[bill1157]

I have started playing ehaa with several partners and so far things look pretty good, with the exception that the 4-4-4-1 10-12 pt hand doesn't fit well anywhere, too weak for a 1 of a suit, not nt shape etc.
How would people handle it? would it work to stretch to open 1-of-a-suit and hope for the best?
I am playing 5 card majors, might i make an exception and allow an opening in a 4 card major for this hand?
Any thoughts are appreciated!

Bill

[Bende]

I would pass and hope to come back in later with a takeout double. If not, treat it like balanced and open 1NT.

[mtvesuvius]

I think you pass these hands and jump shift later if I remember correctly?

[bill1157]

mtvesuvius, on Feb 28 2009, 08:26 AM, said:

I think you pass these hands and jump shift later if I remember correctly?

is it legal to open 1NT with a singleton? Also, does it work well?
I guess pass and then jump shift is a good idea, if you have a fit...

[skjaeran]

bill1157, on Feb 28 2009, 05:49 PM, said:

mtvesuvius, on Feb 28 2009, 08:26 AM, said:

I think you pass these hands and jump shift later if I remember correctly?

is it legal to open 1NT with a singleton? Also, does it work well?
I guess pass and then jump shift is a good idea, if you have a fit...

Probably depens upon which jurisdiction you're playing in.

In Norway opening 1NT with a singleton is both legal and unalertable. Of course you should disclose it - in the prealert section on the front of the system card.

[Free]

bill1157, on Feb 28 2009, 05:49 PM, said:

mtvesuvius, on Feb 28 2009, 08:26 AM, said:

I think you pass these hands and jump shift later if I remember correctly?

is it legal to open 1NT with a singleton? Also, does it work well?
I guess pass and then jump shift is a good idea, if you have a fit...

I prefer to open weak or mini NT with any 4441. It has worked very well for me in the past.

[bill1157]

it looks like it is ok to open 1nt occasionally with 4-4-4-1, but if you do it every time you have that shape, it would be a problem. The club directors handbook suggests that if it comes up less than 1% of the time you open 1nt, it is ok. I imagine that if you limit it to 4-4-4-1 with singleton AK, or Q it would be that infrequent.

Bill

[mikestar]

I rather like passing this shape. 4-4-4-1 has the best defense of all unbalanced patterns. Its no problem to handle when partner opens, and is either a perfect takeout double or a defensive surprise when the opponents open.

As an aside, I find it quite amusing that EHAA is discussed under Non-Natural System Discussion. It is undoubtedly the most natural system ever played seriously--indeed, dispense with Stayman over the mini NT and Blackwood and you can play it at the Portland Club.

[Gerben42]

Quote

is it legal to open 1NT with a singleton? Also, does it work well?

I guess it's legal and I do it in a Fantunes context. I have no idea if it works well because it seems to never come up...

[whereagles]

I've been treating 4441s with singleton honors as "balanced" and with singleton J or below as "unbalanced 54s", with the "5 card suit" being the better minor. Worked ok so far

[blackshoe]

bill1157, on Feb 28 2009, 11:49 AM, said:

is it legal to open 1NT with a singleton?

Depends on where you are.

[bill1157]

mikestar, on Mar 1 2009, 07:30 PM, said:

As an aside, I find it quite amusing that EHAA is discussed under Non-Natural System Discussion. It is undoubtedly the most natural system ever played seriously--indeed, dispense with Stayman over the mini NT and Blackwood and you can play it at the Portland Club.

It is amusing, but this is where i found other discussion on EHAA (I just looked and there is some discussion of it in general and beginner too).
The simplicity of it is what attracts me to it. It is another road to more effective bidding that doesn't require the memorization that most systems require to be effective.

Bill

[mycroft]

If you are playing it "to the book", then you pass the Roman 10-12s (and, as mtV says, J/S into the singleton or 2NT (if partner opened the singleton) if partner opens). It's not really that much of a giveup - in fact, I have never made that call.

A few things to remember about EHAA:
- most experts think there's nothing in it of note. And they're probably right. But it is fun, and it does improve your judgement tremendously for playing standard (especially if you are prone to system-crutch, as I am)
- when partner opens a weak 2, *he* is captain. Your calls are the limited (even if limited to GF!) ones.
- When partner passes in 1st or 2nd, that is a Big Warning. Passed hand calls are *sound*.
- Play *very* aggressively with bad hands, in a "get in and get out" style. Partner will (well, should) not hang you if you open; he will and should if you pass an EHAA opener.
- Do not look for constructive auctions after a 10-12 NT or a preempt; just bash. With good hands, be solid. Remember, the EHAA death result is *plus* 200 - if you're not getting many of those, you're probably getting a lot of "no protection" bottoms (even -50 against +140).
- When you do open constructively, take advantage of it. Make GF bids on the hands that standard players have to invite on. When they come in with the kinds of crap that standard systems have made playable, drop the axe. Raise/double aggressively when you make a 1-level overcall or double.

Effectively, consciously think about making the most out of the parts of the system you are choosing to play "anti-field". There are pluses and minuses; if you don't use the pluses, the minuses will eat you alive.