[jillybean]

I have a basic bidding question about responding with a 5+card minor and a 4 card major. I was taught to always bid my 4card major.
When responding to a 1♣ opening with:
♠Kxxx
♥Jx
♦Aqxxx
♣xx
I would bid 1♠

After watching the BIL lesson today, I was told I should be bidding 1♣ - showing 5+♣ (not denying 4♥♠ ?)
So, if my P has 4♥ the bidding would be: 1♣ P 1♦ P 1♥ P 1♠
Or if they had 4♠: 1♣ P 1♦ P 1♠ P 2♠

This only ever applies over a 1♣ opener? If my ♣♦ holding was reversed and P opened 1♦ I would respond 1♠ ?

TYIA,
Kathryn

[the hog]

Kathryn, this largely depends on style. There are some people who teach that you should "bid your suits"; so on the given hand you bid 1D. Others would argue that it is of paramount importance that you bid your Major first. Others still would argue that you bid the minor with a strong hand and that with a weaker hand - up to about 11 - you bid the Major.

All of the above styles have pros and cons. The most important thing is to be consistent if you have a regular partner.

With a pickup partner I would always bid 1D on the hand you show, as I would expect a pu pd to show 4S if they have them.

Incidentally playing sayc or 2/1. if your partner opens 1D and you have Kxxx xx xx AQxxx
you would definitely bid 1S first, as you are not strong enough to bid 2C over 1D. (SOME Acol players will still bid 2C over 1D, but I will assume you were not being taught Acol).

I hope the above helps.

Ron

[slothy]

hi Kath

Have to agree with Hoggy here.....who i think is an acol guy too (or one of the many hats he wears )

You are never going to miss a ♠ fit if one exists (unless p misbids ) - which i think is the main point -and you can always bid 1♠ over a ♥ to describe your hand to the full...

you are also not going to be embarrassed by any strong bid that your p makes -(this is incidental)

i think what you do not want to have happen is p to bid something like 2NT over your ♠ and then you bid 3♦...there is never any way you are now going to show him/her that you have 5♦ without lying about the length of your spades (unless you of course have agreed to ignore a long minor in preference to showing your 4 card major). It may be that 5/6♦ is the optimal contract with p having something like Kxx/KJx/KTx ♦ or (kxxx♦ and bids 6NT thinking in a 4-4 fit believing it to be a better contract )

[jillybean]

Thanks for the replies, I forgot to say I am learning SAYC.

[EricK]

As The_Hog says, there are various styles.

If you haven't agreed any particular style with partner then I would tend to bid 1♦ if the ♦ are strong, but 1♠ if the ♦ are weak. This is especially true if your hand is quite weak. It might be important if you end up defending to tell your partner where your values are.

Eric