubs, or too little high-card strength?

A little of both imo.

Edit: Also for the record I am admittedly sounder than almost everyone good after 1x-(1Y) when making negative doubles, raising minors, and bidding 1N. Would have guessed most would bid 2C with this hand.

I'm shocked to hear that because I make negative doubles at the 1 level very light, but I have seen you recommend negative doubles at the 2 level that would scare me.

[mikeh]

Late to the thread... I agree with the initial pass and with a late round 4♣ call by north.... but only if our style is to open 1♦ with, say, 4=1=4=4, since in that case we have a reasonably safe inference that partner has 5 clubs. Opposite a chunky 4=1=3=5, which seems to be the most probable holding on the auction, this hand is too good to sell out to 3♥.

As for an immediate 2♣ raise, that seems to me to be way too dangerous except in a weak notrump situation. I don't know the odds of a balanced 15-17 compared to a distributional hand... especially mediated by the overcall which surely alters the odds given my heart length.... I would probably regret my raise opposite a balanced notrump hand anyway.

Last year, the raise on a similar hand (in that case 3=2=4=4 5 count) led to a slam missed at the other table after the initial pass. But we were playing a weak notrump method at the time.