[awm]

I'm not sure what the advantage is to opening 1♣ with 4-4 in the minors. Assuming that you still open 1♦ with 4♦/2-3♣, it's not like your 1♦ opening promises five or an unbalanced hand or anything, so it doesn't seem like you gain a lot from the negative inferences on the 1♦ open.

There are a lot of advantages to opening 1♦ though. These include high level negative double auctions as previously discussed, but also that partner can raise 1♦ (which is almost always four) more freely than 1♣ (which is often three), that 1♦ has more lead-directional value (again because it's almost always four), and that 1♦ works better with 2-way nmf (because you can sign off in diamonds after 1♦-1M-1NT but you can't sign off in clubs at the two-level after 1♣-1M-1NT).

[Jlall]

lol gnasher ownz

[barryallen]

Dirk Kuijt, on Apr 4 2010, 08:37 PM, said:

This is from Frank Stewart's column in the ACBL Bulletin, "My Bridge and Yours".  I quote part of his column.


What do you open with 4-4 in the minors?

What I find difficult to see is a proven case for opening 1♣with 4-4 in the minors? Taking this a stage further, I would have thought there being more of a case to open this with a weak 1NT, rather than 1♣?

[Vampyr]

barryallen, on Apr 11 2010, 06:14 PM, said:

What I find difficult to see is a proven case for opening 1♣with 4-4 in the minors? Taking this a stage further, I would have thought there being more of a case to open this with a weak 1NT, rather than 1♣?

I think that most of Stewart's readers open a strong NT.

[jdonn]

barryallen, on Apr 11 2010, 12:14 PM, said:

Dirk Kuijt, on Apr 4 2010, 08:37 PM, said:

This is from Frank Stewart's column in the ACBL Bulletin, "My Bridge and Yours".  I quote part of his column.


What do you open with 4-4 in the minors?

What I find difficult to see is a proven case for opening 1♣with 4-4 in the minors? Taking this a stage further, I would have thought there being more of a case to open this with a weak 1NT, rather than 1♣?

At least I would say it pays to randomize or not be totally predictable. Most often partner won't care much which you have opened, but there are advantages to lead direction, lead deflection, and simply making your hand harder to count if they play it.

Also many people have what they consider a much better system (transfer responses for example, though there are simpler examples too) over 1♣ than 1♦.