7-0-5-1 Distribution: what to you open?

[shaky44]

Instant tournament on BridgeBase, matchpoints, both vulnerable. Three passes to you, what do you open?

 

♠KQJxxxx

♥-

♦AKQxx

♣x

[Tramticket]

4NT ask for specific aces.

[smerriman]

4NT ask for specific aces.

Wouldn't have that meaning in an Instant Tournament.

 

I would open 2♣, myself.

[Cyberyeti]

Wouldn't have that meaning in an Instant Tournament.

 

I would open 2♣, myself.

 

Really ? I thought that's been universal since about 1950.

 

The problem is that you don't know what to do if partner shows 2 as the follow ups are not universal.

[Jinksy]

Not going near 2♣. 1♠ seems fine unless you rate P to know what the 4N opening is.

[smerriman]

Really ? I thought that's been universal since about 1950.

Instant Tournament = playing with GIB. It doesn't even have a description, so is probably undefined - looks like GIB passes regardless of what it holds.

[shaky44]

Not going near 2♣. 1♠ seems fine unless you rate P to know what the 4N opening is.

 

When playing the hand, I dismissed 1♠ because partner could pass you with hands that are cold for 6♠, much less 4♠, such as:

 

xx

xxxxx

xxx

Axx

 

 

Maybe I shouldn't be afraid to make a non-forcing opening below game, but all you need from partner is 2+ low spades and 2+ low diamonds and 4♠ makes.

 

I guess the risk that opening 1♠ has is that partner has very little and the risk with 2♣ is that partner is relatively strong (8+HCP).

[eagles123]

When playing the hand, I dismissed 1♠ because partner could pass you with hands that are cold for 6♠, much less 4♠, such as:

 

xx

xxxxx

xxx

Axx

 

 

Maybe I shouldn't be afraid to make a non-forcing opening below game, but all you need from partner is 2+ low spades and 2+ low diamonds and 4♠ makes.

 

I guess the risk that opening 1♠ has is that partner has very little and the risk with 2♣ is that partner is relatively strong (8+HCP).

 

I think the chances of it going all pass when we've got a wildly distributional hand like this are extremely remote. I'd rather take that small risk by opening 1s than imo totally misbidding our hand by opening 2C

[msjennifer]

We open 1S as there are hardly any chances of it being passed out since this hand contains just 15 HCP and there are 25 HCP out.Hence there are no fears of that.On the second round we jump to 4D which asks for specific aces (we have this available since in our system since opener never makes a splinter bid)

[steve2005]

We open 1S as there are hardly any chances of it being passed out since this hand contains just 15 HCP and there are 25 HCP out.Hence there are no fears of that.On the second round we jump to 4D which asks for specific aces (we have this available since in our system since opener never makes a splinter bid)

Where do people come up with these conventions out of the blue? 4♦ asking for specific aces nobody on BBO will recognise.

[JmBrPotter]

Instant tournament on BridgeBase, matchpoints, both vulnerable. Three passes to you, what do you open?

 

♠KQJxxxx

♥-

♦AKQxx

♣x

 

As mentioned earlier, if partner is so weak as to pass 1♠, one of the opponents would have opened. Thus, open 1♠ and follow partners likely 1NT, 2♥, or 2♣ response with a natural strong jump shift in ♦s and a ♦ rebid. That should get you to a spade game when there's no slam. When partner has the ♠A, you should reach 6♠. If you have room for some cue bidding, you might discover the black bullets in partner's hand and bid the grand.

 

There is some risk that you may end defending a high level heart of club contract going down not very far. That risk suggests a more abrupt approach, but I'm sticking with open 1♠ and jump-shift into ♦s.

[nige1]

Instant Tournament = playing with GIB. It doesn't even have a description, so is probably undefined - looks like GIB passes regardless of what it holds.

That accords with my experience: when I've mistakenly clicked some high-level opener, for example 5N, Gib just passed.

[Caitlynne]

First choice: 1S

Second choice: 1S

Third choice: 1S

Gun to head with instruction that 1S is prohibited: 1S

 

Why?

 

When you have a freaky distributional hand and you would be shocked if the auction did not become competitive, you need to start getting your suits in ASAP. NEVER 2C. NEVER!!!!

[Kaitlyn S]

I have a rule that I don't open 2C unless I'm virtually certain I can defeat a small slam bid by the opponents when their distribution isn't unexpected. Here, if one opponent has a singleton spade and the other a singleton diamond, they could easily make 6H so that precludes a 2C opener.

 

If it goes 1S passed out, which is very unlikely, I'll pay off. I have 15 HCP and partner has 5 or less (possibly including points for length.) Nobody opened. Say the HCP are 11-4-10. Is he person in pass-out seat who is likely short in spades really going to be clairvoyant enough to pass 1S?

[Cyberyeti]

I would ask the question "what hands that GIB passes originally does it overcall 2♣ with" ?

 

The danger opening 2♣ is that the auction is at 5♣ before you bid again, if GIB almost never bids here, the unopposed auction should work out well. I wouldn't open 2♣ against human opps.

[Phil]

I doubt 2C will trigger the start of the apocalypse and I wouldnt criticize my pard for making the call but no one I know actually would.

[johnu]

The problem with opening 2♣ is that GIB has no sense of humor and will put you in a small or grand slam with a smattering of non fitting points.

[smerriman]

I would ask the question "what hands that GIB passes originally does it overcall 2♣ with" ?

 

That was what I was thinking. With two passed hands, I can't think of any hand GIB would compete with; while if you open 1♠, the auction may well be at 4♥ before you get another turn to bid. So some of the suggestions above about interference don't seem to make sense (or missed the fact that this was an Instant Tournament - they make sense for human opponents).

 

There is a risk that GIB will overbid, but not a huge one - you normally get chances to take control of the auction.

[hrothgar]

Instant tournament on BridgeBase, matchpoints, both vulnerable. Three passes to you, what do you open?

 

♠KQJxxxx

♥-

♦AKQxx

♣x

 

You're playing with GIB

 

You're goal is to minimize the chance that something stupid happens.

Just open 4S and be done with it.

 

Yes, you'll get a bad score if partner has two bullets...

 

On average, you'll score well

[Kaitlyn S]

You're playing with GIB

 

You're goal is to minimize the chance that something stupid happens.

Just open 4S and be done with it.

 

Yes, you'll get a bad score if partner has two bullets...

 

On average, you'll score well

Sometimes you'll get a bad score if partner has one bullet.

 

On the other hand, are you playing with the reasonable GIB or the clueless one?

[Kaitlyn S]

duplicate post :(

[Joe_Old]

Remember that you are in fourth seat. The rules for opening in fourth are different than in the first three, because you never pre-empt (why go minus when you can just pass the hand out?). Therefore, the 2, 3 and 4 level are reserved for picture bids. I am certain that even GIB recognizes a 2M opening as a six card suit and minimum opening values (I've checked). This is absolutely standard in all popular American systems.

 

In fourth seat the common understanding among east coast tournament players is that 4 spades would show a distributional hand with long spades, 10 near certain tricks, but insufficient defensive tricks (outside the spade suit) to open 2 clubs. That's a perfect picture of Shaky44's hand. Responder should cue bid with spade support and any first round control, or any 2 first round controls.

 

Responder can confidently proceed even with no HCP if he has trump support or appropriate controls. As stated before, slam is near lay down opposite xxxx xxx xxxx Ax, or Axx xxxxxx xxx x, or xxxx xxxxx xxxx void, or a stronger hand like x Axxxx xxxxx Ax.

[shaky44]

Remember that you are in fourth seat. The rules for opening in fourth are different than in the first three, because you never pre-empt (why go minus when you can just pass the hand out?). Therefore, the 2, 3 and 4 level are reserved for picture bids. I am certain that even GIB recognizes a 2M opening as a six card suit and minimum opening values (I've checked). This is absolutely standard in all popular American systems.

 

In fourth seat the common understanding among east coast tournament players is that 4 spades would show a distributional hand with long spades, 10 near certain tricks, but insufficient defensive tricks (outside the spade suit) to open 2 clubs. That's a perfect picture of Shaky44's hand. Responder should cue bid with spade support and any first round control, or any 2 first round controls.

 

Responder can confidently proceed even with no HCP if he has trump support or appropriate controls. As stated before, slam is near lay down opposite xxxx xxx xxxx Ax, or Axx xxxxxx xxx x, or xxxx xxxxx xxxx void, or a stronger hand like x Axxxx xxxxx Ax.

I believe 4S was the most popular opening bid, which "partner" passed (with both black aces). EDIT: I went back and counted, opening bids were distributed as follows: 6x4S, 6x1S, and 3x2C

 

GIB aside, how should the bidding go in your scenario when responder has both black aces?

 

4S-5C-?-?

[shaky44]

I think the chances of it going all pass when we've got a wildly distributional hand like this are extremely remote. I'd rather take that small risk by opening 1s than imo totally misbidding our hand by opening 2C

Yeah, I think this is the bit of reasoning I missed when bidding this hand.

[Joe_Old]

I believe 4S was the most popular opening bid, which "partner" passed (with both black aces). EDIT: I went back and counted, opening bids were distributed as follows: 6x4S, 6x1S, and 3x2C

 

GIB aside, how should the bidding go in your scenario when responder has both black aces?

 

4S-5C-?-?

 

All that matters are controls. Bid them up the line (opener bids 5♦ on your example). At some point (usually) opener chooses between 5, 6and 7 of his suit. NT is almost never an option because of the ambiguity between voids and aces.