show 10 cards or limit your hand?

[kgr]

Suppose honours are divided between the two suits.

You have 6=4=2=1 and 11 or 12 pts (or a minimum hand according to your methods).

You open 1♠ and partner bids a non-forcing 1NT. Do you bid 2♠ or 2♥?

- - - 

With 6-4 in ♥ and minor:

After 1♥-1NT: Do you bid 2♥ or 2 minor.

After 1♥-♠: Do you bid 2♥ or 2 minor.

- - - 

With 6-4 in ♦ and ♣:

After 1♦-1NT: Do you bid 2♦ or 2♣.

After 1♦-1M: Do you bid 2♦ or 2♣.

- - - 

Thanks,

Koen

PS: I prefer to rebid my opening suit to limit my hand and I also think it gives opps least opportunity to intervene. But I wonder if it is best.

[andy_h]

If I have 6-4 in the majors, I would always bid 2♥. But with any other suits I tend to look at my suit quality of both suits and decide from there. You can play that rebidding your original suit to limit your hand, but sometimes you have to rebid a rotten 6card suit. Sure, you can decide to bid your 4card suit then, but the follow up sequences may be different since sometimes partner will now 4sGF (in the auctions when he responds 1M) and now you show your 6-4 shape, but that might show extras given you didn't 'limit' your hand earlier.

[helene_t]

Don't really see the purpose of limiting my hand. The issue is if I want p to pass with a misfitting minimum hand with singleton in my 6-card and 3 opposite my 4. Usually I am fine with that but may deviate with a good 6-card and a lousy 4-card if p responded 1NT. If p responded 1♠ I really have to bid my minor suit to get my hand described in case p is strong.

 

Also if my two suits are not touching and p responded 1NT, bidding the 4-card allows p to introduce a long suit, i.e.

1♠-1NT

2m-2♥

[firmit]

Good question actually - I have been pondering on an answer for several minutes now! But, I agree with Helene. Show distribution - this has impact on your minimum opening, and partner knows this. Partner will normally correct to a (to his knowledge) 5-2 major fit rather than pass with a 3c or even a 4c minor support.

[gwnn]

Koen, with 6-4 it is "always" good to bid your longest suit first, then your 4 card suit. it's simply what "everyone" does.

[Guest Jlall]

I (almost) always bid my second suit. The exceptions are generally when I have a 1 loser 6 card suit, a bad 4 card side suit, and a bad hand.

[jdonn]

I bid the second suit about two times out of three I would say. It depends on the actual hand of course.

[skjaeran]

I bid the second suit about two times out of three I would say. It depends on the actual hand of course.

That's reasonable - I do about the same.

[gwnn]

I bid the second suit about two times out of three I would say. It depends on the actual hand of course.

That's reasonable - I do about the same.

don't you transfer?;)

[david_c]

I go against the forum majority on this. I would rebid the first suit maybe 80% of the time, when the second suit is a minor. With 6♠-4♥ it's a very different situation, but I still rebid the spades maybe 20% of the time.

 

I can't give you any particularly good reasons, sorry. I don't feel very strongly about it anyway.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

assuming you play standard

 

#1 2H showes only 9 cards, but it certainly

limits your hand as well, the range may

be a little bid wider, but you limit your

hand

 

#2 I always bid my 2nd suit, but I hope

to change my behaviour, so that I

show a 6 card mayor instead of a

4 card minor (but I play forcing NT, and

2m could be made on a 3 carder)

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[skjaeran]

I bid the second suit about two times out of three I would say. It depends on the actual hand of course.

That's reasonable - I do about the same.

don't you transfer?:)

Sure, I transfer into my 2nd suit when appropriate. :rolleyes: :P

[han]

I'm with the second suit bidders. I can't remember ever bidding 2S with 6-4 in the majors. With a minor it is possible.

[CSGibson]

I was taught that bidding ♠-♠-♥ showed a weaker hand than ♠-♥-♠ sequence, with both showing 6-4. If I really feel the hand is a minimum, I probably will use the first sequence.

 

[edit] - I have also come to learn that this is much more of an American style, so maybe depends on where/who you are playing with.

[ArtK78]

I was taught that bidding ♠-♠-♥ showed a weaker hand than ♠-♥-♠ sequence, with both showing 6-4.  If I really feel the hand is a minimum, I probably will use the first sequence.

 

[edit] - I have also come to learn that this is much more of an American style, so maybe depends on where/who you are playing with.

I don't agree with this in the case of Spades and Hearts. Often, the 1NT responder has short spades and/or long hearts and not enough to make a 2/1. So it is very important to bid 2♥. When partner is 2-3 in the majors and weak, he will often make a false preference to 2♠ so you will wind up in the 6-2 fit.

 

However, with other suit combinations, I agree that first suit - rebid first suit - then second suit is a weaker sequence than first suit - second suit - first suit.