What do you open with?

[TimG]

I suppose pass in 2/1 is mandatory.

I thought the reasoning behind sound openers in 2/1 was the pressure put on the 2/1 response by a light opening. When the opening under consideration is 1C, that factor shouldn't come into play. I'm not suggesting that this hand should be opener 1C, just curious why 2/1 is a factor.

There is something to be said for maintaining a consistent lower limit. If a pass in 1st seat denies an unbalanced 10-count, it gives partner more freedom to preempt.

True, but again, this has nothing to do with 2/1.

[helene_t]

Well, if the 2/1 system requires sound 1M openings, a pass doesn't deny an unbalanced 10-count so that advantage of opening light in the minors is gone.

 

Another thing is that in a 5-card major system with a strong notrump, the minor suit openings barely suggest length in the opening suit. This also makes it less attractive to open light.

[inquiry]

Assume you are playing with a partner who requests you open and preempt "normally."

If my partner had made this request stressing "normally", I would pass.

 

However, without such a pre-condition, I would open 1♣. Here is the hand...

♠Tx ♥Qxx ♦Ax ♣KJTxxx

 

It has 10 hcp, 3 control points, and 13 distributional points for 26 Zar points. When playing with a partner who knows i open nearly all 26 Zar point hands, i would open this 1♣.

 

I would never consider opening this hand 3♣ (well 3rd seat nonvul versus vul, ok)

[whereagles]

An obvious weak 2♣ opener :)

[mikeh]

Also I observed that nobody has commented that if you play Drury, you will have to bid 1NT after partner's third seat 1M. Not that I think this is a big deal, but the small stuff matters a little.

I suspect that one reason that no-one has commented on the need to bid 1N after partner opens a major in third seat is that this is simply untrue for anyone playing a decent version of drury. There are lots of drury variants available. For me, I use 2N by a passed hand to show a near opener, with long clubs and no more than doubleton support for partner. Seems to match this hand quite well :)

 

A second reason is that quite a few players use the 1N response, by a passed hand, as semi-forcing: opener is not expected to pass with full opening values, so that there is little risk of not being able to take another call when game is available.

 

This hand truly appears to be a wtp pass... but I have seen that a lot of posters here like to open non-opening hands.. so I guess appearances are deceiving.