[jillybean]

2nd seat, vulnerable, MP you pick up T3, V, Q986, AKQJ762

[semeai]

1♣ for now. Things may be more interesting later. This hand is certainly good enough to open, and the conditions (2nd seat, vul) are very wrong for preempting.

I did worry for a moment that the hand had 14 cards, but realized V stood for void. In some playing card sets, V, for Valet, is the Jack.

[mike777]

5c


7-4

[ArtK78]

I have 7 solid clubs and a side 4 card suit to the queen. Sure looks like an opening bid to me.

I suppose one might gain a tactical advantage by opening 3 or 3NT gambling if available. But given that I need only the two major suit aces and either a singleton diamond with 4 clubs or Kx of diamonds with 3 clubs to make a slam. I don't want to discourage partner from slam exploration with a suitable hand.

On second thought, the best way to get a good description of my hand across to partner is to open 3NT gambling if available. It was not one of the choices offered in the poll.

By the way, pass is a looney option.

[BunnyGo]

The general rule of thumb is that when your partner is unpassed and you have an opening strength hand, just open...don't pre-empt.

[jillybean]

Where were all these 1♣ openers when I needed you?, not at my club anyway.

Having opened 1♣ the auction proceeds..

(P) 1♣ (X) P
(1♥) ?

[MrAce]

 ArtK78, on 2011-July-27, 18:21, said:

I suppose one might gain a tactical advantage by opening 3 or 3NT gambling if available. But given that I need only the two major suit aces and either a singleton diamond with 4 clubs or Kx of diamonds with 3 clubs to make a slam. I don't want to discourage partner from slam exploration with a suitable hand.

On second thought, the best way to get a good description of my hand across to partner is to open 3NT gambling if available. It was not one of the choices offered in the poll.

Only ?

[plaur]

3NT gambling if it were avail.
Now 3♣ after having rejected 4 clubs and 5 clubs 2nd seat vul ♣ shows a solid suit. If I open 1 club I still dont get a chance to describe my 2047 pattern

[semeai]

 jillybean, on 2011-July-27, 19:21, said:

Where were all these 1♣ openers when I needed you?, not at my club anyway.

Having opened 1♣ the auction proceeds..

(P) 1♣ (X) P
(1♥) ?

2♣ now is enough.

[ArtK78]

 MrAce, on 2011-July-27, 20:06, said:

Only ?

Yes. Only.

Partner is an unpassed hand. He is unlimited. I don't need for him to have a 19 count to make a slam. Just the right cards.

And that is slam. We were not even discussing game.

[hrothgar]

I'm opening 5C - No desire to let the opponents find their major suit fit...

(I consider pass and 3C insane)

[wyman]

imo: 3N > 5C > 1C >>>>>>>>>> anything else.

3N is a perfect description of my hand (running minor and nothing else) and will help partner evaluate. Especially at MP, I want to have 3N as an option.

1C v 5C is close I think if you don't have G3N as an option. I have no defense and lots of offense, and 5C is a reasonable way to keep opps out of the auction. On the other hand, 1C doesn't preclude us from playing 3N, which may well be the right spot, and it leaves room for slam exploration if partner has a suitable hand. But getting partner to bid NT after an overcall (and a raise?) from opps might be tough, and we have rebid problems unless we're willing to take the "at all times, cheapest # of clubs" approach. I've wobbled, but I am leaning toward 5C > 1C as my 2nd and 3rd choices.

edit: 3 clubs not on the radar

[jillybean]

I have added a 3N option to the original question, you can have multiple votes.
I have also added a second question and forced a 1♣ opening on you.

[ArtK78]

 jillybean, on 2011-July-28, 10:28, said:

I have added a 3N option to the original question, you can have multiple votes.
I have also added a second question and forced a 1♣ opening on you.

Those are good ideas. Unfortunately, if one has already voted, one cannot take advantage of the additional options.

[jillybean]

 ArtK78, on 2011-July-28, 10:37, said:

Those are good ideas. Unfortunately, if one has already voted, one cannot take advantage of the additional options.

Oh, bummer. I have put it back to the original poll.

[the hog]

 jillybean, on 2011-July-28, 10:28, said:

I have added a 3N option to the original question, you can have multiple votes.
I have also added a second question and forced a 1♣ opening on you.

Why not also add 5C Kathryn? That would be my choice also.

[jillybean]

 the hog, on 2011-July-28, 20:50, said:

Why not also add 5C Kathryn? That would be my choice also.

Fair comment Ron, I will try to be more creative with my polls in future!

[MrAce]

 ArtK78, on 2011-July-28, 05:34, said:

Yes. Only.

Partner is an unpassed hand. He is unlimited. I don't need for him to have a 19 count to make a slam. Just the right cards.

And that is slam. We were not even discussing game.

Oh i definetely agree with you on opening this hand whether 1♣ or 3 NT, i was refering to your requirements to make slam;

-If pd has major Aces and stiff ♦ + 4♣ u need 1-1♣ on trump lead.

-If pd has major aces and Kx ♦ + 3♣ u are definetely down on trump lead, unless there is a squeeze.

[ArtK78]

 MrAce, on 2011-July-29, 00:35, said:

Oh i definetely agree with you on opening this hand whether 1♣ or 3 NT, i was refering to your requirements to make slam;

-If pd has major Aces and stiff ♦ + 4♣ u need 1-1♣ on trump lead.

-If pd has major aces and Kx ♦ + 3♣ u are definetely down on trump lead, unless there is a squeeze.

First, you assume a trump lead. That is certainly not automatic.

Second, your comment about being down on a trump lead when partner has Kx of diamonds and 3 clubs is also not necessarily true. For one thing, you may be able to win 2 natural diamond tricks on a lucky lie of the cards (A or Ax or Axx in front of the Kx) so you will only need one diamond ruff. Second, the opps may not be able to lead the second round of trump.

[MrAce]

 ArtK78, on 2011-July-29, 06:16, said:

First, you assume a trump lead. That is certainly not automatic.

I could use a better sentence but i thought u understood what i meant, which was your slam predictions were over exegerrated.

Yes, indeed they may or may not lead trump. Yes u may get lucky and make 2 natural ♦ tricks. But this will not take your argument too far. Because this was AT THE TOP of all of the things below to happen first

-Finding pd with a 4 card fit when we have 7 of them, and
-Finding him also with 2 aces, and
-Finding him with SPECIFIC shortness, and
-Finding an uncontested auction, which is very likely when u hold 1-1 majors by the way, and bidding the slam.

What i meant was, just alone the possibility of pd having 4♣ is extremely poor when u already have 7 of them in your hand, and u need much more at the top of this to make slam, and even if we give u all you wished for just for the sake of argument, your slam looks like still in the mercy of GOD and opponents.

Lets agree at least, that it would be a VERY lucky day, if pd had the hands u predicted and we had the chance to get there and made it. I like 2nd part of your first post much better, which seems more realistic.