[Hanoi5]

Playing 5-card majors, what do you open with:

AQxx
x
KJxx
KJxx

And why?

And what about:

AJx
xx
KJxx
KJxx

[TimG]

Hanoi5, on Sep 13 2007, 10:24 AM, said:

Playing 5-card majors, what do you open with:

AQxx
x
KJxx
KJxx

And why?

And what about:

AJx
xx
KJxx
KJxx

1♦ -- suit below the singleton. I can rebid 1♠ over 1♥, raise spades and rebid 2♣ over 1NT.

With the second, I like 1♦-1♥-1N; 1♦-1♠-2♠; 1♦-1N-2♣, but realize I will be in the minority.

When responder bids 1N, I expect we have at most 11 major suit cards and thus we have at least one 8-card minor suit fit. Might as well try to find it. More so on hand one than hand two.

[P_Marlowe]

1D.

A matter of partnership agreement,
but with 4-4 in the minors we open
diamonds.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Free]

1♦
1♦
Unless with passed partner or a very huge difference in suit quality, I always open 1♦ with 4-4m.

[ralph23]

1♦ on both. That is our agreement.

It doesn't matter on these very much because you have an easy rebid over any 1-banana by partner. In hand 1, swap the major suits, though, and there will be a problem in standard methods if partner responds 1♠ and you've opened 1♣. If you open 1♦, you can easily rebid 2♣ describing your hand.

It's good just to have simple agreements on which minor to open.

[skjaeran]

I open 1♣ on both. In my current methods this is systemic, since 1♦ shows an unbalanced hand with 5+♦ or 4441 with a singleton ♣. But playing other methods (better minor) I still prefer 1♣. This is a 'cultural' thing btw.

[mikeh]

I open 1♦ on both. The 4=4 minor choice is an old, recurring theme here. I have seen the arguments for 1♣ and, while I am no longer as vehement as I once was, I still don't think that 1♣ is the more logical choice. Part of this is, no doubt, because I learned, many years ago, the 1♦ style, part of it is because every expert in my local area plays 1♦ and part of it is because I am right

Ok, some excellent players think I'm wrong

On the 1st one, however, I strongly believe that 1♦ is clearly best. While on most hands, it will make little or no difference, on hands in which partner has a good hand with primary hearts and a good 4 card minor, the bidding seems to flow better with 1♦

1♦  1♥
1♠  2♣
3♣  3♦ we have found our fit at the 3-level

Responder can set diamonds as trump while preserving 3N as a target

If opener began with 1♣:

1♣  1♥
1♠  2♦
3♦     responder must commit beyond 3N to set trump in either minor

So on this very narrow range (there may be others, but this is the obvious one), we have some issues that seem to me not to be offset by any equivalent edge to the 1♣ approach.

Also, altho perhaps to a lesser degree:

1♣ [1♠] double [P]

We would probably choose 1N with AQxx x KJxx KJxx... but responder may be misled on our heart length. Give us the same shape and significantly weaker spades, and 1N becomes far less attractive. But since most play that the double of 1♠ speaks only to hearts, and not to diamonds, rebidding 2♦ is unattractive.

Open 1♦ and we can choose between 1N and 2♣...

Many would argue that this is not a real issue, and that often 1N is better than 2♣ even when opener lacks a true stopper. It's not my experience, but I understand the argument.

[mike777]

My partners insist on 1d but they all play walsh.

I really think opening 1c if you bid up the line can be ok too.

[han]

I prefer to open 1D on both. Give me AQxx x Jxxx KQJx and I'd open 1C though.

[Bende]

1NT (14-16).

[han]

Bende, on Sep 13 2007, 06:40 PM, said:

1NT (14-16).

obviously, both on the unbalanced 14-count and the balanced 13.

[Bende]

Hannie, on Sep 13 2007, 07:01 PM, said:

Bende, on Sep 13 2007, 06:40 PM, said:

1NT (14-16).

obviously, both on the unbalanced 14-count and the balanced 13.

Ah, sorry. With a balanced 13 count I open 1♦ (11-13 bal/marmic or 11-16 with diamonds or 5-4 i ♣-♦)

[the hog]

I guess I am showing my old Baronised Acol tendencies. I would open 1C. If the singleton were in S, I would open 1D.