Do you respond with this 5HCP hand?

[the hog]

1S on this is very poor regardless of the form of the game. If MP and you do not win the auction and are not on lead, do you want pd to lead a S from hon x? Do you want pd to overbid and you get a minus because you responded on trash? Give yourself a decent S suit and I would agree with 1S. 1S = 0, Nigel, not 10.

"Also, It increases our prospects of declaring (easier than defending);" Absolute rubbish, unless you are playing against morons!

[nige1]

1S on this is very poor regardless of the form of the game. If MP and you do not win the auction and are not on lead, do you want pd to lead a S from hon x? Do you want pd to overbid and you get a minus because you responded on trash? Give yourself a decent S suit and I would agree with 1S. 1S = 0, Nigel, not 10. "Also, It increases our prospects of declaring (easier than defending);" Absolute rubbish, unless you are playing against morons!

I accept that another drawback of 1♠ is that it may attract the wrong lead; but that wouldn't deter me.

[PhilKing]

"Also, It increases our prospects of declaring (easier than defending);" Absolute rubbish, unless you are playing against morons!

 

FWIW, I think it's right (love all at at MPs) to bid 1♠ against morons, but not otherwise.

[PhilG007]

MP, all white, 2/1.

 

♠7652

♥953

♦K87

♣Q74

 

Edit: bidding goes 1C (P) ?

 

On the plus side you do have 4 Spades but on the negative side they're pretty anemic and it is a 4333 hand.

 

I know its a bidders game but is this pushing it too far?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Simon

 

I would pass this hand unhestitatingly and wait for developments. There are too many losers. If it was unbalanced and had ruffing values,then maybe

I would chance my arm if non vul. But there are too many unknowns. Is p strong or weak? LHO hasn't yet spoken and could be hiding

a monster hand. If you know where you're going,go there quickly. If in doubt,hang back. Better to be safe than sorry! :)

[mycroft]

1NT strongly depends, especially in England, on what your original NT range is and what the field's is.

 

This auction, we hope, is going to go (weak) 1NT float if we're lucky; 1NT-p-p-X if we're not (1NT-X as well, but if they can't bid over 1♣, they probably can't double 1NT). As I said, 12-14 opposite 5 flat is the death hand for weak NT; we're going down, if they double they're right, and they can't make game. Rarely does it happen the (weak) 1NT rebid gets doubled; but that's because they've already bid and we don't bid 1NT. But that doesn't mean that whatever we play now can't be doubled - or that nobody can make anything past 1♠, and if we let 1♣ slide, they'll be the ones going down.

 

In England, it's likely that partner has a strong NT. 16 opposite this 5 will probably play well, at least as well as 1♣ will. And it won't get doubled.

 

In any world, if your side has opened 1♣ when the field is opening 1NT, you're rolling the dice; but opposite a potential flat 11-14, I think the dice are in your favour. Again, if the field has opened 1NT with partner's very likely hand, you probably want to be there too.

 

I like bidding on nothing, too; but only when I don't want the opponents to bid. Here, I don't mind at all.