Style

[JLOL]

AQx ATxxxx Kx Kx r/w imps.

 

Do you open 1N?

 

If you open 1H what are you rebidding over 1S by pard? What about 1N by pard?

[OleBerg]

I would never open 1NT.

 

Using my pet-method, I bid 2♦ (transfer to hearts) on 1♠. (Planning to follow up with the cheapest spade bid, showing three spades, and more than a minimum.) I have the option of bidding 3♥, showing 6-3, but the suit is not well-suited for that.

 

Barred from that, it is an ugly 2♥ on 1♠, and an ugly 3♥ on 1nt.

[jdonn]

I think you have to open 1♥, it's just such a disaster to open 1NT if you miss a heart fit. Over 1♠ or 1NT I will rebid 2♣, which I hate (I swear I do) but I hate everything else more. As long as partner doesn't pass I expect to do well. I know this is the type of bid you really really hate though.

[gwnn]

2NT looks like a good rebid to me over both. As long as partner has 5 spades and isn't completely broke and ... :rolleyes:

[marcD]

Tempting to open 1NT as rebids are going to be a severe problem over 1♠ and 1NT. However there are too many flaws (the hand is a bit too strong for 1NT, could be down a couple or more in 1NT with hearts playing much better)

 

playing standard i guess I would rebid 2♣ in both cases and then describe my hand as balanced 16-17 over 1NT (still an underbid but at least hearts are not buried) and non minimum hand with 3S over 1♠

 

I play 2♣ forcing (Gazilli like) so over 1♠ I can use 2NT to show a medium hand with 6H and 3S . Not ideal but still a step in the right direction.

 

Good and UI prone problem. I have noticed that people who play standard are often unable to produce 2♣ in a normal tempo and that their partners bend backwards to keep the bidding open (less of an issue with screens but still)

[rogerclee]

I don't open 1N, but if I thought it was best to open 1♥ and rebid 2♣, then maybe I should've!

[nickf]

I wouldnt crime 1NT, in fact this is exactly the sort of hand that Michael Courtney, one of the world's great rubber bridge players, frequently opens 1NT on.

 

nickf

sydney

[deffe]

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[zasanya]

Recently an erudite player suggested to me an alternative way of playing Forcing NT.After 1M-1NT-2♣=12-14 and 2♦=15-17.Seems very suitable for this hand especially because his system allowed opening 1NT with 5 card M.

[gnasher]

I'd never open 1NT with a six-card major.

 

In any case, I think this hand is too strong for a 15-17 1NT opening. Not playing anything fancy, I'd bid 1♥-1♠;2NT or 1♥-1NT;2♠. The reverse gives us a reasonable chance of reaching the 6-2 heart fit when it's right, and notrumps may not play that well from partner's side.

 

With the same shape but a bit weaker, eg AJx A10xxxx Kx Kx, I'd bid 1♥-1♠;2♠, with the idea that partner's more likely to make an aggressive move if he's been supported. Facing a 1NT response, I'd rebid 2♥, nervously.

 

In some partnerships I have a way to show a 2.5♥ bid after 1♥-1NT. If that were available I'd use that on either of these hands.

[benlessard]

I play that

1H----1X

2H show a minimum hand.

 

1H----1X

3H show a good hand & great suit.

 

I wont rebid a 2 card minor its probably not dangerous but i dont like it.

 

So either

 

1H----1X

2NT

 

or a direct 1Nt make sense. Since we frequently open 1Nt with 5cM and play a kind of puppet stayman i slightly prefer to open 1Nt otherwise i would 1H--rebid 2Nt.

 

PS i dont like Gazilli

[kenrexford]

I have a great love for the no trump opening with a six-card major, when right. This one is kind of borderline, because it might be too strong for a 1NT opening (especially if the 1NT range is 14+ to 17-). But, the advertised heart suit is not that strong. So, 1NT is very reasonable. Make the hearts A1098xx, and I'm a little more inclined to 1♥...2NT (except when 1♥...2NT is "power 2NT" and artificial, in which case this would be a clear 1NT opening).

[whereagles]

(edited for clarity)

 

AQx ATxxxx Kx Kx r/w imps.

 

1. Do you open 1N?

2. If you open 1H what are you rebidding over 1S by pard?

3. What about 1N by pard?

1. No.

2. Over 1♠ I bid 3♥.

3. Same thing.

 

As you can see, I'm not too bothered with suit quality. "Shape & strength always before high card location" is my motto. Of course, this isn't to be followed 100% of the time, but this hand doesn't feel like it's worth steering away from it. Perhaps 6 to the queen would.

 

I'm sure some people around strongly disagree with my views, but I don't give a **** :)

[Apollo81]

I would open 1♥ and rebid 2NT.

[Poky]

I like 1NT because it rightsides contracts and hides my source of tricks.

 

If I choose to open 1H, after 1any I will rebid a Gazzilli sequence 2C->2D->2NT - as 15-16 balanced.

[ArtK78]

I open 1♥.

 

Over a 1♠ response, I raise to 2♠. Quite frankly, I am surprised that more posters don't do the same, but I guess they are reluctant to make a single raise on "only" three card support when holding such a good hand.

 

The direct raise to 2♠ is sufficiently encouraging that I expect to get to most games, and I don't expect to be in the wrong strain very often.

 

EDIT: I left out what I would do if partner bid 1NT, which I presume is forcing. I would bid a calm, if somewhat heavy, 2♥. I don't like the 2♥ rebid, but it is the best choice of a bad lot.

[H_KARLUK]

1♥

2♠

2♥

[rbforster]

A boring 1♥...2♥ for me in either case.

 

I think you have to open 1♥, it's just such a disaster to open 1NT if you miss a heart fit. Over 1♠ or 1NT I will rebid 2♣, which I hate (I swear I do) but I hate everything else more. As long as partner doesn't pass I expect to do well. I know this is the type of bid you really really hate though.

I know 2/1 players should alert 1♥-1N-2♣ as 2+, but somehow I thought it was more often 4522 than 3622. Perhaps more of the experts are playing some version of Gazilli than realize it (1M-?-2♣ rebid = clubs or various strong).

 

As for losing the heart fit, perhaps Ken can devise a system similar to Texas so the opening NT bidder can show his 6c majors and 7c minors later in the NT auction...

[JLOL]

A boring 1♥...2♥ for me in either case.

I think raising 1S to 2S is much better because of what gnasher said (partner is more likely to move over this than over 2H). There are a lot of hands with 51 in the majors that partner is passing 2H and bidding over 2S for instance. There are very few 42 hands where the reverse happens.

 

Anyways, I like 2S and 2H.

[Echognome]

Certainly a good hand to be playing intermediate 2's with a mini multi (as then it's an easy 2♥ rebid). However, that was NOT the question. Playing a standard 2/1, I would open 1♥ and bid 2♥ over a 1NT response. I would rebid 2NT over a 1♠ response as the fitting spade values make the hand worth it and now I get to also protect my tenaces.

 

I'm not so worried about the 2NT bid over 1♠. I don't really like the 2♥ bid over 1NT, but I would rather hear partner bid again before going higher.

[awm]

Of course this is an easy problem playing gazzilli (rebid 2♣ forcing) or a strong club system (open 1♣). Since most of my partnerships include one of those two methods, this isn't a hand I've had to worry about much. :)

 

Assuming no such agreements, I think I would rebid 2NT over 1♠. This hand seems fairly notrumpy to me, and that sequence maximizes my chances of finding a major suit fit (I cannot miss a nine card heart fit or an eight-card spade fit, whereas any other sequence seems to have a strong possibility of missing one of those two and/or playing in a 6-1 heart fit on this lousy suit).

 

I don't really mind 3♥, as I think a lot of people obsess too much about suit quality in that sequence, but here it has the additional problem of missing what could be a good spade fit. Bidding 2♥ or 2♠ seems like a big underbid to me, and 2♣ "natural" is not very appealing.

 

In fact I like 3♥ over 1NT, as partner will often (okay not always) deliver a doubleton heart on hands with less than four spades.

[jdonn]

Incidentally I have gotten just terrible results from rebidding 2NT with a six card major (even setting aside that the strength on this hand is wrong.) Whereas fudging a 2♣ rebid has not led to problems. I don't worry about how pretty something looks or whether it offends someone's sensibilities to bid a very short suit, just what works when it's chosen. Based purely on my experience, rebidding 2NT is the last thing I'd do.

[MarkDean]

I would open 1♥ and rebid 3♥ over either response. Yes, the suit is bad, but that is the reason we may want to play in hearts - it will take too long to set up in nt.

 

I would not open 1NT - just too many hand for partner where 4♥ will play better than 3NT. Then again, I have seen experts open 1NT/2NT on hands that make me cringe, so I perhaps I am just not modern enough.

[mikeh]

I would open 1♥. 1N is simply too much of a distortion and is a BIG underbid to boot.

 

As for moves: I have been a long time fan of the Roth 'if i can get by this round' 2♣: a treatment so useful that it has been conventionalized under a number of names.

 

Incidentally, after a forcing 1N response, 2♣ is low risk in many partnerships, since it is common (altho not universal) to play that 2♣ shows as few as 2 clubs... thus partner is NEVER passing with 2 hearts, and this hand isn't worth that much if partner has the 9+ minor suit cards, and weakness, that would get him passing 2♣.. the main downside is finding him with 3=1=5=4 or a horrific 3=1=6=3, unable to bid diamonds because of playing BART.

 

My second choice is 2N: my experience with rebidding 2N over a 1♠ or 1N response has not been as bad as josh's, and a good followup method can help here. Doesn't Fred (and others, of course) have a method of finding the 6-2 major after the 2N rebid?

 

As for strength: this is a GOOD hand.. pure, all controls, this hand is too strong for 1N so it can hardly be too weak for 2N... it may be 'wrong' for notrump, but that is a function of shape, not strength, imo.

[Echognome]

Mike mentioned another point which I hadn't really considered. I typically play a semi-forcing, rather than a forcing NT, so 2♣ is a much bigger distortion for me. I'm also used to playing a 1NT opening as 14-16, so rebidding 2NT is not much of a concern either. Those "small" difference can make a big difference in how you view the problem.