Open with...?

[masse24]

♠AK

♥KQT54

♦J7

♣AKJ4

 

What do you open?

:D

[mike777]

I think bbo forums forces 1h here......

 

they hate to open 2c with most 2 suited hands if possible.

[ggwhiz]

1♥ for me but it could easily be wrong. My pard is a glass 7/8ths full type though. The Q♣, J♥ and out is about the only hand they will strand me with.

[jillybean]

I've counted it 3 times and I have a balanced 20-21 count.

 

(2N, I have puppet)

[HighLow21]

I've counted it 3 times and I have a balanced 20-21 count.

Well, semi-balanced with some bad honors and a weak doubleton. I can't imagine opening 2♣ with this hand in spite of the 3.5-4 losers and 5 QT's. For me the litmus test is that I won't vomit if 1♥ is passed out.

 

The long suit isn't great, there are too many points wasted in short suits, and I don't fancy bidding NT right away. Plus I feel this hand is easier to bid opening with 1♥, forcing over any response; opening 2♣ will make it difficult to get across my semi-balanced hand or my 2 suits when NT might be the right spot.

 

Remove the K♠ and add the Q♣ and I would open 2♣, intending to show a powerful 2-suiter that can make game opposite many nothing hands, like ♠xxx ♥Jx ♦xxxx ♣xxxx.

[the hog]

2NT for me. This looks obvious.

[JLOGIC]

1H, I am a bean counter so with 22 I would open 2C but with 21 I open 1H!

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

I think all the options are valid, although it depends on your follow up agreements

 

2C - I am not sure, you will be happy, if you play 2nd neg. after a 2C opener,

you can pass 2H, sure ..., but game will be on, if you have a fit, and p

has something useful

2NT - You need to play Puppet Stayman, otherwise the heart suit gets lost

 

I would go with 1H, p will act with 4-7 and a fit, and even with less, if the fit

is sensible, so we wont miss 4H very often, if at all, and 4H is our most likely game.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[gwnn]

1H, I am a bean counter so with 22 I would open 2C but with 21 I open 1H!

I open 2♣. I think your member title misses a "take that gnasher!", btw.

[fromageGB]

For me certainly not strong enough for 2♣. I voted 2NT, but not convinced. Yes, we can find out about the 5 card heart suit if partner has game values, but if he hasn't, and passes, then I would much rather play in 1♥ than 2NT.

 

Can I change my vote ? :D

[Zelandakh]

Playing SAYC or 2/1: 1♥, second choice would be to upgrade to 22 balanced and open 2♣.

Playing Benji: 2♣ = strong 2 in any suit (or 22+ bal).

Playing my methods: 1♣, and if partner responds 1♦ rebid 2♥ = natural strong 2.

[whereagles]

I have a VERY LIGHT standard for 2C openers, but here I prefer 1H. The bad hcp location slightly downgrades the hand.

[pooltuna]

I am with the 2NT lima bean counters

[Phil]

1♥. 2N looks like a great way to miss a club slam.

[bftboy]

Playing puppet, open 2nt. Not playing puppet, I still prefer 2nt. Not good enough for 2♣ and I think 1♥then 3 ♣ should be more shapely. You have a more or less balanced 21 count and there is a bid for that. Make it.

[neilkaz]

1♥. 2N looks like a great way to miss a club slam.

 

Yeah..prefer 1♥ to 2NT and not quite enough for 2♣.

[Cthulhu D]

I'd try 21-22 bal or semi balanced at MP (2NT normally, 2D with one pard) without thinking hard, but this is less clear at IMPs (the club slam is worth more and impossible to find playing puppet methinks). I guess I'd still open 21-22 bal or semi bal though.

 

I guess this is something to discuss with partner!

[Statto]

second choice would be to upgrade to 22 balanced and open 2♣.

I'm not upgrading with the two doubletons being AK and Jx. If they were they other way round there'd be a good argument for opening 2NT, to preempt against a ♠ overcall. As it is, 1♥ followed by 3♣ seems to fit this hand well, for me it only promises 5-4 and GF.

[JLOGIC]

I don't understand the point of calling this balanced. 1H then 3C seems so simple. We could easily belong in hearts or clubs, there is no need to distort our shape. If I opened 2C I'd be planning to bid 2H then 3C.

[benlessard]

1H easy for me, If partner pass 1H, there is about 50% that ill be happy playing 1H rather than 2nt/3S

[ArtK78]

I would also open 1♥. Applying HighLow's test I would not be too upset if partner passed 1♥. This is not the type of hand where I would expect to make game opposite the right 4333 zero count.

 

I also want to get clubs into the picture, so 1♥ followed by 3♣ is my plan.

 

By the way, a 4-loser hand is a super maximum 1-bid, not a minimum 2♣ opener.

[daveharty]

This is not the type of hand where I would expect to make game opposite the right 4333 zero count.

That's true, but I would expect to make game opposite a fair number of hands that would pass 1H. Of course many of those hands would pass 2NT, too.

 

Todd and I were kibitzing this hand and talking after it came up and I was sort of on the fence between 1H and 2NT. In retrospect I think 1H is better, but I think there is a fair amount of risk. Seems like the main risk of opening 2NT is just what Phil and ArtK78 mentioned, missing a superior club contract.

[jdeegan]

:P Good problem hand. I had to think long and hard for the best answer. One ♥ = 100 opposite a good partner because (think about it) the other calls more or less give up on 6♣ as a potential contract.

I got no beef with 2NT. It simplifies the bidding and shows the hand. 2♣ is a little rich for my blood with this holding.

[rduran1216]

I dont want xxx Jxx xxxx Qxx passing out 1H, so I'd open 2C planning to bid 2H then 3C since I play kokish, and now I think ive described my hand well.

[Trinidad]

I dont want xxx Jxx xxxx Qxx passing out 1H, so I'd open 2C planning to bid 2H then 3C since I play kokish, and now I think ive described my hand well.

That hand is about the only hand where partner will pass 1♥ and you probably have 10 tricks. With three card support and 4-5 HCPs, partner usually will come up with a bid (e.g. a forcing 1NT).

 

If pretty much only the perfect pass will give me 10 tricks, I will not plat partner for the perfect pass. I will assume that when he in fact passes 1♥, he will not have the perfect hand and we will not have 10 tricks.

 

Note further, that your perfect hand will not get to 4♥ after a 2NT opening either. Therefore, opening 2NT would not solve your problem. After a 2♣ opening, you would get to 4♥ with your hand. But you would also get to 4♥ with a lot of hands that shouldn't be in 4♥, e.g. Qxx Jxx xxxx xxx. (And you will also get to other contracts that you shouldn't be in, e.g. 3NT, 5♥, 5♣.)

 

Rik