[kfay]

What's your bidding plan? 1♣ or 1♦ and why?

AQxx K AJ10x AKQJ

[Cyberyeti]

It appears to add to 24, 2♣ followed by 2N if necessary.

I have a blanket agreement with partner that 1♦ is opened on any hand with only 4 card suits if diamonds are held, so the choice of suit is easy.

[mikegill]

I would just treat it as 22-24 balanced.

[hrothgar]

Treating this as a balanced hand seems obvious.

I know that some people are loath to open NT with a 4-4-4-1 hand. However, I expect that the presence of the stiff King is sufficient to sway their opinion.

[rogerclee]

2C then 2N, just because opening 1m has too many problems. You can easily miss game if it goes all pass, you will never successfully describe this shape anyway, and you will never show a hand this good after opening 1m, unless possibly if you force to 4N opposite a 1H response or something, which is also pretty terrible. On top of that if partner has 6 hearts and a bad hand I am very confident that I usually want to play 4H anyway.

[TylerE]

Start with 2 clubs...opening 1 on this is sick

[peachy]

One level opening with this would be going too far. Open 2C, rebid 2NT.

[quiddity]

I remember a long thread about this sort of hand - opening 1m is attractive because the hand can make game or slam in a minor opposite hands where 3nt goes down. Kxx xxx Kxxxx xx for example.

You might want to open 1C because if partner has a weak hand with diamonds, he can respond light at the one-level. If you open 1D and partner is weak with clubs, he is more likely to pass.

[rogerclee]

quiddity, on Jan 21 2010, 01:18 PM, said:

I remember a long thread about this sort of hand - opening 1m is attractive because the hand can make game or slam in a minor opposite hands where 3nt goes down. Kxx xxx Kxxxx xx for example.

You might want to open 1C because if partner has a weak hand with diamonds, he can respond light at the one-level. If you open 1D and partner is weak with clubs, he is more likely to pass.

The example hand in that thread had a small singleton, this is very (very) different from singleton K.

[Apollo81]

I also see no better way to treat this than 22-24 balanced. If I were to open 1-minor, it would be clubs since the auction is less likely to die.

[Fluffy]

I'd open 2♣ to show 24+ GF balanced hand.

That 1♣ opening to inquiry seems interesting, but we have no rebid over anything partner or opp's are gonan throw at us.

[pooltuna]

kfay, on Jan 21 2010, 02:26 PM, said:

What's your bidding plan? 1♣ or 1♦ and why?

AQxx K AJ10x AKQJ

neither 1♣ or 1♦; 2♣ planning on a NT rebid

[inquiry]

I also would open 2♣ and rebid 2NT, but for me, this shows a "big" three suiter (4441 or 4450) with any suit short. I guess I will post these two link to show the method....

http://forums.bridge...?showtopic=1646
http://forums.bridge...wtopic=4058&hl=

This is not mine original method, this is from Chris Ryall, here is a link to his much better description...

http://www.chrisryal.../clubs-4441.htm

Funny, if you will not allow me to use this three suited rebid of 2NT, I would open 2C and rebid 2NT anyway!!!

[kfay]

Unexpected...

[jjbrr]

I'd only open 1♣ or 1♦ if it is strong, artificial, and forcing. Otherwise 2♣ and treat it as balanced, as others have said.

[quiddity]

rogerclee, on Jan 21 2010, 03:27 PM, said:

quiddity, on Jan 21 2010, 01:18 PM, said:

I remember a long thread about this sort of hand ...

The example hand in that thread had a small singleton, this is very (very) different from singleton K.

It was a singleton ace. I found the thread here:
http://forums.bridge...showtopic=33906

The current hand is also stronger in terms of hcp, so it may well be true that the risk of missing game with this hand is greater than the risk of being in the wrong strain.

[jdonn]

The difference in the other thread is you have a 21 count so you aren't too good to open 1. Here you have a 24 count so you are too good to open 1 of anything. But after opening 2♣ you don't have good rebid options so 2NT is the closest most of us feel we can come.

[Jlall]

1m? You have 24 points iirc!