Are you a purest or a basher?

[inquiry]

I prefer to play 4C as clubs when I have this hand (and as namyats when I have those hands :ph34r: ).

How is that working out for you?

 

Me, I know which hand type I am going to have before I pick up the cards. I also NEVER like preempting to 4 of a minor out of the blue, as it prevents us from playing 3NT (third seat, four of minor is at least acceptible).

 

I like to keep 4♣ as aheart opening bid, and use something else as a minor preempt at the four level... 3NT seems to do the job, although it may not be exactly fully legal everywhere to have 3NT be weak preempt EITHER Minor

[cherdano]

Mauro, I don't understand your point about too much playing strength. If you think this has too much playing strength for 3♣ (I agree), open 4♣. If your partner would expect less playing strength from 4♣, then you can open 5♣.

He will certainly expect A LOT less playing strength when you pass in 1st seat!

 

To say it differently: The 4-card side suit and the good textures increase the ODR. That's a good reason to preempt higher, but never a reason to pass IMHO.

 

Arend

[Guest Jlall]

I love opening 4m (natural). I dont really find I often miss 3N when i have a 4m opener, and I like the preemptive effect. I also think its a good middle ground bid between 3 and 5. I think preempting with 4m naturally is much more effective than 3N namyats which gives them more ways to bid (similar to transfer preempts). In fact my dad and I recently switched to reverse namyats due to a post on this board, so 3N shows a namyats opener and 4m=nat.

[Chamaco]

Mauro, I don't understand your point about too much playing strength. If you think this has too much playing strength for 3♣ (I agree), open 4♣.

I would indeed open 4C opposite a passed hand pard.

 

Doing so vs an unpassed hand is quite a risk, IMO, for many reasons, and one of the biggest is that we bypass 3NT when it's our hand.

 

For these kind of doubts, I like simulating constrained deals.

I actually did for this one, but I won't bug anyone on the forum with that.

If you are interested, I can send :-)

[EricK]

4m pre-empts are some of the hardest to defend against. If eg LHO has a good hand but less than 4 in one of the majors he has immediately got a very difficult guess. Where we have 1-4 in the majors he is even more likely to guess wrong IMO.

 

Bypassing 3NT may be a problem for us, but in that case, maybe we can make 4NT!

 

Eric

[pbleighton]

I love 4m openers in the first seat NV. I've done it with a 6 card suit and nothing. It really puts the opps in a pickle.

 

Peter

[MarceldB]

As a curiosity. So just for your information. For these kind of distributions I use following openings. (No Brown Sticker because an anchor suit is known)

 

2♠= anchor suit is ♣

7/8/9 card♣ and 4card else with a minimum

4card♣ and a 7/8/9card else with a maximum

5+/6+ ♣/♦ v.v. min/max

 

2NT= anchor suit is ♦

7/8/9 card ♦ and 4card else with a minimum

4card♦ and a 7/8/9card else with a maximum

5+/6+ ♦/♥ v.v. min/max

 

3♣ = anchor suit is ♥

7/8/9 card ♥ and 4card else with a minimum

4card♥ and a 7/8/9card else with a maximum

5+/6+ ♥/♠ v.v. min/max

 

3♦ = anchor suit is ♠

7/8/9 card ♠ and 4card ♥ with a minimum

4card♠ and a 7/8/9card ♣ or ♦ with a maximum

5+/6+ ♣/♠ v.v. min/max

 

3♥ = anchor suit is ♥

7/8/9 card ♥ and 4card ♠ with a maximum

5+/6+ ♣/♥ v.v. min/max

 

3♠ = anchor suit is ♠

7/8/9 card ♠ and 4card ♣ or ♦ with a minimum

 

3NT = anchor suits are ♠ and ♦

5+/6+ ♦/♠ v.v. with a minimum

 

4♣ = anchor suits are ♠ and ♦

5+/6+ ♦/♠ with a maximum ♦ equal or > ♠

 

4♦ = anchor suits are ♠ and ♦

5+/6+ ♦/♠ with a maximum ♦ < ♠

 

I use this scheme in a relay system so for any pointrange available.

Because of the 2-under transfers for the 2♠-3♦ openings the opponent has more bidding space but on the other hand I also hate it to preempt my partner. So a matter of choice.

 

Same for 6 or 7card 1-suiters: those are treated in a singleton opening system.

 

Marcel

[HeartA]

not clear about the vulnerability. White to red: 4♣, 3♣ otherwise.

[coyot]

I'm in the pass club... Give partner xxx-AJ10x-xxx-Axx and I've wasted a laydown game.

 

(in other words, with the hand above, NEVER bid a game against my preempt :))

 

I never preempt with a side major 4card against unpassed partner - and I've never regretted it.

[Rebound]

I'm in the pass club... Give partner xxx-AJ10x-xxx-Axx and I've wasted a laydown game.

 

(in other words, with the hand above, NEVER bid a game against my preempt :))

 

I never preempt with a side major 4card against unpassed partner - and I've never regretted it.

And when I have, I have.

 

I.e. I vote pass.

[pclayton]

I'm in the pass club... Give partner xxx-AJ10x-xxx-Axx and I've wasted a laydown game.

 

(in other words, with the hand above, NEVER bid a game against my preempt :))

 

I never preempt with a side major 4card against unpassed partner - and I've never regretted it.

I think the only game you've 'wasted' is defending 4♠ or 5♦ that the opponents might not find over a 4 or 5♣ opening.

 

Passing to cater to a heart game is a really small target on this hand. The real hand you are worried about is when pard has a softish hand that doesn't want to move over 4♣ AND has spade values: QJTx, AKxxx, Kxx, x.