[haver]

As dealer, vuln. against nonv. with an advanced partner u have:

♠ 3
♥ Q,10,7
♦ A,K,10,9,5,4
♣ Q,8,3

what do u open:

1. pass
2. 1 ♦
3. 2 ♦
4. other

what do u expect as an optimal result of ur opening bid:

1. stops opps to achieve game or better
2. stops opps to achieve best partscore
3. helps for partner to achieve best partscore
4. helps for our side to achieve game or better
5. other

[Flame]

1 ♦ is a clearcut.
i want to achive 1-4 , but i dont need to think about it, i just have a simple opening bid so why do i have to think about achivments ?
with 2-2 in the majors instead of this 1-3 ,and this vul' its possible to bid 2d but only if the partnership agreed to play this as a very very solid, in third hand this will make even more sense.

[paulhar]

1D. Good enough for my students, good enough for me.
ACBL Club Series points: 11HCP+2 for length
Other teaching methods might include 2 or 3 for shortness instead.
Meets all the tests. Rule of 20: 11HCP+6D+3 next longest suit = 20
Rule of 22: Rule of 20 + quick tricks, add the 2 quicks for 22
The Kaplan-Rubens hand evaluator at:
http://www.gg.caltech.edu/~jeff/knr.cgi?ha...+QT7+AKT954+Q83
comes up with 14.20 points for this hand. (I would open if the 10 and 9 of diamonds were small.)

Has 2 quick tricks.
There are no downgrades for unguarded honors.
Has an easy rebid.
Even a good lead directional bid (not necessary for an opener.)
Partner should not be disappointed with this dummy in 3NT or 4H if he has a minimum opener without or with five hearts respectively.
Partner should not expect any more than this if he doubles 4S.
Need I say more?

[luke warm]

this is an easy opening 1D to me... and my aim is simply to open a hand that should be opened

[inquiry]

This isn't even close. This is a normal, constructive 1♦ opening bid. Read about Zar points...

[Fluffy]

Change any queen with a J or ♦K to the ♦Q and still is a 1♦ opening (no need to use zar actually).

What I want with opening is the same as rest openings, show my partner my strenght zone, and hopefully later some more about my shape.

[Cascade]

This is well within the requirements for a one-level opening for me.

The optimal result that I am hoping for is that we can bid a making game or better.

But I am not proud I will settle for a good part-score or to steal a game or part-score off the opponents.

Fundamentally when I open I am hoping that I will give my partner some good information so that she can make a good decision later in the bidding.

[bearmum]

Open 1♦ and then rebid them second time --- honestly not sure WHAT I am hoping for from this hand but will ALWAYS open

[EricK]

This doesn't look like a borderline decision to me.

I open 1♦.

It describes my offensive strength, defensive strength, gives a good lead to partner if we end up defending, gets the first blow into the auction and so on. As such it could do any of the things you suggest and more!

Eric

[Free]

1♦. I wouldn't accept it if my p bid something else with this beauty...

[whereagles]

Since we're in 1st seat, there's no reason to think this isn't our hand. Just bid constructively, and open 1D.

In 3rd seat you might take an unilateral shot at 2D, depending on how bad you need a top

[jtfanclub]

An odd followup question, just because I can...

4th hand, would you pass, or open? Does it matter if the majors are switched?

[Free]

Perhaps, it also depends on weither we need some imps or a top in MP's, and what our 2-level openings mean.

I wouldn't open 1♦, but perhaps I'd bid 1NT if the majors are swapped. If p transfers in ♠, ok for me, if he transfers in ♦ I'll pass With the current hand however, I think I'll pass.

[the hog]

"4th hand, would you pass, or open? Does it matter if the majors are switched? "

1D opening in first 3 hands. This is a pass in 4th hand - not even worth discussing!

[bearmum]

jtfanclub, on Jul 20 2004, 09:20 PM, said:

An odd followup question, just because I can...

4th hand, would you pass, or open? Does it matter if the majors are switched?

4th hand after PPP - PASS as fast as you can

[joker_gib]

In 1st hand : clear 1♦ opening (easy 2♦ rebid and good lead for partner)
in 4th hand : PASS (use the rule of 15 : HCP + Nbr of cards in ♠ <15 then "no opening )

[luis]

Borderline ? Cmon!
Don't want to be disrispectful but this was really a silly question.
Clear 1♦ opening all positions

[paulhar]

4th hand I think the conditions are important. With the acutal hand I pass under any conditions (except perhaps playing against a pair which rates to give up at least a trick on either offense or defense!) Let sleeping spades lie.

With the majors switched, with all due respect to the rule of 15, I think my two tens and nine make up for the lost point and expect to go plus more than 50% of the time (if pard has only 4 spades, the 4-3 might play OK, taking the taps in the short hand) so at matchpoints I think I would open. I would choose 1D rather than 2D to keep spades in the picture.

At IMPs it's a different story. The conditions stated us vul, them not. With virtually no chance for game, the vulnerability is against us, hundreds going to the opponents and fifties going to us. While I would open at equal vulnerability (similar to matchpoints), at this vulnerability, I'll let sleeping hundreds lie. Interestingly enough, if the hand were freaky enough that game for either side were likely despite three passes, opening vul vs not would be an edge since the potential gain is around 600 and the potential loss is only 400.

Opening bid style matters too. My regular partner and I tend to pass a lot of garbage that others would open (such as 4-3-3-3 12-counts.) If the opponents are frisky openers, or play a system which opens light systemically, such as Precision, then partner is the one with the cards and I need to open this hand (the one with 3-1-6-3.) All the plus factors don't make up for the lack of spades in the original hand though and I would pass the 1-3-6-3 even if I expect our side to have 22HCP.

[Free]

"Rule of 15" is not a law, it's a tool which can guide you. However, sometimes you should pass with hands which give you more than 15, sometimes you have to bid with less. If you can't predict what will happen on a hand, this rule is a good evaluation method, however, if you can see in the future it's only a guide which we don't always have to follow blindly...

[Rado]

Hi all
1. In my view 1♦ is normal opening even in most conservative systems
2. When sitting to play bridge I always expect to be in 7NT:-)
Rado