1NT or reverse

[SimonFa]

We play 2/1 but with diamonds also needing to be a 5-card suit so 1C bid could be a singleton. Partner is very experienced (super grand pooh bear master or something) but we haven't been playing together very long and haven't discussed reversing. Our meta agreement is to go with what looks right (usually natural) and we'll pick the pieces of any disasters afterwards (as we're doing with this hand).

 

I'm also prepared to accept I haven't quite grasped a reverse :( but I think its still an instructive hand.

 

MPs both Vul.

 

♠JT ♥AKT5 ♦A4 ♣KQT42

 

P (P) ? All pass

 

I went for 1NT because of the preemptive value opposite a passed hand although I did consider the hand very strong for 1NT with the 2 x Tens. As I said, we hadn't discussed reversing and with playing a short club I didn't want to risk serious confusion.

 

We got 17% because 3H scores 11 tricks and I only made the double dummy 10 tricks.

 

Should I have assumed partner would pick up the reverse or is 1NT still the best bid?

 

Is a reverse even sound playing a short club system?

 

Any other thoughts welcome.

 

As always, thanks in advance,

 

Simon

 

PS We also plan 1D response to 1C is negative, less than 5HCP

[Winstonm]

We play 2/1 but with diamonds also needing to be a 5-card suit so 1C bid could be a singleton.

 

Simon

 

PS We also plan 1D response to 1C is negative, less than 5HCP

 

Just play precision or some other strong club variant then you won't have to worry about reverses.

[pescetom]

It would be a heavy 1NT even in first seat, K&R rates it 19.9.

Given that strength and the robust clubs suit, you could cheerfully open 1♣ ready to reverse in hearts.

Still a bit surprised that all passed when other tables were in hearts, can you provide the diagram?

[TylerE]

Not really that hard to see what happened.

 

Partner had something like ♠Kxx ♥QJxx ♦xxx ♣xxx and the other tables started 1♣-1♥-3♥.

[ahydra]

Is a reverse even sound playing a short club system?

 

Sure it is. If you bid a suit after opening 1C then you promise 5+C or 4441. (An exception is where you're showing a weak NT and have agreed to bid suits before NT, e.g. 1C-1H-1S might be 4342)

 

I don't like 1NT with the given hand because a) it's too strong and b) the hand looks more suit-oriented with the points concentrated in the two good suits. Contrast with ♠AQ ♥Jxxx ♦Kx ♣AKxxx where you'd love a spade lead from K or diamond from A, and might be a bit ashamed of your second-round heart bid.

 

ahydra

 

edit: this is not Reddit!

[The_Badger]

It's nearly obligatory at this vulnerability and opening in third seat (and near as damn it nearly obligatory too at other vulnerabilities and opening in any seat), and with the opponents remaining quiet for partner to treat a 1♣ opening in 2/1 as more than semi-forcing and drag up a major suit response on jack nothing - well maybe a little bit more than jack nothing (I think you get the picture) in the hope of finding a better major suit contract.

 

As other commentators have rightly said, the hand is far, far too strong for 1NT, and if you do play 1♣ as a possible singleton, it virtually behoves partner to say something with anything.

[gordontd]

Should I have assumed partner would pick up the reverse or is 1NT still the best bid?

 

Didn't you say partner was a strong player? Everyone from intermediate up should recognise a reverse.

[SimonFa]

Thanks for the answers, 1NT definately the wrong bid.

 

Here's the hand diagram as requested.

 

 

 

[hv=pc=n&s=sk84h763dkqt8cj86&w=sq632h9842d63ca97&n=sa975hqjdj9752c53&e=sjthakt5da4ckqt42]399|300[/hv]

[pescetom]

Talk to pooh bear about crawling stayman :)

[HardVector]

When deciding whether to bid 1n or reverse, you have to look at the "character" of the hand. Does it looks balanced and spread out, or does it look concentrated and dense? Here, you have two very good suits, and 2 that aren't so great (one wide open). In the diamonds, you have Ax. In a suit contract, that is a control and a solid card. In nt, it's just a stopper that you can't hold up on. I'd actually be more inclined to open nt if I held Kx than Ax as I'd be trying to protect that K on the lead. The spades being wide open, however, definitely point toward reversing.

 

This is a hand that just popped up and is a nt opener; Q2♠ AQ97♥ KQ♦ QJT73♣. You can see that there are values in every suit, there are alot of soft secondary controls, and you don't really want to stress the club suit that much.

[msjennifer]

Sir,if you wish to continue with your present concepts then perhaps the BLUE TEAM CLUB shall be better suited as you intend to modify the 1D responses for upto 5 HCP. This hand can easily be opened 1 Heart rather than 1NT. or 1C for that matter,Easy to reach 4H thereby 1H-2h-4H ,since there are only 5 losers,

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=sk84h763dkqt8cj86&w=sq632h9842d63ca97&n=sa975hqjdj9752c53&e=sjthakt5da4ckqt42&d=w&v=b&a=PP?]400|300|

SimonFa asks why he should open 1♣ rather than 1N, as East

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Agree with other advocates of 1♣:

- The hand is worth more than 17HCP.

- Values are concentrated in the round suits,

- There's not much lead-value.

- If you open 1♣, you have an easy (minimum) reverse.

 

1♣ is more vulnerable to interference but your 17HCP should help in a competitive auction,

A strong partner should be familiar with reverses,

[/hv]

[smerriman]

Random point I expected someone else to make - if you open 1♣, you're only going to need to think about reversing if partner responds 1♠ (or 1NT, I guess). If partner responds 1♠, and you're worried about reverse follow-ups, 2NT doesn't seem a terrible rebid.

[rmnka447]

I'm very much in line with HardVector's comments.

 

I'd recommend bidding 1 ♣ on this hand, but also advocated bidding 1 NT on the ♠ Q2 ♥ AQ97 ♦ KQ ♣ QJ1073 hand he used as a counter example.

 

One of the other commenters on the counter example hand (The_Badger) discussed thinking about anticipating responses to the opening. That is an important consideration. For that hand, the point was made that after 1 ♠ response, the rebid becomes awkward as nothing quite fits. But with the current hand, that is not the case. You have a reasonable next call over any of responder's rebid to your reverse.

 

Although the current hand is just a 16 count and the value of ♠ J10 is a bit suspect, the 10s that solidify the long suits are certainly very positive factors that offset that. Also, most of the values are concentrated in prime cards (As,Ks) which is indicated by the hand having 4 QTs.

[pescetom]

Agree with other advocates of 1♣:

- The hand is worth more than 17HCP.

- Values are concentrated in the round suits,

- There's not much lead-value.

- If you open 1♣, you have an easy (minimum) reverse.

 

1♣ is more vulnerable to interference but your 17HCP should help in a competitive auction,

A strong partner should be familiar with reverses

 

I don't understand what you mean by "There's not much lead-value", fully agree with the rest.

Is this a polite way of saying that at 1NT he is scared stiff of a pointy suit lead?

[neilkaz]

Thanks for the answers, 1NT definately the wrong bid.

 

Here's the hand diagram as requested.

 

[hv=pc=n&s=sk84h763dkqt8cj86&w=sq632h9842d63ca97&n=sa975hqjdj9752c53&e=sjthakt5da4ckqt42]399|300[/hv]

 

This hand is an easy reverse and while I don't favor upgrading as much as some players, it really is too strong to just open a 15-17 NT.

[johnu]

Random point I expected someone else to make - if you open 1♣, you're only going to need to think about reversing if partner responds 1♠ (or 1NT, I guess). If partner responds 1♠, and you're worried about reverse follow-ups, 2NT doesn't seem a terrible rebid.

What he said.

 

There is no reverse in my world.

 

After 1♦ response, bid 1♥

After 1♥ response, raise hearts

After 1♠ response, rebid 2NT

After 1NT response, rebid 2NT

[helene_t]

Should I have assumed partner would pick up the reverse

Short club or not, partner will take a reverse as a reverse unless he's a novice. Well, probably even if he is a novice.

 

However, if you open 1♣ on a singleton, you need to discuss what to do with

♠Axxx

♥AKxx

♦AJxx

♣x

 

if you open 1♣ and partner responds 1NT. Normally, 2♦ or 2♥ would show 5+ clubs while 2NT would be 18-19.