mikeh Posted September 7, 2006 Report Share Posted September 7, 2006 At the risk of impairing my credibility by posting my choice of 1N after seeing the hands, it would indeed have been my choice at the table. True, possession of a real ♠ stopper would be nice, but we have several indications that Qx will be as useful as Qxx... a holding with which at least 90% of experts would reopen 1N. 1stly, there are a number of hands on which a stopper is as good as it sounds: LHO, on opening lead with, say, AKJxx or AK10xx is going to lead low most of the time: with AKJ10x, and a sure entry, we may regret our choice when he leads a top honour and gets a proper count signal, but maybe we can still make 7 of the last 8 tricks :D . 2ndly, RHO did not raise. This is by no means determinative, but it increases the chance that partner has some modest length...Jxx is all we need to translate our Qx into a stopper. His actual holding of Jxxx is by no means a surprise 3rdly, in either case, the odds are high that the hand will play better with us as declarer than partner. If LHO holds AK109x, and a lead comes through our Qx, we have one stopper. Played by me, if LHO leads the 10, we have 2 stoppers. Or Give partner Kxx or Axx: once again, the hand plays better from my side than from his. Add to these factors the reality that 1N is a very accurate description of our hand type (other than the possible stopper-flaw) and we see that 1N is less of a distortion and conveys more reliable information to partner than does double. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherdano Posted September 7, 2006 Report Share Posted September 7, 2006 I chose double like the majority, but with less conviction than the rest of you. Why are you so happy if partner bids, say, 2♥? Yeah we will make it, but are you not worried about missing game? I could have a lot less for a double reopening, while 1N will get us to game if we belong there. Arend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whereagles Posted September 8, 2006 Report Share Posted September 8, 2006 Well, I think that requiring 18-19 for a 1NT here is being too restrictive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codo Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 Well, I think that requiring 18-19 for a 1NT here is being too restrictive. no :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winstonm Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 Although at first I considered this an automatic double due to the shortness in spades allowing a 4/3 fit to be tapped in the correct hand, I am beginning to see a fairly sound reason to bid 1N. First, double is amibiguous and doesn't show nearly this much hand. If partner bids 2C or 2H there isn't much we can do but guess. However, partner could have passed a decent 7-8 count with no convenient bid, and by announcing our 18-19 strength with 1N we still leave 3N in play if partner has some useful hand such as Axx, xxx, Kxx, xxxx. So I am going to go with 1N, although that is not the bid I would have made at the table, perhaps now if it comes up I will make that bid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenberg Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 Another second thoughts person. I voted for double, started writing up why, found my reasons less convincing than I thought they were when I voted, and so let it be. I'm glad to see 1N turns out to be the winner here, and I think the logic expressed by those supporting that call is pursuasive. Of course it could end up looking silly, but that wouldn't be a first for me. At least you get your strength announced, jxx in parter's hand is a stopper, and players with akjtx have been known to lead the jack. Or a side suit. Nice hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoTired Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 i can't remember what I voted, but the discussion has convinced me that 1N is better than X. Another reason (Maybe this is somewhere in the discussion and I missed it) is Qx produces a double stopper when we are declarer and partner holds Axx or Kxx, but only a single stopper when partner declares. So it is always advantageous when holding Qx in LHO's suit to try to be declarer at NT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr1303 Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 Hmm, surely if the auction goes: 1D (1S) P P X P and I hold: J972A327531092 I bid 1NT, and I get the same result? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ochinko Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 Hmm, surely if the auction goes: 1D (1S) P P X P and I hold: J972A327531092 I bid 1NT, and I get the same result? I am not sure the result will be the same. I prefer a lead from their stronger hand that participated in the bidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdeegan Posted September 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 Well, I think that requiring 18-19 for a 1NT here is being too restrictive. no B) :rolleyes: My thought was that a reopening 1NT 'advertises' not 'requires' an 18-19 HCP balanced hand because in the majority of cases that's what it will have. What it really says is 'my hand is too good to pass even though I have length and cards in the opponents' suit'. K72K10AQ9721054 is an easy pass, imo. K72K10AQ973Q54 is also a pass, I think. K976AK10AQ9529 I would happily reopen with 1NT with only 16 HCP. NT ranges in balancing position are typically around 5 (even 6) HCP vs. 3 HCP for openers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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