[bravejason]

After writing this post, I think I figured out the answers to all of my questions, but decided to go ahead and post it anyway.

Opener:
A3
AKQ984
86
AJT

If I'm counting the losers correctly, there are five of them (3, 86, and JT). If the hearts run, then you have 8 winners. So it seems like the hand has one too many losers and one too few winners to open 2C, however, I think I'd be ticked if I had these cards, opened 1H and it passed out. So I'm very much, if not irresistibly, tempted to make a strong bid.

Opening 2 NT doesn't seem entirely unreasonable since opener has three suits stopped and is as flat as is possible for holding a 6 card suit. If partner has points for game, then I expect them to be in diamonds. Maybe I'm overthinking this - you have a 6 card suit, in a major no less, Bid It!

Any guidance on how to pick between 1H, 2NT, and 2C for the hand above and hands similar to it?

I chose 2NT, for the reasons above and because the bid limits openers hand, though maybe I'm undervaluing (or is that overvaluing?) opener's hand. Actually, I'm at a loss for evaluating opener's hand. I know it's good, but I can't figure out exactly how good. Opinions?

After dealing the cards above, I dealt responder's hand:
KQT64
763
97
K43

So, a no trump contract goes down in flames since responder somehow managed to avoid having any strength in the one suit where I would have expected it.

If the 4 of spades is a diamond or club, then 3NT would be the final contract after a 2NT opening since responder could hardly expect opener to have nothing in diamonds if responder's strength is in the black suits. With the cards as they are, Jacoby transfer to spades would result in a 5-2 trump fit, but with these cards it's not a big deal.

After a 2C opening, I'm guessing a heart contract would be the result. However, after 2C-2S, 3H-4H they're in trouble if they go looking for a slam due to the diamond weakness in both hands. Perhaps responder should bid 2D first since he's not opposed to a heart contract?

[masse24]

1♥

[mike777]

2c this looks like a 4 loser hand with all those controls.


partner responding 2s is so rare, extremely rare response not an issue.
btw your example is an easy 2d response, NOT 2s.

I dont want to deal with the all the issues after opening 1h.

[steve2005]

1♥- if passed out you probably haven't missed game.

Also, remember even if partner has 2♥ there is still a 32% chance for trump loser. If partner has 0-1 trump you have sure losers. AKQxxx isn't solid.

[neilkaz]

1♥ here playing typical 2/1 or SA systems in the USA. The hand, while close, simply isn't good enough for an 18 HCP 2♣ bid and also can't be sure enough of 9 tricks, IMO.

Make the J♣ the Q and now it is 19 hcp and 9 tricks are more likely and a missed game is more likely if passed out and I don't mind opening 2♣ and think the decision is now very close.

I say this for the OP hand even though I use a 2♥ response to 2♣ to show a bust hand and could venture a pass of 2♥.

Opening 2NT with this is beyond awful.

[kenrexford]

2NT works fine with Muppet. Responder bids 3H, you bid 3N, and partner transfers to 4H.

[masse24]

 kenrexford, on 2016-July-28, 21:06, said:

2NT works fine with Muppet. Responder bids 3H, you bid 3N, and partner transfers to 4H.

Responder bids 3♣. Yes, Muppet is fine here.

[Cyberyeti]

In my understanding of LTC, AJ10 is 1 loser (not that I use it).

I would open 1♥ rather than 2N because I want to be in 4♥ not 3N opposite the 4234/4225 versions of partner's actual hand.

If you open 2♣, you should be able to stop in 5♥ if you cue.

[Zelandakh]

This hand is essentially an Acol 2, which is what you give up systemically to play Weak Twos. The orthodox way of handling this hand type in North American systems is to open 1♥ and make a game forcing bid the next time around. It may seem risky to make a non-forcing call but the chances of it going all pass are quite small, particularly with the popular modern agreement of responding on many hands with less than the "book" number of hcp.

There are some other alternatives though. In France, Germany and parts of the UK, it is popular to use 2♣ for hands of this type and shift the stronger (GF) ones up into a 2♦ opening. You can also reverse this, keeping 2♣ as normal and using 2♦ specifically for these Acol 2 hand types. Obviously both of these methods suffer from losing a Weak Two in diamonds, which most would regard as more useful, but they do make bidding easier for beginners.

A slightly more complex solution is to fiddle with the response structure of the 2♣ opening, so that good hands respond 2♦ and very bad ones 2♥. In that case, this hand can open 2♣ and pass a 2♥ response. In turn Responder obviously has to choose a different response if they want to be in game opposite this hand.

Finally, I would not recommend a beginner ever to open 2NT with a 6 card major. Instead concentrate on providing your partner with a good description of your hand rather than a distorted one. As an example, think about the suggested auction starting with 3♣ if the ♥3 is changed to the ♦3. No doubt the BBF Muppeteers have a solution planned for that but I doubt a pair of beginners will reach the right contract, whereas they at least have a fighting chance after starting with 1♥.

[bravejason]

Thanks for the replies. 1H seems like the prudent response, though 2C tempts me to no end. I don't take any risks in real life, but when I go to bid a bridge hand I throw caution into the wind and stretch a hand to its breaking point!

[phoenix214]

I like the idea behind 2N, as you have 8 tricks in hand, missing a stop in diamond, so it might be a good spot.

But basically Zel covers the most of the points. Open 1H or if you can show an 8 trick playing hand via the methods you have.

A simple auction could be like 1H-1N, 3N/4H, or 1H-2H, 4H.

[Cyberyeti]

 phoenix214, on 2016-July-29, 10:50, said:

I like the idea behind 2N, as you have 8 tricks in hand, missing a stop in diamond, so it might be a good spot.

But basically Zel covers the most of the points. Open 1H or if you can show an 8 trick playing hand via the methods you have.

A simple auction could be like 1H-1N, 3N/4H, or 1H-2H, 4H.

You gloss over what you do over 1♥-1♠, this is a major gap in many systems, you want to bid 3.5♥, game is cold opposite some hands that will pass 3♥.

Playing standardish methods I'd probably rebid 3♣.