[flytoox]

PLAY 2/1, WHAT DO U OPEN WITH?

S: xxx
H: AKXX
D: XX
C: AKJX

[whereagles]

Openings... my favourite problems

I open 1NT. Hand has some flaws, but not enough to evade the most descriptive bid available, in my judgement.

[inquiry]

Quote

PLAY 2/1, WHAT DO U OPEN WITH?

S: xxx
H: AKXX
D: XX
C: AKJX

1♣

What is the problem?

[hrothgar]

flytoox, on Aug 13 2004, 05:22 PM, said:

PLAY 2/1, WHAT DO U OPEN WITH?

S: xxx
H: AKXX
D: XX
C: AKJX

1NT

Life gets too complicated if I open 1♣

[Free]

1NT: 15-17 BALANCED. What else???

[flytoox]

Guess most would open 1N with XXX, AKXX, AKJX, XX, coz if u dont open 1N, then u have a rebid problem. However here u dont have rebid problem. if pd respond 1M, u can raise to 2s or 3H. This is my thought so I open 1C. The auction continues:

1C 1D
1H 3N

pd has

S: QX
H: QJ
D: AJ9XXX
C: QXX

unfortunately opening leader has 5s and we r down one. If I open 1N, then LHO has sAKX and he is less likely to lead from it.

Does this prove 1C wrong?

[daswallow]

I would open a 15-17 NT, as otherwise it is impossible to describe the hand properly. Presumably the only worry is wrong-siding a possible 3NT contract as partner may hold something like K x spades?

[jtfanclub]

flytoox, on Aug 13 2004, 10:04 AM, said:

if pd respond 1M, u can raise to 2s or 3H. This is my thought so I open 1C.

Do you really want to raise to 2♠ with 3 small and no real ruffing value? Especially when it could be anything from 12 points and 4 spades to 16 points and 3 spades? Suppose your partner has...I dunno...4 spades and a ten count. How can he possibly know whether to bid over 2♠?

I have no interest whatsoever in playing in spades if partner has only four of them. Therefore, I open 1NT.

P.S.

Quote

1C 1D 1H 3N...unfortunately opening leader has 5s and we r down one. If I open 1N, then LHO has sAKX and he is less likely to lead from it.

The problem isn't that one side or the other is playing it. The problem is that your bidding screams for a spade lead. With bidding of 1NT 3NT, you're less likely to get a spade lead no matter who is on lead.

[1eyedjack]

flytoox, on Aug 13 2004, 10:04 AM, said:

Does this prove 1C wrong?

Prove? Certainly not. Suggest? Perhaps, perhaps not.

At least in your auction responder had an opportunity to ask via 4th suit whether Spades were wide open. If you get to stay out of game after the Spade weakness is exposed then you may gain on this hand (although if you get as far as 4D then you are probably still down). On the other hand, as Kelsey would have said, once you have shown a guard in the auction you may not need one in the play, so responder's confident 3N rebid might have diverted a Spade lead.

On the hand in question there is no alternative game contract that I would rather be in, and on those combined values I and the rest of the world and his dog will be in some game or other.

It is 50:50 which hand has the more obvious Spade lead in a vacuum, so simply deciding which of your two hands should be declarer on that basis is somewhat a matter of pure luck.

There is a slight indication that opening 1C might, in the long term, steer them marginally more in favour of leading Spades than by opening 1N. Anyway, Spades might have been 4-4.

I would conclude that this particular hand is not a conclusive example of either the merits or hazards of the respective openings.

[Trpltrbl]

1 NT, don't see the problem.
Balanced 15-17. That's what I got.
People that don't open 1 NT with this because they don't have all the suits stopped, are missing out on a lot.

Mike

[EricK]

Trpltrbl, on Aug 13 2004, 03:57 PM, said:

1 NT, don't see the problem.
Balanced 15-17. That's what I got.
People that don't open 1 NT with this because they don't have all the suits stopped, are missing out on a lot.

Mike 

That's right.

The truth is that hands like

xx HHxx xxx HHxx opposite HHxx xx HHxx xxx

will generally play much better than

Hx Hxxx Hxx Hxxx opposite Hxxx Hx Hxxx Hxx

So, for NT contracts (and also for suit contracts), hands with concentrated honours are not in principal worse than hands with scattered honours.

Eric

[whereagles]

Indeed. Opening 1NT doesn't mean you'll play in NT. It's just a way to describe your hand.

[inquiry]

inquiry, on Aug 13 2004, 10:25 AM, said:

Quote

PLAY 2/1, WHAT DO U OPEN WITH?

S: xxx
H: AKXX
D: XX
C: AKJX

1♣

What is the problem?

Sorry.. I read the Heart Suit as Axxx (using a capital "k" next to a capital "x" confused my eyesight. I open 1NT with balanced 14-16, and AK, AKJ puts me squarely there...

So I guess this answers my qustion on what that problem is? The problem is my eyesight... :-(

Please, Capital letters for honor cards, little 'x''s for random spots... help us old guys out....

ben

[pclayton]

If the ♠'a and ♥'s were reversed, I'd open 1♣. I understand all the technical merits of opening 1♣ here, but I have a bear of a rebid over 1♠. So its 1N for me.

[luke warm]

perfect 1C for me, 1nt rebid (unless pard bids hearts)... if we have game he'll check back

[pclayton]

luke warm, on Aug 13 2004, 02:47 PM, said:

perfect 1C for me, 1nt rebid (unless pard bids hearts)... if we have game he'll check back

Jimmy - we are just about all prime and we have 1/2 of the controls in the deck. This hand is wayyyyyy too heavy for a 1N rebid.

[luke warm]

S: xxx
H: AKXX
D: XX
C: AKJX

you're right phil, 6 controls is very nice... but the hand is too strong to open 1nt for me.. given 12-14 nt (or 10-13), how would you bid and rebid the hand, over 1S response? 2H could work, i guess, tho partner will almost surely play me for 4/5+ in my 2 suits

added: my 1nt rebid shows 15-17 (with 12-14 nt) and 14-16 (with 10-13 nt)... partner knows this

[the hog]

1NT. Wtp?
Swop H & S and I open 1NT. Wtp?

Your result does not prove 1NT wrong , however -
you have a balanced 15-17. If you don't open this 1N you cannot get any differentiation into your bidding sequences. You should not be able to hold this hand for your bidding.

Incidentally I have no qualms about raising on 3 card support - even on xxx if the hand is right.

[luke warm]

---

playing 10-13 nt:

1C : 1D
1NT : 3NT

1NT=14-16

i don't see the problem with opening 1C here, since that and 1NT opening are both off 1 in 3NT

[Fluffy]

Do I play 15-17 NT? then 1NT, don´t see the problem

Do I play 16-18? or 15-18?, still 1NT opening, too good for a 1♣ opening.