[EricK]

Lets say you have a balanced hand outside your NT range and your systemic opening happens to be on a weak 3 card suit.

Are you happy because eg if you get to 3NT, LHO will be deterred from leading your weak suit? Or are you unhappy because as the auction progresses partner will have the wrong idea of where your strength lies? Or does this sort of thought never occur to you?

[pclayton]

Always happy. When it matters, we play 3N and LHO is sometimes deterred from leading the suit.

By the way, always be happy at the table. Its OK to show emotion

[mikeh]

If I'm declarer in an uncontested 3N, I am, almost by definition, happy. I love playing 3N.... ok, I love playing almost all contracts

I get unhappy only when they run the suit I opened

[Apollo81]

I am usually pleased. No doubt you've seen "worse minor" done deliberately.

[Double !]

I am usually unhappy when a system forces me to open an xxx suit (except for precision or the ilk) unless i have extra values, especially when the opps pre-empt and my partner is sitting with a decent hand but has no clue whether or not my bid suit is legitimate. I have seen many situation where opener has been forced by system to open an xxx minor suit while holding 4-4 in the majors, and interference by the opps have resulted in an impossible situation for responder. It also makes it more difficult for responder to assess the combined assets of the two hands should you bid a non-existent suit.

DHL

[jdonn]

Definitely unhappy in general. Even when we reach 3NT we might now be in a bad contract that may or may not make depending on whether we detered the lead, whereas the correct contract would always make. Also it leads to lots of random guesses in the auction, even by the player that opened the bad suit. Like say you are 4423 with xxx of clubs.

1♣ p 1♥ p
2♥ p 3NT p

Do you pass? Do you pull? It can't be anything more than a guess.

I actually view it as a sign of my development as a bridge player over time that my glee about opening in suits like xxx deteriorated through the years.

[helene_t]

I voted no emotion since everybody will be in the same situation. But when I was in Coventry, a lot of the times I knew that the field would open a weak 1NT and that made me slightly unhappy in first seat, nonvulnerable.

Playing Precision with real diamonds I'm unhappy when I hold a balnced 12-point with a decent club suit which the field can open while I have to pass. But most of the times I'm happy. Like most players of non-standard systems I'm convinced that my system is superior, lol.

[pclayton]

jdonn, on Aug 8 2007, 03:25 PM, said:

Definitely unhappy in general. Even when we reach 3NT we might now be in a bad contract that may or may not make depending on whether we detered the lead, whereas the correct contract would always make. Also it leads to lots of random guesses in the auction, even by the player that opened the bad suit. Like say you are 4423 with xxx of clubs.

1♣ p 1♥ p
2♥ p 3NT p

Do you pass? Do you pull? It can't be anything more than a guess.

I actually view it as a sign of my development as a bridge player over time that my glee about opening in suits like xxx deteriorated through the years.

Or they misguess the honors in your hand. Or we steal their suit. Or they misguess the total tricks based on our 'length.

Whats the alternative? 4 card majors?

[jdonn]

True it creates more guesses for both sides. Lets just open 3♠ on every hand then, merry guessing. If it's such a good situation anyway, why don't experts just open their minors completely randomly on all balanced hands?

I never said a solution is needed, but actually almost any system except standard is a solution. 4 card majors are a solution. Precision is a solution (since 1♦ doesn't really show that suit at all, partner won't erroneously assume you have it). Weak notrumps are a solution (since you open suits less often on balanced hands, and when you do your suit is generally stronger since your hand is stronger).

There is actually one situation where I like to open a weak minor. But since I don't even think my partners know what it is, and it works better when no one knows, I'm not divulging

[skjaeran]

I'm happy to open on xxx, since that will always be 1♣, and playing a T-Walsh variation I'm mostly off to a better auction than the field.
Often we have autcions not revealing our minor suit lenghts and holdings, making it difficult for opps to evaluate our number of tricks (we open 1♣ on 11-14 and 3-3-5-2 for example). Of course on occasion they guess to lead ♣'s when the suit is open or only once stopped, but just as often it's the other way around.

[han]

Lots of things happen at the bridge table that can make me happy or unhappy. Most importantly, I hate it when I'm playing badly and I love it when partner and I are playing our best game. I don't think I get warm or cold from opening on xxx.

On a less literal note, I prefer to have the suit I open, especially when the auction turns competitive.

[TimG]

EricK, on Aug 8 2007, 03:02 PM, said:

Are you happy because eg if you get to 3NT, LHO will be deterred from leading your weak suit? Or are you unhappy because as the auction progresses partner will have the wrong idea of where your strength lies?

I am happier when I am playing a system that allows me to open the bidding in suits where I have strength and/or length rather than open in a "convenient" suit.

[P_Marlowe]

The 3rd option.

I have emotions at the table, but I dont
have emotions if it comes to systemic bids.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Free]

P_Marlowe, on Aug 9 2007, 11:07 PM, said:

I have emotions at the table, but I dont have emotions if it comes to systemic bids.

Same here, system = system. If it goes wrong, nothing much you can do about it...

For example, if you catch 500 after a weak NT opposite a partscore, well that's lots of imps down the drain. But we know that when the auction goes 1NT-3NT opps make lots of mistakes by leading the wrong suit, and we can catch up. So it all balances out and we don't care.

[awm]

I'm always pretty happy when (playing a strong club) I open 1♦ with two or fewer diamonds. This is because a lot of people's defensive methods seem to make it hard for them to get into the auction (for example playing 2♦ as michaels cue, or double as "takeout of diamonds"). This is to such a degree that I'll probably open 1♦ a point lighter with short diamonds than with length!

Then again, I suppose the situation described in the post is not exactly analogous.