lamford Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 ♠ A9xxxxx ♥x ♦Axx ♣xx. Love all (neither side vulnerable), IMPs. Your go. And apologies, Free, if you think this belongs in the beginner section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwnn Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 1 spade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamford Posted October 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 1 spade.One issue, in the UK anyway, is that it is illegal (in most events) to have the agreement to open at the one-level on a hand which does not meet the rule of 19 (HCP plus two longest suits). You can still open 1 spade on this hand, but you are not allowed to have the agreement to do so! You are not allowed to count an ace as 4.5 points either for the purpose of this rule, even though that is probably the correct evaluation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjbrr Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 1♠ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordontd Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 One issue, in the UK anyway, is that it is illegal (in most events) to have the agreement to open at the one-level on a hand which does not meet the rule of 19 (HCP plus two longest suits). You can still open 1 spade on this hand, but you are not allowed to have the agreement to do so! You are not allowed to count an ace as 4.5 points either for the purpose of this rule, even though that is probably the correct evaluation.I don't think "most events" in the UK are played at Level 2. At Level 3 & Level 4 the rule of 18 applies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjbrr Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 One issue, in the UK anyway, is that it is illegal (in most events) to have the agreement to open at the one-level on a hand which does not meet the rule of 19 (HCP plus two longest suits). You can still open 1 spade on this hand, but you are not allowed to have the agreement to do so! You are not allowed to count an ace as 4.5 points either for the purpose of this rule, even though that is probably the correct evaluation. An opening hand, even if it doesn't meet some arbitrary criteria presumably written by people with poor or limited bridge judgment, is still an opening hand. Ace seventh in spades and a side Axx first seat white at imps is a very, very good hand. That it doesn't satisfy the bean counters is not really much of a concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordontd Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 I think it's close between 1♠ & 4♠, and would probably open 1♠ at MPs & 4♠ at IMPs. Even when it's wrong to have opened 4♠, the opponents often find it hard to take advantage of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickyB Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 2♥ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandakh Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 2♥Followed by a Watson double when they bid 3NT with partner on lead...? :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwnn Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 I will open 1♠ regardless of the possibly dire consequences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamford Posted October 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 I don't think "most events" in the UK are played at Level 2. At Level 3 & Level 4 the rule of 18 applies.Now I see. The OB is a little misleading in my view: 11 C One of a Suit Opening Bids Allowed at Levels 2, 3 and 4 11 C 1 Minimum opening bid strength The minimum agreement for opening one of a suit is Rule of 19, or 11 HCP. However a partnership may not agree to open with 7 HCP or fewer even if the hand is at least Rule of 19. Yes, I know that later it has "allowed at levels 3 and 4", but I did not realise that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanoi5 Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 0 spades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 And apologies, Free, if you think this belongs in the beginner section.No worries, finally a decent question. ;) I'd probably pass. When playing light openers I'd open 1♠. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pooltuna Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 pass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickyB Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 I'd open 3♠. 1♠ is fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel_k Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 I seldom pass a distributional hand in first seat but this has to be an exception because nothing fits. 4♠ will be awful if partner has short spades. 3♠ could be as well, or could also be too little if partner has values and a couple of spades. It is closest to 1♠ but that is just a bit rich for me. Since I have decent defence I will risk an initial pass and later spade overcall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 1>0>3>2>4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nige1 Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 ♠ A9xxxxx ♥x ♦Axx ♣xx. Love all (neither side vulnerable), IMPs. Your go. And apologies, Free, if you think this belongs in the beginner section. IMO 1♠ = 10. 3♠ = 7. 4♠ = 6. 2♠ = 5. Pass = 4. (Rule of 18 so.as GordonTD says, an agreement to open 1♠ is OK for most events, even in the EBU). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnasher Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 I hate 3♠ far more than I did on the other one. Pass seems the best description. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamford Posted October 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 I hate 3♠ far more than I did on the other one. Pass seems the best description.Thanks all. I did pass and my second choice would have been 1♠. Partner had ♠J10xx ♥Axxx ♦KQxx ♣x. Our room went all pass. The opponents had ♠K ♥ KJxx ♦ xxx ♣KJxxx opposite ♠ Q ♥ Q10xx ♦ Jxx ♣ AQxxx. Understandably the latter hand threw it in. The other room bid to the 52% 6♠, after an interesting gadget; 2NT was either a bad pre-empt in a minor or a flawed pre-empt in a major. I thought it was unusual to have a good slam bid in one room, and a pass out in the other. Maybe I just live too sheltered a life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbradley62 Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Thanks all. I did pass and my second choice would have been 1♠. Partner had ♠J10xx ♥Axxx ♦KQxx ♣x. Our room went all pass. The opponents had ♠K ♥ KJxx ♦ xxx ♣KJxxx opposite ♠ Q ♥ Q10xx ♦ Jxx ♣ AQxxx. Understandably the latter hand threw it in. The other room bid to the 52% 6♠, after an interesting gadget; 2NT was either a bad pre-empt in a minor or a flawed pre-empt in a major. I thought it was unusual to have a good slam bid in one room, and a pass out in the other. Maybe I just live too sheltered a life.Why are you making up this story, as if it was a real hand? We all know that it was a fabricated hand from another thread with a similar name: I would not be at all happy about opening 2 Spades at love all on ♠ A9xxxxx ♥ x ♦ Axx ♣ xx. But then I would not be happy with any call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamford Posted October 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Why are you making up this story, as if it was a real hand? We all know that it was a fabricated hand from another thread with a similar name:I included it in the other thread because I was so unsuccessful when I held it and it was a similar problem of what to open, and it was an apposite example with which to respond to rhm. Which is why I subsequently put it on the forum. Why do you think it is fabricated, and as many have said before, am I bovvered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbradley62 Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 ♠QJ10xxxx ♥Q ♦KJx ♣Jx. Dealer at love all. IMPs. Your go.Well the hand fits nicely into the 5-9 range. The seventh ♠ makes it a maximum but not out of range. 8 HCP looks about right to me. I would happily trade in all these honors for 2 aces. I admit I never understood the argument of those, who would never open a weak two with a seven card suit. For an 8-12 "American" weak two I would definitely consider this hand minimal, the seventh ♠ notwithstanding. The Ruben Kaplan evaluator (which is good for suit contracts) puts the total value of this hand at 9.55, of which 2 points were attributed to the 7321 distribution. Rainer HerrmannI would not be at all happy about opening 2 Spades at love all on ♠ A9xxxxx ♥ x ♦ Axx ♣ xx. But then I would not be happy with any call.Seriously? So, Rainer just stumbled upon the actual hand? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamford Posted October 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Seriously? So, Rainer just stumbled upon the actual hand?He added: "The Ruben Kaplan evaluator (which is good for suit contracts) puts the total value of this hand at 9.55, of which 2 points were attributed to the 7321 distribution" after I replied, and that is for the hand with ♠ QJ10xxxx only. So no, he was not thinking of the other hand. His two comments, about the seventh spade, and two aces, were unrelated. I don't think for one moment he thought the hand with seven spades and two aces was a Weak Two Bid. The comment about two aces reminded me of the not that similar hand which I had, and hence the other post. Actually the original hand, a few months ago, was A9xxxxx x xx Axx, and I did switch two suits so that the comparison was closest to that one. And the opponents in the other hand had a 5-5 diamond, not club, fit. So, yes it is fabricated, but the essential features were all there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hog Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 As this is not a 1, 2, 3 or 4S opening, the logical alternative is to pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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