[sakuragi]

6 card M seems more common for American players. 5M & 4+m seems more common for European players.

1. Seems 5M4+m would happen more often? any figures?

2. seems fit more likely for 6 card M? partner has 7/3 cards fit? any figures available for 5M4+m with partner fit (8 card together)?

3. this one seems more complicated?

[HardVector]

5M+4m is used by European players because they will usually use a multi 2d bid along with it. The ACBL has determined that American players are unable to handle that convention, so Americans will have to open their 6 card majors with 2h/2s.

[FelicityR]

HardVector, on 2019-May-31, 10:05, said:

5M+4m is used by European players because they will usually use a multi 2d bid along with it. The ACBL has determined that American players are unable to handle that convention, so Americans will have to open their 6 card majors with 2h/2s.

Is this true? The ACBL has determined that American players are unable to handle that convention Why? Sounds more nanny state than Dunkirk spirit to me

[pescetom]

sakuragi, on 2019-May-31, 07:29, said:

1. Seems 5M4+m would happen more often? any figures?
2. seems fit more likely for 6 card M? partner has 7/3 cards fit? any figures available for 5M4+m with partner fit (8 card together)?
3. this one seems more complicated?

1. I would estimate about 8% for 6M and 10% for 5M 4+m, may be wrong
2. yes
3. I don't understand what you mean by option 3

[akwoo]

HardVector, on 2019-May-31, 10:05, said:

5M+4m is used by European players because they will usually use a multi 2d bid along with it. The ACBL has determined that American players are unable to handle that convention, so Americans will have to open their 6 card majors with 2h/2s.

But this is skewed because even the Europeans generally ban Wilkosz - surely there'd be people playing 2M as weak and 2D as 5M+4m if it was legal.

[rmnka447]

In the US, it's rare for an opening 2 M to be anything but 1 suited.

In 1st or 2nd seat, it's almost always a 6 card suit. However, in 3rd seat, anything goes. The only limiting factor in 3rd chair is what players who play a Drury variant would open 1 M on.

But beyond suit length, there are differences in how "good" the weak 2s are in terms of quality and strength. At one point, the ACBL had enacted the "Bergen" rule which required at least a 5 card suit with 5 HCP in the hand for a weak 2 M. That was to reign in American expert Marty Bergen who would weak 2 on virtually anything.

But different partnerships can have vastly different ways they open 2 M in 1st or 2nd seat that align with their general approach to bidding

-- A few still cling to a conservative approach -- 3 honors, top of range, etc.,

-- Most people probably use a little more aggressive opening with something like KJ9xxx or better and be willing to shade the HCP some with the right hand, and,

-- Some will consider a Jxxxxx and 5 HCP a normal weak 2 M.