[Fluffy]

hrothgar, on May 29 2007, 03:31 PM, said:

I was sitting North on this one.

In retrospect, I think that I should have accepted the invite and bid 4♥. The QT of Spades revalues a lot after partner's bid.

Partner had an opening and even then you had around 3.7 top losers, what is so wrong with playing in 3♥?

[awm]

On the hand that started this thread...

If you open and find partner with a good fit for one of your suits, it will normally work great. If you open and find partner with a bunch of hearts, you're headed for a really big disaster.

My feeling is though, that if you pass and partner has a bunch of hearts, you will often get out a level or two lower (and also without a double). If you pass and partner has a fit for you, it's still pretty rare that the hand passes out (usually someone has some hearts and a few points given I have void). This allows you to usually get back in a with a takeout double that basically shows this exact hand type and gets you to your game or whatever. In fact the "pass first" route is fairly likely to draw a double of your making game when you bid this way!

So even though the size of the loss is substantially more for "missing a game" than it is for "playing a level or two higher in something that wasn't making" (although this ignores the possibility of opponents doubling on a misfit auction where they seem to have surprisingly many points), it's not clear that you can't get to game by passing. The initial pass (followed by bidding your head off if opponents bid hearts or taking it slow if partner bids hearts) seems like a win/win scenario.

Yes I know you can construct particular examples where if you don't open this junk in first seat the hand passes out and you have game. I just don't think it's likely.

[keylime]

I open 1♠ with Larry, but we have a limited bid canape method so we're not overly constrained (suit quality? we don't need no stupid suit quality!).

[han]

jillybean2, on May 29 2007, 11:56 AM, said:

Han, lighten up!

I'm as light as it-tastes-like-butter-but-it-isn't but I still thought I'd give you my opnion on a valid bridge question. Look, more than 14% is opening this hand.

[inquiry]

Jlall, on May 29 2007, 07:59 PM, said:

don't open plz unless you and your partners have agreed to open this and partner will not GF with normal GFs.

Justin is correct, if you open hands like this, your partner will hang you often. But, and this is important, if you open your partner has to be on the same wavelegnth and add and subtract ZAR points based upon fit or no fit. If partner bids hearts twice, well, GET OUT NOW.... misfit points mke your hand next to useless, as you have to subtract at least nine points from your 26 count for misfit points. Ouch.

Clearly, in the framework of a normal 2/1 method, this hand is not quite an opening bid. I would not open playing with anyone other than people who know my tendencies.... notice GERBEN suggested in the first post that I would open. He was right!!!