[dbsboy]

My friend and I discussed a hand just now.

It was ♠ATXXXX ♥KJT9X ♦X ♣X

Playing 2/1, would you open 1♠?

if yes, what seat and vulnerability?

if no, would you open 1♠ switching the small ♦singleton to ♦ Queen?

[pooltuna]

easier to describe 10 cards than to open now. Singleton Q♦ is essentially wastepaper in this hand and does not change my action. Change a major suit x to a Q and I will open

[ONEferBRID]

♠A T X X X X
♥K J T 9 X
♦X
♣X

Rule-of-20 = 8 + 6 + 5 = 19 = NO

ZAR Points ( need 26 )
HCP = 8
honor points = 2 + 1 = 3
shape points = 6 + 5 + 6 - 1 = 16

Total ZAR points = 27 = YES

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Briefly ZAR points is:
i) HCPs (usual 4321) plus
ii) honor HCP (2 for each A and 1 for each K) plus
iii) "shape" points (length of 2 longest suits+ (length of longest suit - length of shortest suit)

(that is it takes into account both extra points for A and K and shape)


If 26 or more, then open.

[hrothgar]

pooltuna, on Aug 2 2009, 08:54 PM, said:

easier to describe 10 cards than to open now. Singleton Q♦ is essentially wastepaper in this hand and does not change my action. Change a major suit x to a Q and I will open

What he said

[mike777]

dbsboy, on Aug 2 2009, 11:25 AM, said:

My friend and I discussed a hand just now.

It was ♠ATXXXX ♥KJT9X ♦X ♣X

Playing 2/1, would you open 1♠?

if yes, what seat and vulnerability?

if no, would you open 1♠ switching the small ♦singleton to ♦ Queen?

no

to open with 8 pts would be
ATxx....AT9xxx....void......xxx

1) ten cards in long suits

2) 3 first round controls

[andy_h]

Have to admit it is very tempting in 1st seat w/r. But this hand is a tad different to the 5-5 majors in the other thread. This one has less high cards and doesn't have much potential in a 3NT contract if we are unlucky enough to hit a major fit. So I will pass and come back in later showing both majors.