[AL78]

♠Q
♥AKQJ84
♦A
♣AT732

IMP pairs. You are playing 5CM, 2♣ is game forcing, you have no opening bid to show an Acol strong two hand. First to call, all vuln, what do you open?

[LBengtsson]

2♣ 100% of the time. It is a strong 6/5 with partner only needing one small card to make 10 tricks. 10 playing tricks, 3 losing tricks. Opening 1♥ is not what I would do. (It also makes it easier for the opps. to compete in the ♠ suit.)

[sfi]

1H 100% of the time. If I survive the first round I'm much better placed to show this hand than when I open 2C. Two-suiters can be really hard to show after a 2C opening.

IMO, this isn't even a max for a 1H opening. The other day I held:

Ax
AKQxxx
AKQxx
-

and opened 1H. I was feeling ill when partner passed, but managed to recover when RHO balanced with 2C. My 6D call still left us underbid, but it was good enough for 12 imps in the robot challenge. At the other table the robots struggled to find 4H after a 2C opening (admittedly, it looks like the weak hand passed a cuebid so it may not be the most convincing example). And to be honest, I don't think I could have justified 1H if a real partner was involved - but it's still close.

[apollo1201]

The risk of a pass after 1H is low. With S instead, it would be not as clear. So 1H and forcing C calls till the level and strain are found.

Needless to say you’re better placed if the auction comes back at 4S having started 1H - 2S - p - 4S than 2C - 2S - p or X depending what it shows - 4S

[AL78]

Interesting, two strong and different opinions. I decided to open 1♥ thinking it would be easier to show both suits, even if partner can't dredge up a response, my extreme shape makes it likely the opps will bid something, and someone holds the spade suit.

How wrong I was:

---

A novel and slightly embarassing way to miss a vulnerable game at IMPS. Opponents have nine spades and 16 HCP between them including four of the top five honors and can't find a bid. What are the odds?

[DavidKok]

I'd have opened 1♥. South is close to a double (I would have), and West should consider 2♥ but I'm OK with the pass. Your result is unfortunate. I'll open 1♥ again next time.

[AL78]

DavidKok, on 2022-April-10, 11:31, said:

I'd have opened 1♥. South is close to a double (I would have), and West should consider 2♥ but I'm OK with the pass. Your result is unfortunate. I'll open 1♥ again next time.

Thanks. I judged it as a borderline 2♣ opening but I don't like opening 2♣ with 5+-5+ shape. I wondered after whether my judgement was wrong, but it looks like there is some support for my decision. I'm not going to dwell on it, it is very rare I pick up these big two suiters.

[mikeh]

I’ve long been a conservative 2C opener but I’ve been tending recently to open a little lighter.

One of my favourite sayings is ‘methods count’

Here, playing kokish (aka birthright) after 2C 2D, I have a way to show a heart club two suiter. Standard kokish would be 2C 2D 2H 2S 3C

Commonly modified kokish switches the meanings of the delayed 3C and 3H, so that 3C shows a one suiter and 3H shows hearts and clubs. I play that in one partnership. In the other, we use 3S over 2S to show clubs and hearts.

I think the risk of missing game or slam is too great to open 1H. Three years ago, I might have viewed it differently


Note that Kxxxx in clubs and nothing else makes 6C pretty good.

Btw, in my souped up kokish partnership, we respond 2D on virtually all hands with at least a king, even with, say, AQxxx in spades. Thus we get to use kokish a lot, when we have the right hand, without responder preempting us.

[AL78]

mikeh, on 2022-April-10, 13:19, said:

I’ve long been a conservative 2C opener but I’ve been tending recently to open a little lighter.

One of my favourite sayings is ‘methods count’

Here, playing kokish (aka birthright) after 2C 2D, I have a way to show a heart club two suiter. Standard kokish would be 2C 2D 2H 2S 3C

Commonly modified kokish switches the meanings of the delayed 3C and 3H, so that 3C shows a one suiter and 3H shows hearts and clubs. I play that in one partnership. In the other, we use 3S over 2S to show clubs and hearts.

I think the risk of missing game or slam is too great to open 1H. Three years ago, I might have viewed it differently


Note that Kxxxx in clubs and nothing else makes 6C pretty good.

Btw, in my souped up kokish partnership, we respond 2D on virtually all hands with at least a king, even with, say, AQxxx in spades. Thus we get to use kokish a lot, when we have the right hand, without responder preempting us.

Unfortunately we don't play Kokish.

[P_Marlowe]

North has a pretty routine 1S overcall in the pass out seat.

Given the strong suit, 2C is certainly not a bad option, but i am also not against 1H.

[Cyberyeti]

AL78, on 2022-April-10, 11:26, said:

A novel and slightly embarassing way to miss a vulnerable game at IMPS. Opponents have nine spades and 16 HCP between them including four of the top five honors and can't find a bid. What are the odds?

1♥+4 quite likely flat against 4♠x-1 if you don't bid 5♥ and you don't want to be in 5♥ if partner has the other minor suit K.

[bluenikki]

mikeh, on 2022-April-10, 13:19, said:

I’ve long been a conservative 2C opener but I’ve been tending recently to open a little lighter.

One of my favourite sayings is ‘methods count’

Here, playing kokish (aka birthright) after 2C 2D, I have a way to show a heart club two suiter. Standard kokish would be 2C 2D 2H 2S 3C

Commonly modified kokish switches the meanings of the delayed 3C and 3H, so that 3C shows a one suiter and 3H shows hearts and clubs. I play that in one partnership. In the other, we use 3S over 2S to show clubs and hearts.

I think the risk of missing game or slam is too great to open 1H. Three years ago, I might have viewed it differently


Note that Kxxxx in clubs and nothing else makes 6C pretty good.

Btw, in my souped up kokish partnership, we respond 2D on virtually all hands with at least a king, even with, say, AQxxx in spades. Thus we get to use kokish a lot, when we have the right hand, without responder preempting us.

You'd better have a strong agreement (recently reviewed!) about the auction 2♣ - (4♠) - ?

Which is to say you must not do with a stranger.

Carl

[mikeh]

bluenikki, on 2022-April-11, 10:59, said:

You'd better have a strong agreement (recently reviewed!) about the auction 2♣ - (4♠) - ?

Which is to say you must not do with a stranger.

Carl

I would bid 4N over 4S and not have any concern that any player I’m likely to play with would misunderstand

I may play 5C when 5H is better, but one can’t have everything

4N shows a marked two suiter. Responder bids the cheapest suit in which he wants to play, knowing that I may have any of the three possible two suited hands

5C says he prefers clubs to diamonds.

5D says he prefers either red to clubs

With say 3433 he bids diamonds since if I have the minors, diamonds rate to be equivalent to clubs while if I have hearts, 5D says he can handle hearts as trump.

But I don’t play much with non experts so I’m lucky in that regard.

[akwoo]

I'm far from an expert but I would bid 4N with most of my partners, not having discussed it explicitly.

Unlike mikeh, I do play with some players whom I would not expect to understand it. Generally I know who belongs in what category. With a stranger on BBO, I'd bid 4N and not really care if I was misunderstood; it's not like it counts for anything, and maybe my partner would learn a new expert standard treatment.

[bluenikki]

mikeh, on 2022-April-11, 11:47, said:

I would bid 4N over 4S and not have any concern that any player I’m likely to play with would misunderstand

I may play 5C when 5H is better, but one can’t have everything

4N shows a marked two suiter. Responder bids the cheapest suit in which he wants to play, knowing that I may have any of the three possible two suited hands

5C says he prefers clubs to diamonds.

5D says he prefers either red to clubs

With say 3433 he bids diamonds since if I have the minors, diamonds rate to be equivalent to clubs while if I have hearts, 5D says he can handle hearts as trump.

But I don’t play much with non experts so I’m lucky in that regard.

That is *your* call if 4 spades is followed by two passes. Is partner forced to pass???

[mikeh]

bluenikki, on 2022-April-11, 13:15, said:

That is *your* call if 4!s is followed by two passes. Is partner forced to pass???

Depends

I always discuss a few topics with any partner, if we have enough time. One of them is the meaning of pass or double over interference. I can’t ever recall specifically discussing a 4s overcall, but the meta rule will apply

In one partnership we just changed to pass is a weakness bid and double shows values (creates a gf over lower interference) while in the other, we double with weakness and pass with values

In either case, I bid 4N. No competent player would think I’m showing a balanced hand, lol. Double would be either a big notrump or 3 suited, in both cases. With some expectation of it being left in by a flat weakish hand.

[bluenikki]

mikeh, on 2022-April-11, 13:31, said:

Depends

I always discuss a few topics with any partner, if we have enough time. One of them is the meaning of pass or double over interference. I can’t ever recall specifically discussing a 4s overcall, but the meta rule will apply

In one partnership we just changed to pass is a weakness bid and double shows values (creates a gf over lower interference) while in the other, we double with weakness and pass with values

In either case, I bid 4N. No competent player would think I’m showing a balanced hand, lol. Double would be either a big notrump or 3 suited, in both cases. With some expectation of it being left in by a flat weakish hand.

My question is whether partner is barred from *bidding* over 4♠. Your rebid plan depends on that, no?

[mikeh]

bluenikki, on 2022-April-11, 19:22, said:

My question is whether partner is barred from *bidding* over 4♠. Your rebid plan depends on that, no?

I’m not in the habit of barring partner. Nor are my partners in the habit of making silly bids over 4S. I don’t recall this ever coming up at the table, but partner would need a very unusual hand to bid over 4S before letting me take a bid. But that doesn’t mean he’s barred…just that he has to be sensible.

[akwoo]

bluenikki, on 2022-April-11, 19:22, said:

My question is whether partner is barred from *bidding* over 4♠. Your rebid plan depends on that, no?

I think the rebid plan is pretty clear:

If partner passes or doubles, bid 4N.

If partner bids 5C or 5H, raise to 6.

If partner bids 5D, bid 5H.

Partner's 4N is also 2 places to play, so 5N (you pick!)

[AL78]

bluenikki, on 2022-April-11, 19:22, said:

My question is whether partner is barred from *bidding* over 4♠. Your rebid plan depends on that, no?

Partner can bid over 4♠ if they have a hand which justifies it e.g. some values and a long suit, but it would be rare for partner to hold such a hand.

I remember a hand where I opened 1♦, LHO overcalled 4♠, and partner responded with 5♥. I held a strong hand, heart support, controls and plenty of trick taking potential so raised to 6♥. Partner had a few values with a decent long heart suit.