How would you open?

[Hanoi5]

[hv=d=e&v=b&s=sa7h2dj2ckq1098643]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

You're winning this match by 8 imp's with 7 boards to go.

[the hog]

5C

[andy_h]

Both Vul at imps? I'm going to go for the slow road and open it 1C. 2nd choice is 4C, as it seems a bit too heavy for 3C and 5C is too much.

[jtfanclub]

5C

I think I'm a trick shy of 5♣. Maybe a trick and a half...if partner is void in clubs, I'm likely to have two club losers if I don't guess right.

[Gerben42]

As usual in such situations, I count my losers.

 

Answer: 5

 

Conclusion: I would like to open 4♣, so I'm going to vote for that, knowing that I sometimes would like to play 3NT but I failed to agree with partner that 3NT shows a 4m-opening with a non-solid suit.

[Free]

4♣, my partner will be able to judge what to do. Biggest disadvantage is that opps can bid at 4-level... Fingers crossed.

[ArtK78]

1♣.

 

This is not a bad hand.

 

If necessary, I can bid a lot of clubs later. I do not want to preempt my partner and force him to guess at the 5 level.

 

I also do not want to rule out 3NT as a possible contract. It is very difficult to get to 3NT if you open the bidding 4♣ or 5♣. I know that I am dreaming, but 3NT is cold opposite as little as xxxx QJx QJxx Ax, and there are many slightly better hands which make 3NT easy.

[gwnn]

4♣ is the best bid ever. I don't like the ♠A but that's life.

[hotShot]

4♣ if that is ♣'s, else 5♣.

[pclayton]

Would we open 4♣ r/r without the ♠A? (Answer: Yes)

 

1♣. Don't preempt yourself out of 3N.

[oldman5757]

5♣ for all the usual reasons. We might make it, it might be a good sac, maybe with a perfecto P can bid slam. If I get x'd and am -800 against + 620 or 650, that's not too bad. If I go -1100, they likely have a slam, altho they may not be able to bid it. I think the worst results will be when I am -500 or -800 and they have no making game. Oh, well, been there before.

 

4 ♣ is acceptable, but I'd prefer to just get the hand off my chest in one bid. One ♣ just makes it too easy on opp's. B)

[jdonn]

1♣ for me. More and more on these hands I see them get doubled in 3♣ when the other table opens 5♣.

[cjames]

I have had some sucess by opening 1♣ on these kinda hands, and keep rebidding ♣, and several times opps have x'ed me in 3♣, making and sometimes with an overtrick.

 

And of course we might find 3NT, though a missed 3NT would not be my main objection against opening 4♣( I think it is very closed, and actually voted 4♣ but changed my mind before making this post.)

[whereagles]

totally trivial 5♣, wtp? I don't even have the ♣A to justify trying 3NT.

[neilkaz]

We have 8 tricks...4♣ or 1♣ for me. If we open 4♣ I think most of the hands where we'd get to 3NT we may end up in 5♣, but still we have enough offence IMHO to just open 1♣ and keep rebidding, but this is often the opp's hand and they have a much harder time after 4♣.

 

I don't like a red 5♣ with only 8 tricks as is too easy to X

[awm]

I'd bid 4♣, have had a lot of success with 4m preempts lately.

 

It seems that if you bid 1♣, your problems are not really over. Say partner responses with 1M. Now this hand seems a bit too good (offensively) for 2♣, which partner could easily pass on a pretty decent hand with short clubs, but at the same time it is wrong for 3♣ which could easily convince partner to bid a no-play 3NT.

[pclayton]

I'd bid 4♣, have had a lot of success with 4m preempts lately.

 

It seems that if you bid 1♣, your problems are not really over. Say partner responses with 1M. Now this hand seems a bit too good (offensively) for 2♣, which partner could easily pass on a pretty decent hand with short clubs, but at the same time it is wrong for 3♣ which could easily convince partner to bid a no-play 3NT.

If partner bid 1 major, I think most of us would bid 2♣ and hope to catch up. 3♣ is really weird with this hand.

[mike777]

Pass

 

No problem yet.

[effervesce]

4♣ - its a 5 loser hand...

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

1C.

 

It is either 1C or 4C, ask me tomorow.

 

The adv. of 4C is, I will be done with the hand,

the disadv., partner wont give me the Ace of

spades.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Trinidad]

It would not occur to me to bid 4♣ at IMPs with this hand (and certainly not when ahead in a short match).

 

There are three ways to loose a lot of IMPs on this board.

 

1) We go down (doubled or even undoubled), when nobody can make anything.

 

2) We miss a game that was bid easily at the other table.

 

3) We let the opponents get to a good game.

 

A bid of 4♣ combines the first two risks. After a 1♣ opening, you take the third risk. And by opening 5♣ you basically only risk to go down a lot.

 

I will simplify the problem (at the risk of oversimplifying): A bid of 4♣ comes with two ways to loose lots of IMPs, while a bid of 1♣ or 5♣ comes with one way to loose lots of IMPs. To put it very simple (but very clear): 4♣ is twice as bad as the alternatives.

 

Or look at it from the other perspective: You bid 4♣ and at the other table they bid 5♣. You win 300 points (7 IMPs) if you go down doubled. But you loose 450 points (10 IMPs) if 5♣ makes and you don't get to game. (Does partner know to bid game with two aces, two queens and a singleton club?)

 

I don't have much of a preference when it comes too choosing between 1♣ and 5♣, but I actively dislike 4♣ (at IMPS, at this score).

 

Rik

[Guest Jlall]

I will simplify the problem (at the risk of oversimplifying): A bid of 4♣ comes with two ways to loose lots of IMPs, while a bid of 1♣ or 5♣ comes with one way to loose lots of IMPs. To put it very simple (but very clear): 4♣ is twice as bad as the alternatives.

So by this logic you should never open 4C at imps. That's brilliant man. Clearly this logic is the way to go because ways to win imps on a board don't factor in, and how many imps you do lose when you lose imps doesn't factor in either. And how frequently these losing situations occur given your hand doesn't factor in either. You're right, it's 2:1.

 

In fact, by this logic, on every single hand it's better to open 5C or 1C than 4C, no matter what. Because your "logic" of the situation doesn't even account for what you're freaking hand is! It's just 2:1.

 

It's unreal what people can come up with lol.

 

Thank you for the thorough and thoughtful analysis.

[hotShot]

(Does partner know to bid game with two aces, two queens and a singleton club?)

Yes, at least he should consider a raise.

If you bid a high preempt in red you should, count your loser and hope for 2 tricks from partner to make. This defines the level you bid. Depending on which 2 aces and 2 Q partner has he might see more than 2 tricks in his hand and rise.

[Trinidad]

I will simplify the problem (at the risk of oversimplifying): A bid of 4♣ comes with two ways to loose lots of IMPs, while a bid of 1♣ or 5♣ comes with one way to loose lots of IMPs. To put it very simple (but very clear): 4♣ is twice as bad as the alternatives.

That's brilliant man. Clearly this logic is the way to go because ways to win imps on a board don't factor in.

You got it exactly!

 

At this state of the match (game swing up, a few boards to go), I am only interested in not loosing a lot of IMPs and not interested in winning IMPs. So, no, in this particular situation, they don't factor in.

 

Nice to see that you understood my post the way it was intended!

 

B)

 

Rik

[655321]

At this state of the match (game swing up, a few boards to go), I am only interested in not loosing a lot of IMPs and not interested in winning IMPs. So, no, in this particular situation, they don't factor in.

It could be that this comment was just in self-defense after Justin criticized your earlier post, rather than a serious opinion.

 

But in any case, I would like to mention that being 8 IMPs up with 7 boards to play should not influence your play in any way. Many people do think that as soon as they are a few IMPS ahead, they should immediately tighten up, and nurse those IMPs to the finish line. I can't think of a more likely way to lose a small lead than playing bridge in this way.

 

If you happen to lose 13 IMPs on the last hand (yes, it can happen!), you will regret your deliberate anti-percentage efforts in turning down opportunities to win IMPs on the other 6 hands.