2 Spade opener?

[dickiegera]

Dealer with favorable vulnerability

Do open 2♠ weak with: J98765, AQ ,Kxxx, x

Thank you

[helene_t]

I probably would.

 

This is obviously not an ideal hand for a preempt. Playing against weak opps at MPs I would pass.

[655321]

1♠ always.

[hrothgar]

I'd pass

 

The hand is badly flawed for either a 2♠ or a 1♠ opening

 

Arguing against 2♠

 

Your spade suit is abysmal

Your hand is defensive oriented (lot of short suit honors)

You have a side 4 card suit to the King

 

Arguing against one Spade

 

You are a bit light

You're AQ of Hearts aren't pulling their weight

You have spades, should you aren't going to get shut out of the auction

 

(If I had to open, it would be 2♠, not 1♠)

[gwnn]

1♠ :D this is not a 2♠ opener with so little in spades and so much outside, but I dont like passing either since that will leave them the whole 1 level and then OK I will bid spades but those auctions tend to be messy. So whatever is left must be the right answer.

[shyams]

If I were to bid this, I'd choose 1♠. Otherwise I would pass -- I do not prefer to open this one 2♠ when we are white

 

I must admit I do not have a very consistent style, with a tendency to bid or pass based on mood (which is bad for partnerships). On this hand, I think I'd risk 1♠

[kenrexford]

Easy 1♠, IMO. I have no rebid problems, which is a bonus.

[neilkaz]

Good enough for 1♠ for me with 6 of them and no rebid issues.

 

I don't care for 2♠ even though it is rather preemptive since I have a weakish suit with 9 HCP outside. .. ie PD may make an unfortunate decision in comp, or I may end up playing 2♠ or even 2♠x and not getting a good result, perhaps when the opps don't have great chances to bid and make game.

 

I also think this hand has more playing strength than PD will suspect and we could be missing game if I open 2♠.

[Lobowolf]

Easy 1♠ bid for me. Generally, when it comes to borderline HCP openers, I look potential rebid problems, defensive strength, spot cards. I also take a look at losing trick count to see if I'm grossly misconstruing the hand to consider it an opener. Here, I have no rebid problem, two quick tricks on defense, and only slightly subpar spots in a 7-loser hand. I'm all over it.

 

For me, a 2♠ bid at this vulnerability/position would be stronger in spades and weaker overall.

[peachy]

I would not open 2S. Take away some of the minor suit honors, then better for 2S, provided that partner is not expecting the "traditional". In close competitive decisions, opening this with 2S will likely mislead partner in the auction to make a bad choice, either counting me for "something" in spades or not counting me for so much defense.

 

I might open 1S or Pass.

[pooltuna]

Dealer with favorable vulnerability

Do open 2♠ weak with: J98765, AQ ,Kxxx, x

Thank you

no problems with either 1 or 2 ♠

[aguahombre]

david Ashley would not have opened 2S because the spades are too good, and too long.

[rogerclee]

I'll just throw it out there, I think 2S is fine.

[jjbrr]

I'd open 1 but don't hate 2 either. I prefer both to pass.

[PhantomSac]

I hate a style where this is a 2S bid. I would pass or open 1S depending on partnership style for opening bids (greatly prefer a style where I can open 1S). That being said, many successful players play a style where this is a 2S bid, most notably fred and brad are known for opening weak 2s on some strange (to most) hands.

 

Basically I am not a fan of weak 2 bids with a huge amount of defense, I feel like partner will often judge wrong in common situations (like whether to save).

[jdonn]

I have no problem with 2 on this type of hand but it's plenty good enough for 1, especially with the spots. I'm fine with 2 on J98xxx AJ Kxxx x or J98xxx AQ Qxxx x. I ♥ the 6-4, even more than I would a good suit.

[the hog]

I would open this 1S. Too much outside for 2S.

[lmilne]

I wouldn't think about anything other than 1♠.

[Double !]

I would rarely if ever open 2S on this hand unless really swinging.

 

Yet, it seems as though so many people now open weak 2-bids with any type of 6-card suit (aka: Pressure Bidding style). Sometimes the bid works and sometimes it doesn't. Personally, I don't like to do so in 1st or 2nd seat, even at favorable. It's too much of a distortion imo.

 

Weak two bids were originally designed to be relatively descriptive bids that also had pre-emptive potential. 6-12, 5-11, 5-10 hcp and a decent 6-card suit (either with 2 of top 3 honors or one of the top honors and decent intermediates such as KJT8xx). Responder then had some idea whether or not to proceed, to introduce a new suit, escape to a different suit, ask for features or hand quality, knowing that a lot of your hand is like in your bid suit and that playing in your suit likely won't be bad. You put partner in a much more difficult situation when you start opening weak 2 bids on weak suits and significant values outside of your suit that might be of more value if playing in partner's suit. Poor suit weak 2 bids makes competitive bidding decision-making and opening lead selection much more difficult for partner. Do you really want encourage partner away from making a more normal lead because you bid a weak 2 which should encourage leading your suit?

 

Perhaps my position on this topic of suit quality is obsolete. Don't know. But consider this: some partnerships have 2 types of opening bids to show weak 2s: one opener showing the weak version and the other type showing a more traditional version. Anyway, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

 

DHL

DHL

[whereagles]

I would open 1♠.

 

Not 2 because the honor placement is really sucky.

Not pass because I don't believe in "too weak for 1S, too strong for 2S" hands.

[fred]

I hate a style where this is a 2S bid. I would pass or open 1S depending on partnership style for opening bids (greatly prefer a style where I can open 1S). That being said, many successful players play a style where this is a 2S bid, most notably fred and brad are known for opening weak 2s on some strange (to most) hands.

You are right that it would be fairly normal for us to open 2S with this hand. 1S is close to being acceptable at this particular vulnerability and position, but it would be auto for us to open 2S under most other circumstances.

 

Our unusual weak-2 style is the result of a compromise in one of the few areas of bidding in which Brad and I did not see eye-to-eye when we began our partnership: my weak 2s were very sound and Brad's were very light.

 

I wish I could say with confidence that the success we have enjoyed is partly because of our style of weak-2s and not in spite of it :)

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[blackshoe]

Not gonna pass, not gonna open 2♠. 1♠ for me.

[P_Marlowe]

Dealer with favorable vulnerability

Do open 2♠ weak with: J98765, AQ ,Kxxx, x

Thank you

No.

[Siegmund]

Justin sez:

 

Basically I am not a fan of weak 2 bids with a huge amount of defense, I feel like partner will often judge wrong in common situations

 

QFT.

 

It's curious indeed that brad-fred came to a style where this is a weak 2 - a sound weak 2 person would object to the ratty spade suit and a weak weak 2 person would object to it being so heavy outside, I would have thought :)