You open...

[Hanoi5]

White vs Red, you're dealer:

 

♠9

♥A

♦K9xxx

♣AJTxxx

 

What do you open?

[jmcw]

1♦

[nige1]

White vs Red, you're dealer ♠ 9 ♥ A ♦ K9xxx ♣ AJTxxx What do you open?

IMO 1♣ = 10, Pass = 7, 1♦ = 5. The potential problem is that in some actions, you may lose the ♦ suit.

[the hog]

1D also for me.

[mike777]

1c may lose the d suit. Planning on rebidding 2c.

[mtvesuvius]

1♦. It's not like the clubs are significantly better, and although it will distort the suit lengths when I bid 4N later, I think it's still the longterm right bid.

[kenrexford]

The implied threat is an auction where we lose the ability to bid the second, higher-ranking but shorter suit. I like to imagine the auction coming back to me at the four-level in an opposition suit to determine whetherb a problem exists.

 

If I open 1♣ and the auction comes back at either 4♥ or 4♠, I am no worse off having opened 1♣ because I can bid diamonds at the five-level as effectively by bidding 4NT as I would opening 1♦ and rebidding 5♣. So, I don't see a big problem.

 

With clubs and hearts, I have no problem if the auction comes back at 4♦ (I can bid 4♥), and I am actually better off. But, if the auction comes back at 4♠, I have a problem. So, I might be more inclined to open 1♥ with longer clubs IF this concern is high. With diamonds and hearts, I am in an inferior position if the auction comes back at 4♣, but I am in an acceptable position if 4♠ comes back (I can bid 4NT and convert 5♣ to 5♦). This seems somewhat similar, possibly meriting introduction of the hearts first.

 

With clubs and spades, I am always better off if I start with longer clubs, assuming 4red, so 1♣ is easy.

 

With diamonds and spades, I would be better situation opening spades if 4♣ comes back, but I am worse off if 4♥ comes back. I can live with bidding 4♠ if 4♣ comes back, so 1♦ is almost always OK. I might find an exception.

 

Hearts and spades is the real kicker, as I am always better off at the four-level if I start with spades. So, I might make an exception here.

 

But, again, with diamonds and longer clubs, I see no good reason to violate, for 4-level concerns.

 

Now, the three-level gets trickier, but only if 2NT in a contested auction is not geared toward this problem. If it is, no problems.

[han]

1C, would not have known that there were alternatives if it wasn't for this thread. I think that pass is ridiculous and 1D is misguided. It's not like the clubs are significantly better Adam? AJ10-sixth compared with K9-fifth?

[dake50]

1C.

Then hope for Unu2NT, 4NT next.

May even bid 2D,3D,4D.

[Cascade]

1♦. It's not like the clubs are significantly better, and although it will distort the suit lengths when I bid 4N later, I think it's still the longterm right bid.

 

Two more honours and one extra card!!!

[the hog]

1C, would not have known that there were alternatives if it wasn't for this thread. I think that pass is ridiculous and 1D is misguided. It's not like the clubs are significantly better Adam? AJ10-sixth compared with K9-fifth?

 

Well, goodness gracious me, you have learned something.

[JLOGIC]

1C

[hotShot]

1♣

The suit is longer, has more honors and I would prefer partner to lead a ♣ instead of a ♦.

[Hanoi5]

1♣-Pa-1♥-1♠

???

 

Now what?

[Free]

1♣, followed by 2♣. I only like 1♦ when we may have a true rebid problem (4♦-5♣, or good 5♦ with poor 6♣), rebidding a good 6 card suit is no problem.

[whereagles]

Diamonds. The ensuing situation at table is a good example of why I pick 1D instead of 1C.

[han]

Hog, if you cannot see why you want to be in 6D instead of 6C holding

 

[hv=pc=n&s=s2hdakq6432caqt92&n=saq65hq532d85c874]133|200[/hv]

 

then it is no surprise that you cannot see why you want to open a AJ10xxx suit instead of K9xxx. From you I would expect such claims, but not from Mtvesuvius who not only has a fairly open mind but also has an exceptional talent for bridge.

 

Adam, if you think rebid issues are more important than bidding your longer and stronger suit first, fair enough, I disagree but we can argue about that. But let's try not to fool ourselves with arguments that are clearly false.

[mike777]

1♣-Pa-1♥-1♠

???

 

Now what?

 

 

 

2c no problem yet.

--

 

 

fwiw if pard rebids 2d here after 2c that is art/gf.

 

may lose d suit if pard is weakish with d.

[mtvesuvius]

Adam, if you think rebid issues are more important than bidding your longer and stronger suit first, fair enough, I disagree but we can argue about that. But let's try not to fool ourselves with arguments that are clearly false.

Yeah, I didn't really phrase it very well. I meant that our diamonds aren't great, but that we can stand to have them led. In general, I tend to look more at rebid problems before I make these decisions, but I suppose we don't have too much trouble after a 1♣ opener. Partially because the auction often will come back to us at a fairly high level, and we can bid 4N then to show this hand and also I guess losing the diamonds isn't the end of the world in other auctions where we don't get a chance to rebid 3 (or 4)♦.

[OleBerg]

1♣

 

I think I'll die in appr. 35 years. Troublesome.

[gszes]

1D

 

yes indeed I wholeheartedly agree that our clubs are MUCH

better than our diamonds. Preparation for rebids is also

very important as well as giving p as much info as possible

so they can participate better. Opening 1d and rebidding 2c

gives p much more information about our hand than 1c 2c does.

 

p holding as little as say xxxx xxx AQ xxxx has good reason to

feel good about their hand (ie bid 3c) after 1d 2c rebid and

little reason to like their hand (ie pass) after 1c 2c rebid.

 

If the bidding goes say 1d 1s 2c 2d (noint) we can then bid 3c

which should help clarify our 56 status (with 55 64 or 65 we would

not bother with 3c we would merely bid 3d if we felt it was wise).

 

I would not always open 1d vs 1c with this distribution. My personal

preference is the dia suit has to be headed by at least the Q and

have at least 50% of the power located in the club suit or be headed

by the K or better.

 

The hands also have to be weak enough to not qualify for a reverse.

[the hog]

Hog, if you cannot see why you want to be in 6D instead of 6C holding

 

[hv=pc=n&s=s2hdakq6432caqt92&n=saq65hq532d85c874]133|200[/hv]

 

then it is no surprise that you cannot see why you want to open a AJ10xxx suit instead of K9xxx. From you I would expect such claims, but not from Mtvesuvius who not only has a fairly open mind but also has an exceptional talent for bridge.

 

Adam, if you think rebid issues are more important than bidding your longer and stronger suit first, fair enough, I disagree but we can argue about that. But let's try not to fool ourselves with arguments that are clearly false.

 

Han, you are either obtuse or deliberately being absurd. Please quote where I posted that I would "rather" be in 6C than 6D. In the post to which you are referring the op said, "Do you want to be in this slam". My comment was, if I recall, "Yes, I am happy enough to be in it." Please do a course in remedial reading before you post rubbish.

[Phil]

1♣.

 

Over a 4♥ preempt to my left I plan to bid 4♠ followed by redouble to show five of a higher ranking suit :)

[mtvesuvius]

Over a 4♥ preempt to my left I plan to bid 4♠ followed by redouble to show five of a higher ranking suit :)

:)

[han]

Han, you are either obtuse or deliberately being absurd. Please quote where I posted that I would "rather" be in 6C than 6D. In the post to which you are referring the op said, "Do you want to be in this slam". My comment was, if I recall, "Yes, I am happy enough to be in it." Please do a course in remedial reading before you post rubbish.

 

Your recollection of your own words is perfect Hoggie. It's a strange comment though, given that (a) 6C on the expected heart lead is about 45%, and (b) 6D is considerably better. Even though your play analysis in that thread was completely off, I thought the resemblance was remarkable. In the other thread declarer bid clubs and diamonds as if they were equal while diamonds were 2 cards longer and much stronger. Not having learned anything from that, you distort your suit length in this thread from your very first bid! Perhaps not so surprising given that you were happy enough to be in 6C.