[BillPatch]

 rhm, on 2015-August-19, 05:14, said:

....
This has nothing to do with the question whether we open light or sound.
No successful matchpoint player would pass these hands in any seat.

Rainer Herrmann

The current group of expert seniors over 65 contains many conservative sound opening bidders who remember the success of Roth-Stone derived methods probably include at least a few who continue to play matchpoints successfully, though now the team trials are open many of the top seniors compete in the main team trials, and if they ail to make that team, the senior team trials. Much of the rest of the year they concentrate on teams to improve their chances in these events. The great success of the ACBL in promoting the swiss team games, KO's and mini-KO's provides more master points to the next echelon of seniors than the less well attended pair games.

[mikeh]

 BillPatch, on 2015-August-19, 10:35, said:

The current group of expert seniors over 65 contains many conservative sound opening bidders who remember the success of Roth-Stone derived methods probably include at least a few who continue to play matchpoints successfully, though now the team trials are open many of the top seniors compete in the main team trials, and if they ail to make that team, the senior team trials. Much of the rest of the year they concentrate on teams to improve their chances in these events. The great success of the ACBL in promoting the swiss team games, KO's and mini-KO's provides more master points to the next echelon of seniors than the less well attended pair games.

Well, I am not over 65...not for a few years anyway. But I was an imp player far more than I ever pretended to be a matchpoint player, and I am prepared to admit that I may be wrong, in terms of mp strategy, on the second hand, but not on the 1st.....and even there my difficulty is that I would expect partner to bid far too often when I hold 9 hcp in 4th chair, and he'll bid on the assumption that I hold a better hand....thus turning a pass out into a minus too often for me. If partner would cater to this hand, then I would open 2♠ (at imps as well), but my partners wouldn't.

Oh...I was never, ever a Roth-Stone player....that method was already way past its limited popularity when I began to play, in 1973.

[gszes]

Open both too good a tactical position both hands to consider passing especially at MP. IMPS could consider passing since not much to gain overall and some small risk of large loss but that is not a real problem at MP where a bunch of small wins slaughters the occasional large loss. BTW opening both at 1 lvl can survive virtually any bidding sequence unscathed.

[BillPatch]

Deleted. Reading error. misread 1 lvl as 1 M. Apologies to gezes. I like your post.

[MrAce]

 mikeh, on 2015-August-19, 12:20, said:

Well, I am not over 65...not for a few years anyway.

Mike is my hero!

[beatrix45]

To me it really depends on the the calibre of the opposition. Against better, I pass both. Otherwise, I open #2. Opening #1 seems too cheeky for me even against lesser sorts. You figure to get at least average against them at least.