[paulg]

Scoring: MP

What is your opening call?

---

[gwnn]

I like 2♠ also (and could succumb to it sometimes) but this is a good hand, 1♠. MP lead directional etc etc.

[jdonn]

If you decide to open I see no merit in 1♦. I like to bid my suits in natural order, but common sense has to take over at some point.

[Halo]

1S

Previous - bid by length tempered with common sense - says it for me.

Maybe preemption will work well, but I've got the spade suit and good potential playing strength, so I would rather open one and see how it goes.

[mike777]

cardsharp, on Jun 14 2007, 11:42 AM, said:

Scoring: MP

What is your opening call?

---

Pass, no problem yet.
Too many flaws.
short suit honor
poor suit quality in longest suit.
I tend to ignore one flaw but not two.

[FrancesHinden]

Every time these type of hands come up I always say that I would open my longest suit.

Finally I've reached my limit. If I open this hand at all, it's with 1S.

[mikeh]

FrancesHinden, on Jun 14 2007, 12:43 PM, said:

Every time these type of hands come up I always say that I would open my longest suit.

Finally I've reached my limit. If I open this hand at all, it's with 1S.

ditto: but, in any event, I don't open at all

[Halo]

After:

P - 1H- P - 4H
?

Why is it best in this aggressive age to try to describe your hand at the 4-level than the 1-level.

[skjaeran]

mikeh, on Jun 14 2007, 07:55 PM, said:

FrancesHinden, on Jun 14 2007, 12:43 PM, said:

Every time these type of hands come up I always say that I would open my longest suit.

Finally I've reached my limit.  If I open this hand at all, it's with 1S.

ditto: but, in any event, I don't open at all

Ditto.

[awm]

Halo, on Jun 14 2007, 02:35 PM, said:

After:

P - 1H- P - 4H
?

Why is it best in this aggressive age to try to describe your hand at the 4-level than the 1-level.

Here are some reasons to prefer pass:

(1) If the opponents have a big heart fit, we have a fit somewhere too. By passing first, I can keep us out of a bad slam as well as perhaps convince the opponents to double when it's right to bid on.

(2) Every time there aren't big suit fits all around, opening will get partner to overbid us into 3NT. I can't even pull this into a "safe" 4♠ because my spades are only five long and the tap will crush us.

(3) Many times the auction will be lower when it gets back to me after initial pass and I can show both suits in one go.

(4) What if partner has some cards in their suit and starts doubling? How many tricks do I expect on defense versus what partner expects from me? How will we figure out if partner has "too many" diamond values and their contract is making?

[mikeh]

Halo, on Jun 14 2007, 02:35 PM, said:

After:

P - 1H- P - 4H
?

Why is it best in this aggressive age to try to describe your hand at the 4-level than the 1-level.

why do those who advocate ultra light openings always assume that the opps will cause us problems when we pass?

What if it is partner who holds the opening hand with ♥s? How are you planning the auction after he responds 2♥ to your 1♠? Or 2♣ to your 1♦?

Bridge is a game of percentages... of probabilities. Give me (almost) any hand and I (and you) can create hands for the opps or partner where a normal action leads to disaster or an abnormal one leads to success.

The consensus of the more experienced players who have so far responded appears to be that the risks arising from passing (while few talk about them, all know them) are not as bad as those from opening.

[Walddk]

I will pass although I am known to be an aggressive opener. I am also known to always open my longest suit, and I just can't bear it with those baby diamonds. Give me

♠ KQJTx
♥ x
♦ Axxxxx
♣ x

and it's a different ballgame altogether. This is a sound opener, considerably better than many balanced 12-14 counts. I bet that Frances, Harald and MikeH will open that hand 1♦ too, and I know Steve Robinson opens 1♠. He would even if you gave him

xxxxx
x
AKQJ10x
x

Roland

[Halo]

OK

Given the vote is one spade, it seemed reasonable to push the non-silent minority for a clarification.

I understand the arguments, I'm not sure I'm right, but I am still not convinced. When I've got spades I bid them. The rules of the game favour it.

[Antoine Fourrière]

2♠.
Pass followed by 2♠ (if you still can bid it) will say you had a problem for opening 1♠ or 2♠, but won't say which problem (bad suit?, another five-card suit?, four cards in the other major plus a void?, insufficient strength?).
The stiff ♥A is a minus for 1♠. If there is a misfit, your hand offers potential only for spades.

[mikeh]

Walddk, on Jun 14 2007, 03:35 PM, said:

I will pass although I am known to be an aggressive opener. I am also known to always open my longest suit, and I just can't bear it with those baby diamonds. Give me

♠ KQJTx
♥ x
♦ Axxxxx
♣ x

and it's a different ballgame altogether. This is a sound opener, considerably better than many balanced 12-14 counts. I bet that Frances, Harald and MikeH will open that hand 1♦ too, and I know Steve Robinson opens 1♠. He would even if you gave him

xxxxx
x
AKQJ10x
x

Roland

I met Robinson in Verona last summer and told him that someone had suggested that he'd open 1♠ with 65432 void void AKQJxxxx.

He looked at the hand, and said: "yes".

Steve R is a heck of a player and was very courteous when I spoke with him... but he is in a tiny minority on his views re 5 card majors

[Antoine Fourrière]

By the way, the Poles score heavily on these hand-types when they open them with Wilkosz (or an equivalent). One explanation is that they create some havoc. Another explanation is that they neither pass nor open one of a suit.

[jdonn]

Halo, on Jun 14 2007, 02:35 PM, said:

After:

P - 1H- P - 4H
?

Why is it best in this aggressive age to try to describe your hand at the 4-level than the 1-level.

It might turn out to be easier.

p 1♥ p 2♥
3♥

looks a lot more descriptive than

1♠ 2♥ p 3♥
??

[pbleighton]

This is 100% a style question. I don't criticize partner either way.

Peter

[Fluffy]

Qxxxx
x
AKJ10xx
x

This is a 1♠ opening for me so my only question here is if I would pass, I wouldn't.