eagles123 Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Matchpoints: [hv=pc=n&n=skqhq2dakq6ckq762&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=ppp]133|200[/hv] I opened 2NT but wasn't sure thanks Eagles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahydra Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 1C for me, reversing into diamonds next. Hate opening NT with 2-2 majors, especially Qx. ahydra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSClyde Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 I will never understand people who don't want to bid no trump with Qx. That's such an important holding to right side. I once had the following conversation with a partner after he failed to ask me for a stopper in a suit opting to just bid no trump himself instead. Me: You had doubleton queen right?Him: Yes.Me: Well I think you made the right bid. (upon reflecting on the hand) Wait were you QJ?Him: Yes.Me: Ok I take that back I hate the bid. Regardless of such musings, I believe in always telling partner when I have a balanced hand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcphee Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 It looks like a balanced hand to me, and I feel that opening 1C intending to reverse is a poor choice, while it is not the most wonderful 2N opening (lack of 2 aces is a tad annoying)that is what I have. 2N no second choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aguahombre Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Eagles: Hang on to your instincts. You weren't sure because the hand was a bit different than the every-day notrump shape; but it looked like a 2NT opener. What I see is a tendency for newer players to avoid opening NT hands with NT bids because of dogma like an open suit or two doubletons, and then trying to reinvent the wheel later in the auction. Don't go there. It is much easier to handle notrump sequences than to handle a "reverse" sequence at this stage of developement, especially when the hand is really not unbalanced. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmnka447 Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 2 NT for me. It gets the values right although the shape isn't ideal. At a Northern Illinois regional earlier this year, Dick Bruno, a top Chicago player, discussed how to handle in between hands like this. He advocated what he called a "one card more/one card less, one point more/one point less" approach. He said that with hands that don't comfortably fit any bid, it sometimes helps to consider what to do if a card or point was differently placed. With this hand, the thinking would be that if a ♣ were instead a ♥ or ♠, then there'd be virtually no problem opening 2 NT. So by bidding 2 NT with this hand, you're not describing it right by at most one card. Likewise, he advocates opening a hand such as ♠ Kx ♥ AKx ♦ Kx ♣ Q10xxxx -- 1 NT. Normally, a jump rebid in ♣s show a good ♣ suit, but here you don't have that. Again, if a ♣ were a card in any other suit, then you'd have no trouble opening the hand 1 NT. So 1 NT would be a less deceiving and better bid than a jump 3 ♣ rebid. It's a useful concept. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyberyeti Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 I open 1♣ too many times partner has had 2 black aces and a doubleton heart in the past. Admittedly I play 2N good 19-21 so this hand is a bit good, partner might not even invite with Axx, Kxx, xxxx, Axx. If partner has something that won't respond to 1♣, unless he has some tremendously good fitting cards, we weren't making game and 2N-P-P-P plus some minimum 2N-3N raises could be horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spadebaby Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 Why wouldn't yo open 2c ....showing a strong point count hand between 21-22 points?That way your partner can tell you what his strong suit is. If he passes you on 2nt...you could be missing a potential baby slam.2c is a forcing opening bid. So he has to respond. You make your decisions from there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aguahombre Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 Mainly because it evaulates to about 20.5 and even 21 isn't in most people's 2C range. And, you don't get to evaluate from there because when you make a size and shape limited bid it is your partner who evaluates. You don't get to make all the decisions from your side of the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenG Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 Why wouldn't yo open 2c ....showing a strong point count hand between 21-22 points?ere.Eagles doesn't put it in his posts any more (because he posts so regularly), but he plays in an Acol environment. Over here you need 23 points for a balanced hand for 2♣ followed by 2NT, or 2♦ etc. if playing Benji. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helene_t Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 I believe Eagles plays 2NT as 21-22. Anyway, 1♣ and 2NT are both fine. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenrexford Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 FWIW, there is something to be said for opening 2NT when in doubt and 2-2-4-5 but 1♦ if in doubt and 2-2-5-4. Not saying whether I am in doubt this time, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyman Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 2N for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awm Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 2NT for me, with such strong doubletons. However, if partner transfers to spades and bids 3NT, I am correcting to 4♠. Often the weak heart holding is a danger sign in that particular auction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenG Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 The more I read this thread, the more I think that 2NT might be better at IMPs, and 1♣ at MPs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSClyde Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 I open 1♣ too many times partner has had 2 black aces and a doubleton heart in the past.That's pretty specific: it can't be that common. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikestar13 Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 I think 2NT is better at any scoring--how likely are we to end in a minor suit partial even in MP? The choice is likely going to be between 3NT and 5m, and the major suit honors strongly suggest 3NT. I might consider correcting to 4♠ after 2NT-3♥;3♠-3NT as the heart lead has been pinpointed. After 2NT-3NT I'm less concerned, as partner may have help in hearts or they may not lead them. if you're likely going to end up punting 3NT at some point anyway, the less revealing auction starting with 2NT is more likely to be a winner. I think the OP showed good judgement here, whether or not it worked out at the table--there are no 100% actions available on a hand like this, and I feel confident that 2NT is the best % action. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hog Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 This looks like a 2NT opening to me as well, oh and that is MPs, IMPs, BAM and Rubber! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandakh Posted November 2, 2013 Report Share Posted November 2, 2013 Over here you need 23 points for a balanced hand for 2♣ followed by 2NT, or 2♦ etc. if playing Benji.That depends a lot on where you are. Within the BBO Acol Club it is very common to play 2♣->2NT as 19-20. In the version of Benji I have been playing lately 2NT is 20-21, 2♣->2NT is 22-23 and 2♦->2NT is 24-25. This is one of those aspects that you just have to ask a pick-up partner about online. Within a local club, "everyone" will play it the same way so it is easier. As for the OP, I would have no problem with either option from a partner. 2NT is likely to be wrong if partner has 5-5 in the majors; 1♣ will often be wrong when partner ends up declaring 3NT. A finger signal for partner's heart length could be useful here. Saying that the choice of contracts is between 3NT and 5m is completely ignoring an important downside of opening 2NT - partner is likely to see the hand somewhat differently! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hog Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 I believe Eagles plays 2NT as 21-22. Anyway, 1♣ and 2NT are both fine. Helene, how can "both be fine?". If 2NT is fine, it should exclude opening this hand with 1C and vice versa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1eyedjack Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 Helene, how can "both be fine?". If 2NT is fine, it should exclude opening this hand with 1C and vice versa.I think that you fail to acknowledge that the relative merits of alternative calls vary only by degree, measured by the integral of the product of possible outcomes and their likelihoods. It is entirely possible that two calls competing for top slot might vary only minutely in that measurement, in which case both might be judged "fine". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyberyeti Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 Helene, how can "both be fine?". If 2NT is fine, it should exclude opening this hand with 1C and vice versa. There are hands that fall into a grey area, this is one, very few people have definitively discussed just how the distribution of honours needs to be to change this from 1♣ to 2N, tends to occur with 2236/2245 or similar and also may vary with system, if your club opener actually shows clubs, you may prefer that more often. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aguahombre Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 How about fine and more fine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hog Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 How about fine and more fine? Exactly. Fine for me means the correct bid. You cannot have two bids that are equally correct or your system is too fluid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbradley62 Posted November 4, 2013 Report Share Posted November 4, 2013 The more I read this thread, the more I think that 2NT might be better at IMPs, and 1♣ at MPs.If anything, I'd think it would be the opposite. Opening 2N is more likely to lead to 3N (which is more likely to be better in MPs) whereas 1♣ is more likely to lead to 5♣ (which is more likely to be better in IMPs). Regardless of the above sentence, if 2N is balanced 21-22HCP, that's what I'd open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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