Can you open ?

[UdcaDenny]

Playing 2/1 I opened 1♠ in first position not vulnerable against vulnerable. My P said I could only do that in third seat.

Hand was AKJ73 K108 103 962. I thought 2.5 tricks was enuff to open.

 

I saved this as a poll but seems it didnt work

[manudude03]

It's down to agreements at the end of the day, but this looks like a good 11 and I would open.

[steve2005]

extra point for all hcp in 2 suits, the concentration of strength in ♠ is very helpful

[Zelandakh]

Got to have 13 Miltons to open or take your place on the rack for the appropriate punishment. No room for judgement or thinking in this game! B-)

[rmnka447]

I'd open it 1 ♠ -- 2.5 QTs and 11 HCP is enough. In addition, the points are working together and are in the "longest" suits. Also, the ♥ 10, an intermediate, is a positive as it is working with the ♥ K.

[Phil]

Clear opener. Not even a minimum.

[apollo1201]

You seem to have all the best case elements for a "light" opening: good honors (AKs), 2.5 QT, intermediates supporting them, a 5-cd suit which has the good idea to be the most expensive one, and 1st at green.

 

I wrote light with "" because I'd probably open all positions all vuln nevertheless.

 

Compare it to QJ5 K74 QJ82 QJ3 which has the required 12 HCPs.

[mikestar13]

It is a substantial underbid to think of passing this hand.

[lycier]

Shapes is more important than hcp.

Even you have a decent opening suit with 11hcp and two tricks in it, but

1- 5332 shapes, it is too flat. And there are not any defensive card in your minors suit.

2- while light opening , you are very worried about pd's 2/1 responding.

 

I never give a wrong opening information to pd, I never open 1♠ only with flat 5332 shapes in the first or second seat unless opening suit is 6+ card.

[SteveMoe]

If you open in first or second seat then it would help if partner expects a hand this light. Otherwise you might be in game with only 23 HCP and worse: two relatively balanced hands. I would open this playing Precision or any 2/1 style where partner has full values for a game force. In the long run, open. Light initial actions have proven to be a winning approach. Just build the rest of your system to handle this.

[blackshoe]

Shapes is more important than hcp.

Even you have a decent opening suit with 11hcp and two tricks in it, but

1- 5332 shapes, it is too flat. And there are not any defensive card in your minors suit.

2- while light opening , you are very worried about pd's 2/1 responding.

 

I never give a wrong opening information to pd, I never open 1♠ only with flat 5332 shapes in the first or second seat unless opening suit is 6+ card.

It's a matter of partnership agreement. If you agree with partner not to open 5332 shapes in 1st or 2nd seat, then you shouldn't do it unless, as you say, the 5 card suit has 6 cards in it. But not everyone makes that agreement. To me, this is a 1♠ opener in any seat.

[UdcaDenny]

If you open in first or second seat then it would help if partner expects a hand this light. Otherwise you might be in game with only 23 HCP and worse: two relatively balanced hands. I would open this playing Precision or any 2/1 style where partner has full values for a game force. In the long run, open. Light initial actions have proven to be a winning approach. Just build the rest of your system to handle this.

Thats exactly what happened. My partner bid 2H with 12points. With nothing extra I used fast arrival and raised to game. After he luckily made the contract he said: If you open like that again I will stop playing with you. Compare my hand with following: KJxx AJx Qxxx Qxx. 2 points more but high cards scattered in all suits.

[mike777]

Thats exactly what happened. My partner bid 2H with 12points. With nothing extra I used fast arrival and raised to game. After he luckily made the contract he said: If you open like that again I will stop playing with you. Compare my hand with following: KJxx AJx Qxxx Qxx. 2 points more but high cards scattered in all suits.

 

 

what is the issue?....Pard told you what they play!

 

 

You don't seem to want to listen.

 

Do you think your partner is a liar?

 

If you think your partner is telling the truth, what is the issue?

[lycier]

It's a matter of partnership agreement. If you agree with partner not to open 5332 shapes in 1st or 2nd seat, then you shouldn't do it unless, as you say, the 5 card suit has 6 cards in it. But not everyone makes that agreement. To me, this is a 1♠ opener in any seat.

 

Well and good.

I remembered I saw JEC passing in the similar hand in my eyes, it would confirm my opinion. Of course, it is a matter of partnership agreements indeed.

[UdcaDenny]

what is the issue?....Pard told you what they play!

 

 

You don't seem to want to listen.

 

Do you think your partner is a liar?

 

If you think your partner is telling the truth, what is the issue?

Mike, I dont understand your comment about thinking partner is a liar. We have different opinions and I think he is a little conservative. Just wanted to know what other players thought about this opening as my P is very stubborn. Anyway it seems that the majority is in favour of opening.

[mike777]

Mike, I dont understand your comment about thinking partner is a liar. We have different opinions and I think he is a little conservative. Just wanted to know what other players thought about this opening as my P is very stubborn. Anyway it seems that the majority is in favour of opening.

 

Yes, you make an excellent point, your partner is stubborn. If your post is a survey, great. If your main Q IS does the forum open on balanced 11 hcp...ok

 

 

 

You miss the big point...your partner does not

 

For some unknown reason you hint this is not Kosher.

[lycier]

Here I would take a real example at BBO - a hand with light opening , it was played by bbo star, they are experts.

 

[hv=http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?sn=star player&s=SQJ653HQ4D92CKJ32&wn=&w=ST872HK985DAKQTC6&nn=&n=S9HAJT7632D643CA9&en=star player&e=SAK4HDJ875CQT8754&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=1CP1H2HPPDPPP&p=SAS3S8S9C7CJC6C9HQHKHAC8CAC4C2H5DTD3D7D2H8HTCTH4HJS4S5H9H7C5S6S2H6CQD9&c=8]400|300[/hv]

Result : 2♥NX=

 

Now you see the hazards of light opening, so in the meantime, west player can only huff and puff, finished this hand,then left the table at once.

 

 

[GrahamJson]

I think that it is close, and I wouldn't criticise anyone who passed or bid on this hand. Playing on BBO with a random partner I think it is wisest to pass. Players here seem to get excited very easily. The last thing you want is partner leaping to 4NT just because he has 15 points or doing something equally manic. There are a lot of points to be made on BBO by playing a steady game and letting others be aggressive.

 

Another factor is how good you and partner are at play and defence. Light opening bids are fine, but won't bring in the points if you or your random partner misplay or misdefend the close contracts that you may reach.

 

BBO seems to be full of payers who want to run before they can walk. Most would benefit from learning to play a simple system, with just a few conventions, and improving their play and defence. When they can do that they should be ready to be more aggressive and maybe to adopt more complex methods.

[lycier]

We have different opinions and I think he is a little conservative. Just wanted to know what other players thought about this opening as my P is very stubborn. Anyway it seems that the majority is in favour of opening.

 

I disagree .

 

The bridge is only a probability of game, that's to say in further that not all the aggressive are correct, likewise, not all the conservative are wrong, it often has something to do with strategy and partnership agreements.

 

If hold SAKJxxx, Kxx,any destribution on minors, it should say opening 1s in any seat should be valid because there are 13 value points (11hcp+ 2 length points).And in the meantime, such opening is in line with 22 rule.This is a standard qualifying opener.

 

However only hold 5332, too flat and only 21 rule, such opening is often too aggressive.This isn't fair qualifying opener.its best benefit is often to send error messages to pd, helping the enemy.

 

For such hand, defence is often a good strategy.Pass always is a choice.

[helene_t]

If you open all or almost all balanced 12-counts then you should open this hand. If you generally require 13 points or a good 12 to open a balanced hand, even with a 5-card major, then don't open.

 

Either is fine. The latter is old-fashioned and almost certainly a losing style in a strong field, but if partner is a weak player and you just aspire to do well in a weak field then the conservative style is not necessarily bad - aggressive bidding is less essential against opps who are poor bidders, and of course the sound style makes bidding more accurate when you do have sound values. Anyway, it is of course more important to have clear agreements than to have optimal agreements so if partner is more comfortable with a conservative style then by all means agree to play that way.

 

OTOH, if partner insists that the rule is 12 walrus points with no room for judgement then it is no big loss if he stops playing with you.

[lycier]

I support mike777 views.

I agree with GrahamJson comments.

I perfectly agree with helene_t opinion.

[billw55]

Helene 100% nailed it.

 

This partner plays a very conservative style and insists that his partners do so as well. In the long run this is losing bridge compared to pairs who will open this hand. Nevertheless, other things being equal, the conservative pair that understands each other is better off than a pairing of conservative and modern players who both refuse to adjust their expectations.

[Caitlynne]

A lot of it is really a matter of partnership style - i.e., what your partnership decides the requirements of an opening bid should be.

 

I don't buy those who proclaim that to Pass with such hands is a losing style in a strong field. If you open 11 point balanced hands, your response requirements need to be upgraded to account for the possibility of a light opening.

 

The fact is, there are arguments to Pass and arguments to open 1S.

 

What Pass seems to have going for it:

 

1. You don't meet the Rule of 20 requirement to CONSIDER opening the hand. You have 11 HCP and 8 length points for a total of 19.

 

2. This is a good 11 HCP hand, but not a great one. AKJ in a 5 card suit is a good holding offensively, but less good defensively. KTx is pretty good for both offense and defense, but that 10 supporting an honor would be bigger (especially offensively) if it were in a suit with 4+ card length.

 

3. You have a lot of Losing Trick Count losers - 1 in spades, 2 in hearts, and 5 in the minors - for an 8 loser hand. Most clear opening hands have 7 or fewer losers in the LTC paradigm.

 

4. The minor suit 10 is not an extra when it is in a non-length suit and the top card.

 

5. You can have rebid problems if partner bids a forcing 1NT (it is never DESIRABLE to bid a small tripleton minor) or, if your rebid of 2S after a 2/1 shows a 6 card suit (as it does in some partnership styles).

 

What opening 1S has going for it:

 

1. You have 2.5 quick tricks.

 

2. It is preemptive.

 

I happen to like Pass in 2nd seat. I might open it when the opponents are vul in 1st seat. And I open it in 3rd and 4th seat. But I am aggressive by nature.

[billw55]

A lot of it is really a matter of partnership style - i.e., what your partnership decides the requirements of an opening bid should be.

 

I don't buy those who proclaim that to Pass with such hands is a losing style in a strong field. If you open 11 point balanced hands, your response requirements need to be upgraded to account for the possibility of a light opening.

Yes, responder must allow for this. But it is still a net gain.

 

I happen to like Pass in 2nd seat. I might open it when the opponents are vul in 1st seat. And I open it in 3rd and 4th seat. But I am aggressive by nature.

If you pass this hand in any conditions, you are not an aggressive bidder.

[lycier]

The players who love competitive game are always full of aggressive courage, craven cowards never join,competitive war will only make the weak to leave. "how to evaluate the hand rationally" is competitive core technology, still is an important sign of player's skill.