What to open

[Jinksy]

[hv=d=n&s=sjxxhxdakqjxxxxcx]133|100|Scoring: Total Points[/hv]

 

This seems like it should be pretty simple, but caused quite a dispute last night.

 

The bidding goes P P - to you.

 

What's your call? Does vulnerability affect it?

[Fluffy]

5♦, vul against not I feel a bit uncomfortable with it but I'd stll try.

[pooltuna]

assuming you play it, isn't this hand a definition for Gambling 3NT?

[Jinksy]

In third seat?

[rogerclee]

I'd open 1N at all vuls (maybe 2N at w/r).

[mikegill]

Certainly at fav I would open 5♦, and at unfav I would open 4♦. Equal I would probably just open 4.

[Phil]

I'm not a total points mensch but it seems to be that opening 5 is just conceding 500 if we are vulnerable which doesn't seem like much of a plus position.

 

3N is plain awful.

 

1N is sort of funny, but if you are going to psyche, 2N has some appeal too.

[aguahombre]

Another reason to play 2D waiting in response to 2c.

 

 

Mrdict: this was humor

 

[lmilne]

Yeah, I've never psyched 2NT as an opening before, but it really seems ideal here - if partner raises you might make it, and your major suit lengths means that partner will likely either bid 3♦ or 4♦ (xfer/texas respectively) which we can happily pass and let LHO work out.

[dake50]

Do I have Drury responses for my 1S psych (or should I expect 1H will more likely have the 2D response?). Might win 2D.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

#1 vulnerability certainly playes a role.

#2 I would make either bid 4D or 5D, but 3NT is certainly not wrong.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Crunch3nt]

Yeah, I've never psyched 2NT as an opening before

I find that very hard to believe!

[Gerben42]

I would open 4♦ vulnerable and 5♦ not vulnerable. This mustn't be the right answer but that's my style.

[landers]

Does not everyone agree that it is a basic tenet of bridge to describe YOUR hand as best as possible? If an opening 3nt means a solid 7 or 8 card suit, with not more than an outside Q, is that not the fastest and best description of this hand? Is there any reason why partner, although a passed hand, cannot have the two round aces and qx of spades making 3nt cold? And if 3nt looks wrong p, of course, pulls to 4c and u correct to d. And does not this bid also allow p to sac if it is right, knowing almost exactly what you have? In sum, if you play the convention, I can see absolutely no downside to using it and plenty of upside.

[Codo]

1. No, it is not your goal to describe your hand as good as possible.

 

This is just the goal in a cooperative bidding, where you and your partner change informations to find the right strain and the right height.

 

This is a totally different scenario. Here it is possible to throw a bomb ( a high preempt) and look what will happen... This will work here, because you do not want to discuss with partner about the right strain, but you want the opps to have lesser room to find their right spot.

 

2. 3 NT is awful. Even if partner holds the hand you hope for: How will he know to stay in 3 NT with Qx, Axx,xx,Axx but to leave it with Axx,Qx,xx,Axx?

And 3 NT usually shows 7 solid in a minor, not 7 or 8. Partner has much more trouble to count tricks if you can hold both hands.

In this hand, you will never gain anything with 3 NT. If the opps have enough stuff for 4 in a Major, they still will find it. If they don't, they may still double you and set you for a number, while they have no game avaiable.

 

(Did I mentioned that I am no big fan of gambling 3 NT?)

[lmilne]

Yeah, I've never psyched 2NT as an opening before

I find that very hard to believe!

Although that's not for want of looking for the chance :)

 

Agree with all those saying 3NT is horrible. The goal is not to describe your hand to partner, who won't play a part in the decision most of the time anyway. The goal is to a] take space away from the opponents, who have a heart game/slam on, b] deceive them as to the true nature of your hand, so they make a mistake later.

 

I would much rather open 4♦, giving LHO one chance to bid instead of X followed by something, than 3NT, which gives LHO multiple chances to bid, as well as telling him what I have.

 

Much prefer opening 3NT at favourable 3rd on something crazy like

 

[hv=s=sxhakjxxxxdxxxcxx]133|100|[/hv]

[gnasher]

For a third-suit 3NT opening, I'd normally expect a solid suit and stoppers in most of the side suits.

 

Until now I didn't know that anyone played a third-seat 3NT as promising just a solid suit. That seems a fairly pointless method: the chance that a passed hand can provide three stoppers seems pretty small, so most of the time you're just opening 4♦ but allowing the opponents some extra bidding room.