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Preempt with two aces?


How to open AT9xxxx-ATxx-x-x?  

46 members have voted

  1. 1. How to open AT9xxxx-ATxx-x-x?

    • Pass
      4
    • 1 Spade (sound)
      32
    • 4 Diamonds (Namyats)
      0
    • 4 Spades (usually a normal 3-opening)
      8
    • Other
      2


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Yesterday, in a teams match regional competition, lowest league. LHO is what we would call a low intermidiate, RHO advanced, advanced partner. State of the match: we can hardly loose anymore but since it's the first match in the season we just want as many VPs as possible.

 

White vs Red, first seat, you hold

AT9xxxx

ATxx

x

x

 

At these colors, you play 3 as a trash preempt (weaker than 2) so this hand is far too strong for that. Your options are as described in the poll.

 

The post mortem is not interesting but I thought it could have been.

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1S, WTP.

 

Some light openers open 1S with 25 Zar, this hand has 29 Zar, and that doesn't even count the good spots. I wonder where in the world this doesn't count as a sound opening.

What he said.

 

1 and then show extras if asked......

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1. The 4th heart and 2 aces makes a preempt undesirable. Think about it. Why are you preempting? How likely do you think they are going to reach and also make a game? We'll probably land in 4 anyway, but why rush? I'm not going to get shut out of this auction.

That's excatly what I thought. After I opened 4, passed out, ten tricks. But as I said, the post-mortem was not so interesting, any road would lead to 4.

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Burgess' rule strikes again...

4 Spades for me

 

I readily admit that there are a lot of reasons not to open 4. My suit quality ain't that great. I have two bullets. I have a side 4 card major. Hell. I have the master suit.

 

With this said and done, "Swans" normally play much better in their long suit.

Moreover, the simple, direct auction places the opponents under the most pressure. Plus, I can't stand to pass and I consider 1 a much worse misrepresentation playing a standard system.

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1.  The 4th heart and 2 aces makes a preempt undesirable.  Think about it.  Why are you preempting?  How likely do you think they are going to reach and also make a game?

Preventing the opponents from finding a game isn't the only advantage of pre-empting. They might also bid at the five level when it's wrong for them to do so.

 

I think I'd open 1 on some days and 4 on others.

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4 for me. My concerns about 1 are twofold:

 

1) I may not be able to convince partner that I have as little high card strength as I do. I would not want a slow auction on this hand.

 

2) I do not want the opps to be able to find a minor fit: this could even be a double-game swing hand (altho possession of 2 aces suggests not)

 

I am not overly concerned that will be the wrong trump suit. Partner would need at least 5 for to be a desirable suit, unless he has a very strong hand with short . It is far more likely that my possession of a hidden Axxx suit will be a benefit to me in the play, especially against weak opps, who may not be counting very well :D

 

And I am not worried about missing slam here: I have about the playing strength for my bid.

 

Plus, as has been noted, 4 may catch the opps in a pressure position, while 1 will allow them room to realize that the 5-level is too dangerous.

 

But this is close: add either major J and I'd be 50-50 to open 1.

 

Not much of a line here, but there is always a line between two bids, and I know where it falls for me on this one.

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Pass for me. If I open 1, what do I expect partner to do with:

 

x

xx

AKxxx

KQJxx

 

My partners usually force to game with this hand. I suppose I'll insist on spades and probably hold it to down one... down one is good bridge when opponents have nothing, right?

 

Point is, why should I preempt 4? I have the master suit and the other major, and enough defense to make it unlikely opponents have a game. The only person I'm preempting is partner, on the off chance that we have a heart slam that we'll never find after I open 4, or that we have a misfit and need to stop low.

 

Why should I open 1? I guess this prevents the hand from being passed out, but with only eight high card points and some crazy shape, and a partner who will usually open light in 3rd, I don't think it's all that likely this hand will pass out. On the other hand, a 1 open is a disaster opposite a misfit like the hand above. Again I'm not really preempting anyone by bidding...

 

In general I've found that holding a hand which is "good when you have a fit, lousy when you don't" it is better to pass than open a major. Partner has to decide too early whether to game force on a non-fitting hand over 1M, and can easily go wrong. Usually it's not hard to get a major suit bid into the auction later after an initial pass. Of course, I know this viewpoint is diametrically opposite to the ZAR fans out there. :D

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1S. After all i have like a bajillion zars right?

which is the greater quantity, a "bajillion" or a "gazillion", or is this specific to zar language?

 

i think 1S is fine. why open a distorted pre-empt when you have the master suit. Of course, the hand becomes interesting if the opps pre-empt to the 4 or 5 level. At least you have two quicks should partner then hand the opps the cube (for you backgammon players). your choice of rebid should P response 1NT is also interesting.

Cool hand!

 

DHL

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Pass for me. If I open 1, what do I expect partner to do with:

 

x

xx

AKxxx

KQJxx

 

My partners usually force to game with this hand. I suppose I'll insist on spades and probably hold it to down one... down one is good bridge when opponents have nothing, right?

To me it looks like game makes when spades are 3-2 and you get either a heart or a club lead, and you still have chances on a diamond lead (well, all minus some ruffing potential). Would still be a reasonable game vulnerable at IMPs, and not a disaster non-vulnerable.

 

But of course you will get to some bad games when you open light distribution hands when partner has a misfit. But on the other hand, you will get to some good games and slams when you have a fit. I don't see how you can show this HUGE playing strength that can make slam opposite the right balanced sub-minimum opener (Kxx Kx and a minor ace) after you pass in the first round.

 

Arend

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