why not open 2C only with three losers?

[lycier]

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Basic robot

I know Gib will open 1♥,whatever it is basic or advanced robot.

 

This is a big hand,only with three loser,I suggest that it can open strong 2♣ since the opener will be very easy to get 10 tricks ,even in the face of pd's zero point if 4♥ is a final contract.

Its classic sequences :

2♣ -- any

4♥

 

I think it is a useful convention.

[mycroft]

2♣-X-any-5♣; your call. How do you know you don't have those three losers? How do you know if 5♣ isn't going to make - give E-W partner's ♣A and it probably does? Conversely, how do you know that while 5♥ makes, 5♣ is going for 1100?

 

I have a very strong belief that a 2♣ opener provides defence, even with an overstrength preempt like this one; partner should be able to double game with a balanced yarborough and (barring duelling voids, or other nonsense) know it will go down. Of course there is a benefit to opening 2♣ with this kind of overstrength preempt; the opponents are much less likely to compete against it, and will probably misdefend. They then will call the TD, of course.

[steve2005]

what Mycroft says makes sense and 1♥ is unlikely to be passed out

[ahydra]

Mycroft - your point is a good one, but this is hardly an "overstrength pre-empt". A pre-empt usually has 6 or 7 playing tricks, so an overstrength preempt would have eight, e.g. AKQJxxx KQx x xx. The N hand here has TEN playing tricks. Partner can have zero hearts and zero points, trumps can split 4-0, and you still make 4H (barring some kind of opening diamond ruff - hardly likely when you have a singleton Ace - or trump promotion).

 

We have 15 HCPs, no reason the rest can't be split 10-4-flat 11 or similar around the table. Unlikely maybe given the shape of our hand, but even in the deal above the shapes were almost flat enough to prevent opps taking a bid, just swap one of East's clubs for one of West's diamonds.

 

As such I would open 2C, rebid 4H and not look back. If I get bounced to 4S or 5C then I'll bid 5H, so be it. And if the opps let me play 4H, misdefend and call the TD, he will say "result stands" because the 2C opening is perfectly legal (at least in the EBU).

 

Additionally, with a hand like this slam isn't too far away. Suppose partner has ♠AK, ♥ singleton and out. Is he going to look for slam after 1H-1S; 4H? That normally shows something like x KQJ10xxxx AQ xx, so I'm guessing he won't. But after 2C then 4H, he can cue 4S and things are looking awesome for us.

 

ahydra