I like lies

[barryallen]

I was interested in where your boundary was not trying to be picky about your language.

 

Surely the key here is not whether 1♠ shows 4 or 5 cards, but that a 2♠ response can easily be 3 card support?

[whereagles]

If 1♠ is 5 cards, then 2♠ seems very trivial.

 

If not, then there are many things to this auction, as for instance

- How strong should a 1NT rebid now be?

- Can 2♣ now be 3 cards? If so, under what circumstances?

- How strong would 2♦ now be?

- Are you allowed to rebid hearts on 5 cards if stuck for a bid?

 

Without agreements I would probably just bid 2♣.

[whereagles]

Then I would go for 1N. Some may object on the grounds of inadequate Diamond guard, but I think that nowadays that is not a requirement.

 

I definitely wouldn't object; rather, I'd encourage it. But then again, how strong should it be? Since 1♠ is normally 8+ hcp, I'd say 12-14 is enough (with 15-17, rebid 2NT).

 

However, common-sense says this is a particularly dangerous situation for such a move, as RHO is sitting over dummy's eventual stops and has side entries. Curiously enough, we having Txx diamonds can be more dangerous than Tx: if diamonds sit Kx/Txx you're in trouble, whereas if they split Kxx/Tx you're through for 1 round.

 

Anyway, 1NT seems ok to me, though I might prefer 2♣ with a stopper-picky pard (which pards usually are).

[gnasher]

Surely the key here is not whether 1♠ shows 4 or 5 cards, but that a 2♠ response can easily be 3 card support?

 

Yes, to me it seems OK to bid 1♠ on a decent four-card suit, but to raise it routinely on three-card support - the sky won't fall in if we play in 2♠ with only seven trumps. As advancer I'd bid 1♠ on AQJx xx xxx Kxxx, but 1NT on AJxx xx Qxx Kxxx.