[AL78]

♠T92
♥AKQT9
♦98764
♣-

Acol, MPs, game all, pass on your right. Do you open and if so what?

[DavidKok]

I'm going back and forth on this one, it's either 1♥ or 2♥. I think the hearts are too strong for a 2♥ opening, and we have an easy rebid (2♦) if we open 1♥ and partner gets busy. The main downside of opening 1♥ is that partner might get too ambitious with values and long clubs, especially since we're second seat vulnerable. We also have very reasonable spade support and spade contracts are much easier to reach over a 1♥ opening than over a 2♥ opening. On reflection I think 1♥ is probably best, though at the table my first instinct was 2♥ and I'd probably already have bid it.
I would not pass this hand.

[helene_t]

I agree with David except that I don't see how the suit is too strong for 2♥. AKQxxx is permissable in a 6322 with not outside honours. This hand has ♥T9 also but only five trumps. So I think 2♥ is ok. But 1♥ is ok, too.

[Cyberyeti]

1♥, easy rebid, plenty of playing strength as long as it's not a total misfit

[pescetom]

1♥ clearly. My partners would never expect this as 2♥ and I have no thought of passing.

[AL78]

I opened 1♥ although I don't like doing it on such low HCP, with three quick tricks and no rebid problem I didn't want to pass and opening 2♥ looks wrong. I got what I thought was the auction from hell when partner responded 1♠ then blasted 3NT after I bid my diamond suit, but I needn't have worried.

Partner held ♠A853 ♥64 ♦AKQ ♣QT95 and made 10 tricks. The heart jack didn't drop but East got endplayed into giving partner the club queen.

[DavidKok]

Opposite that hand probably any action works. If you pass partner shows a strong NT, you check for a 5-3 heart fit and sign off in 3NT. If you open 2♥ partner is allowed to be optimistic facing a second seat vulnerable weak two and should find 3NT. And opening 1♥ also ended well. The opponents might interfere in clubs, but partner's hand is very defensive and you might be able to get a big score if they overstep.

[mw64ahw]

I'm tempted to Pass; I don't like it as a Weak2 given the 55 with void and club takeout shape and for me it's too HCP light. I'd rather wait and compete later either raising spades after an overcall by partner, responding if they open or showing the 55 if possible.

[TylerE]

1♥. Don't hate 2. *DETEST* Pass.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I would pass, but 2H is ok, if partner knowes, that a w2 can be based 5.

I dont open with less than 10HCP, a rule I follow for years, and it works for me.

The downside of 2H is, that you have a void, and 3 card spade support, some say
it is too much, ... I dont care, but being in 2nd seat takes the pressure of
to act immediately.

If you trust in your judgement giving your time to listen pays of sometimes, if
you play with a lesser exp. p, it helps to.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mikeh]

Close but a pass for me except at favourable….then 1H.

It’s a great hand for 2H showing weak two values with 5H and 5 in another suit, but I think it’s too dangerous to open other than at favourable.

The problems with 1H include:

1. Our rebid. Yes, we have a five card diamond suit, but it’s not a suit in which we want to play game or (shudder) slam should partner have a good hand and no heart fit nor long spades….would we be surprised if he held long clubs? Moreover, while we can get away with one diamond bid, how do we handle, say, 1H 2C 2D 2N/3C? And do we at any time want to suggest a diamond lead or switch?

2. Unless partner is going to play us for a 9 count, opening at the one level may get partner either overbidding in our unobstructed auction or over-competing in a contested auction, or doubling in the expectation that we have a little more. While our heart holding is as good as one wants, for defensive purposes, the rest of the hand is sadly lacking. Yes, I’d open at all vulnerabilities with the Jack of diamonds, which usually won’t be an important defensive card, but one has to draw the line somewhere, or end up opening ever lighter.

The problems with a weak 2H include:

1. The suit is too short and, paradoxically, too strong. A weak two is a hybrid creature….both constructive (especially vulnerable or at equal) and obstructive. I’d far rather open 2H on KQJxx than AKQxx…the former won’t usually take more than one trick on defence….not only may an opponent have some shortness but we may need to drive out the ace and have a way to get back in. Consider defending notrump when the opps are 3=3 in the suit and can duck one round. AKQxx, otoh, is a good defensive holding.

2. Our hand has great playability in spades or diamonds should partner hold real length in either, yet we may struggle to find our fit after 2C, especially in diamonds. Of course, passing doesn’t guarantee that we can find such a fit either, but (especially when partner has a decent hand) our chances are likely improved by passing.


I’ve been opening lighter and lighter in recent years, partly because a move to 14-16 1N (as our strong notrump) meshes well with an opening bid style wherein we open all 11 counts. In one partnership we open lots of 10 counts with good shape (hence I’d open with Jxxxx in diamonds). However, 2/1 methods occasionally struggle with defining ranges after a 2/1 response, because the opening bid range is so extreme, compared to forcing club methods. While opening light creates problems for the opps, one has to balance this with recognizing that ever-lighter opening bids make constructive bidding, especially in the near-slam range, increasingly difficult.

I confess to a strong imp bias, at which form of the game slam bidding is far more important than it is at mps. Disaster avoidance is also more important at imps than mps, where if a 1H opening results in a bad board, it’s only one board. We might recover that zero by making an overtrick in 1N next hand…at imps, we’d need a lot of overtrick imps to make up for a disaster.

Btw, if one sees this as an opening bid, I think one needs to ensure that one’s convention card accurately disclosed one’s style. I find that this sort of thing is often ignored by its proponents, sometimes in the mistaken belief that ‘this is just bridge’ but, I suspect, usually because we don’t believe in active ethics. ‘Light initial action’, or some such, should be disclosed….in ACBLand, under General Approach.


Finally, if I did play a forcing club, I’d open 1H all the time, but I’d be disclosing it.

[bluenikki]

 mikeh, on 2023-August-17, 09:53, said:

Btw, if one sees this as an opening bid, I think one needs to ensure that one’s convention card accurately disclosed one’s style. I find that this sort of thing is often ignored by its proponents, sometimes in the mistaken belief that ‘this is just bridge’ but, I suspect, usually because we don’t believe in active ethics. ‘Light initial action’, or some such, should be disclosed….in ACBLand, under General Approach.

Add the point-top jacks, and it's a no-choice opening in 1956 Goren. (Also in later-day Roth.) As it is, it's a no choice pass in 1956 Goren.

Make the diamonds J10xxx, and it's a hand you should want to open. It would be optional in Goren but not in Roth.

[Gilithin]

P - 1♠ -- 2♥ - 2NT -- 3♦ - 3NT seems like a logical Acol auction. I think second seat actions should be sound, especially vulnerable, and the potential of a 1♥ - 2♣ -- 2♦ - 2NT auction does not fill me with great enthusiasm.

[cholula]

It is so close to a “rule of 20” opening and has more QT than a lot of 12 point hands. I am opening it 1.

[mw64ahw]

 cholula, on 2023-August-30, 06:53, said:

It is so close to a "rule of 20" opening and has more QT than a lot of 12 point hands. I am opening it 1.

close to the 'rule of 20' is the 'rule of 19'