How many spades? 1st seat white vs red

[diana_eva]

1st seat, white vs red. What would you open here?

 

[hv=pc=n&n=SAKQJ97H3DJ65C765]133|100[/hv]

 

 

 

 

Here's the full deal.

 

[hv=pc=n&s=S85HA862DAKQ732C9&n=SAKQJ97H3DJ65C765&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=3SP4SPPP]399|300[/hv]

 

Is it reasonable to try for slam?

Should South explore for it ?

[eagles123]

I'd be tempted to open 4S but idk it's probably too much.

[inquiry]

I am tempted to open any spade level but 3♠. Let me explain.

 

First this is rule of 20 opening 1♠ bid, so a possible 1♠ opening bid is available (for Zar point counters, it is 29, needing only 25 to open at the one level with spades). If I was vulnerable, I would not open it 1♠, but would open it 2♠.

 

Being not vul, I look at the heart suit and think I have no real defense against a heart contract, so preempt does twist around in my head as a possibility. But opening 3♠ is wrong in the current situation for several reasons. First I am not so weak to guarantee it is 2/3 likely to my opponents hand. When I preempt first seat not vul, I am usually very weak. Constructive bidding will be difficult if your first seat non-vul can be as weak as say KJT9xx xx JTxx x pf AQ98xxx x xxx xx and this monster or anywhere in between. This is noted as there is easy way to reasonably to bid slam after the 3♠ start. So if I was going to preempt, I would consider only 4♠ and 2♠.

 

However, I see no pressing reason not to open 1♠, my second choice would be 2♠ (and I would always open 2♠ 1st seat if I was vulnerable.

 

This does not mean whoever opened 3♠ at your table made a misbid. Three spades is a fine bid if you are not a reckless preempter with weak hands in first seat when non-vulnerable like I am. It is the too wide a range for the weakest hand I could hold for 3♠ and what this hand has that will keep me from preempting with it. If I open this hand 3♠, we could be cold for game and partner would be afraid that 3♠ is likely off two, or we may have an easy set of their game or slam and partner might take a phantom. If your opening preempts are sound, this is clearly a 3♠ bid, and if I had one more trick in my hand (extra spade for instance) I would open 3♠ first seat vul, no problem.

[gszes]

This all boils down to expected standards for a 2s 3s 4s bid etc

depending on vulnerability. For ex at unfavorable I would not want

to have much less to make a weak 2 bid and never think about 3s

or higher. If your partnership agreements include suit quality as

part of a weak 2 bid then you are probably fine doing that especially

if your responses to 2n include 3n to (or something similar to show

a suit headed by AKQ. W/o suit quality agreements it becomes much tougher

for your partner to move forward especially if you were to choose

3/4 spades. We all want to preempt when we can but at what cost is what we

all have to decide.