Weird hand, what do you open?

[the hog]

No 2 suited opening I guess, so I'll pass.

If a two-suited opening were available, would you make it?

Yes. I know the shape is extreme, but i think the upside is worth it.

On reflection, Andy, with no 2 suited opening, I think i would probably bid 4C at the table rather than pass. Again, too much upside.

[jdonn]

I think opening 2♣ showing 5+ clubs and a 4+ major (as one poster wants to do) is reasonable, since when you later bid either suit and even take a third bit you are making a reasonable description of your relative lengths. You also get the far better and far longer off your chest at the start.

 

I do not at all like 2♥ showing 5 hearts and 5 or 4+ in a minor. I worry that bidding clubs too many times after that will show something more like 6-6, or may be interpreted as a stronger (and different) sort of hand if partner supports the major. Even worse, if the next player does something like overcall 4♠ then I am very nervous about bidding 5♣ when it comes back since it's a joke to think partner will choose the right suit, but I am even more nervous about never mentioning the clubs.

[jdonn]

Just five losers and a five card major. 1♥ wtp?

It's done Steve Robinson no harm over the last week.

He has been opening 5 counts at the 1 level has he? ;)

[xcurt]

Just five losers and a five card major. 1♥ wtp?

It's done Steve Robinson no harm over the last week.

He has been opening 5 counts at the 1 level has he? ;)

Steve moderates the D6 bidding forum, and about every other month there is a problem where you are asked what to do on round two, after you opened 1M on 5M-6m, or you opened at the 1-level on a 9-count, 2 controls, but 6 losers. The panel complains about the round one action, which gives Steve a chance to espouse his ideas about the value of the opening bid and the relative value of bidding a major over a minor.

 

I'm not sure Steve is correct, because a lot of this is about the implied odds. If you aren't getting better results when you hit your hand, but you are getting worse results when you miss your hand, then maybe you shouldn't be acting light/offshape. Then again, his team is USA1, right now, so...

 

On the actual hand, I would just bury the hearts and open 4♣. That gets about 90% of my hand across, which is more than any other later action would accomplish, and maximally preempts the opponents. Well, maybe not "maximally preempts," but 5♣ is just asking to hand over a big number of IMPs when we miss our hand. The opponents are going to drive us to the 5 level with their spades quite often anyway (and if we choose some lower action to start the hand, and partner doubles them out in 4♠, can we really sit anyway), so we are only going to want to play hearts when partner is specifically x5x1 without the ♣Q.

[dake50]

jdonn, Do you really think this is our hand? Psych when it is their hand. Take lumps when psych is wrong. That has always been the psych strategy. Disagree here yes. I was just suggesting a bent of mind. LOL was correct.

[Hanoi5]

Do you really think this is our hand?

 

This was the hand:

 

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sxxhaqxxd9xxxcaq7&w=sa9xhtxxdakjxxct8&e=skqjtxxxxhkdqtxxc&s=shj8xxxdckj9xxxxx]399|300|[/hv]

 

My team-mates played 6♠ and received a club lead. South passed the 8-5 and later came up with 3♣ over 2♠ (and North never supported clubs). I bid as previously explained and so didn't 'feel' the need to go to 6♣ (I was afraid they might reach 6 and I expected them to make it). Anyway 5♠ only had an overtrick for I led a small heart :)

 

6♥ or 7♣ can be made by N/S if they find the singleton ♥K.

[skjaeran]

Unless I had a weak opening showing a major-minor 2-suiter with longer minor, I'd never use a 2-suited opening bid with this hand. It distorts too much, IMO.

 

I guess I'd just open 4♣ and await further development.