[Echognome]

Scoring: IMP

1♣ - 1♥;
2♥ - 2♠*;
?

---

*Natural game try, can be 4-4 in majors as your 2♥ call only promised 3


1. Do you open the hand playing 2/1?
2. Despite your viewpoint on question 1, here you are. What's your call now?
3. What do you think 2NT, 3♣, and 3♦ should show?

[Jlall]

I would open it, and I'd bid game now.

[aguahombre]

1) no
2)3H
3) a)lack of 4th heart..b)retry showing where I live c)2 4 3 4, good diamonds-retry.

[Echognome]

Jlall, on Nov 16 2009, 01:07 PM, said:

I would open it, and I'd bid game now.

Just to clarify what may be obvious, but you prefer the game in hearts to spades?

[Jlall]

Echognome, on Nov 16 2009, 04:50 PM, said:

Jlall, on Nov 16 2009, 01:07 PM, said:

I would open it, and I'd bid game now.

Just to clarify what may be obvious, but you prefer the game in hearts to spades?

yes

[P_Marlowe]

#1 No
#2 show the spade fit, without promising more than I have, I would go with 3S
#3 2NT should show the weak NT, which is still possible, but without 4 spades,
3C 5-4, NF
3D FSF, GF
3S inv.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[gnasher]

I'd open it, but only because I expect to be bidding my two best suits.

I wouldn't bid game - I'd just bid 3♥. I have a minimum with only three of my HCP in partner's suits. Weak length opposite length just means lots of losers. Give partner KJxx A10xx Kxx xx and game is pretty poor.

2NT is natural, eg 1345 or 2335 (if that's allowed).

3♣ is natural and to play, suggesting x3x6

3♦ is what you do with a good hand, no primary fit, and doubt about strain - a slightly unusual instance of Fourth-Suit Forcing.

[helene_t]

agree with Uwe

[aguahombre]

with 4sp and only 3H, opener would rebid 1S, not 2H...prepared in case something like this comes up. (1C-1H-1S-3S-P, if holding a minimum 43 in majors)
When 2S is a natural game try on the given auction, 3S would commit us to game. Partner might be slamming. the only outright decline of game with 4 card heart support is 3H.
It is strange that there is disagreement on whether the hand should even be opened. Yet, 4H in response to a game try is considered. did the hand grow during the auction? no.

[gnasher]

aguahombre, on Nov 17 2009, 12:42 AM, said:

with 4sp and only 3H, opener would rebid 1S, not 2H...prepared in case something like this comes up.

That might be what you would do, but we don't all bid the same way. Many partnerships play that opener raises to 2♥ with a 4315 minimum.

[aguahombre]

I guess i am just old, and would rather have 8 trumps instead of seven if pard is in the normal response range.

[MarkDean]

1. No, not particularly close for me.
2. 3H
3. What gnasher said.

[Codo]

1. yes sure
2. depends on method, if I have a: I do not know whether we belong in game bid but maybe we do bid avaiable (2NT 3 Club/diamond) I would use it. Without this I would stay low. I hate my honor location.
3. I have no idea, because I play a very different system.

[andy_h]

I open because it's NV and I have 44 in the majors.
2, 3) I agree with gnasher.

[655321]

1) Open always
2) 4♥
3) Natural with only 3 hearts.

[pooltuna]

1) Not a big 2/1er but my gut reaction is most won't[in some cases violently opposed]. I probably wouldn't open it in SAYC
2) 3♥
3) 2NT denies 4♥ first and foremost, 3♣ probably means I would accept but my help is in a good ♣ suit, 3♦ says I have control help in ♦

[Phil]

I would open it, but its not that great a hand. In my partnerships, 2♠ promises 5♥. When Gnome gave this hand to me Sunday night, my feeling was spades could possibly be a better trump fit if partner had something like QJxx where we might get a spade ruff in 4♥ but not v.v..

Knowing we have at least an eight card fit should allow a counter-try of 3♣ which is where I live. If pard has 451(xxx), he'll get turned off, but should bid game with 4531 or a hand with the ♣K.