[ArtK78]

This thread is kind of silly.

Opposite Qx or xxx in hearts and the K of diamonds you rate to be cold for 10 tricks in hearts, and one of the suggestions was to pass a preference to 2H.

I would open 1D and rebid 2H. Over 2NT, I would rebid 3H. I don't even care what my agreements are.

If someone held a gun to my head and forced me to open 1H, and the auction proceeds 1S-2D-2H, I certainly take another call, and that call is clearly 3D.

While this is 100% clear at IMPs, it is probably right at any form of scoring.

[whereagles]

Thx all. Hands were

Scoring: IMP

West East
1♥ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
..??

---

If you open 1♥, it will go

West East
1♥ 1♠
2♦ 2♥

and now you have to decide to pass or try 3♦ or 4♥ (ok if you don't mind the 5-2 fit).

At table I bid 3♦, reasoning that if pard had a true 3-card preference for hearts, he'd bid 3♥ and I'd have an easy raise to 4. In practice pard bid 3NT, which also makes.

If you open 1♦, it will go

West East
1♦ 1♠
2♥ 2NT (natural, 6-8 hcp)

and now you have to decide whether to pass or complete your hand description with 3♥ despite risking getting too high in the process. In this case it will probably lead to 3NT as well, so there's not much of a difference.

The question was really whether the hand is worth an invite or not, not whether 1♦ or 1♥ is preferable as an opening bid. I'll leave it to you to judge which position you'd prefer to be in after pard's 2nd bid

[pclayton]

Seems to me that 4♥ is achievable after either start. But give pard one more diamond and 6♦ is in the running which you won't find after a 1♥ opening .

[jdonn]

pclayton, on Jun 5 2006, 10:46 AM, said:

Seems to me that 4♥ is achievable after either start. But give pard one more diamond and 6♦ is in the running which you won't find after a 1♥ opening .

1♥ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
3♦ 4♦
4♥ 4♠
4NT...

I don't think I'm even being unfair, the whole auction seems normal and obvious.

[joshs]

whereagles, on Jun 2 2006, 03:44 AM, said:

IMPs, V vs NV, adv pard. You hold:

♠ T
♥ AK97x
♦ AQ9874
♣ x

Right or wrong, you decided to open 1♥ (I'll tell you later what happens if you open 1♦). It goes..

You pard
1♥ 1♠
2♦ 2♥

What do you bid now?

If I decided to open 1H on this hand then I have already decided I am not strong enough for a third bid. Hands that are strong enough for 3 bids should be describing there shape correctly...

Now I have no problem with the 1H opening, you just have decided to bid conservatively and are planning on passing 2H in this auction.

Now if systemically you have to open 1H (say opening a minor denies a 5 card major), then partner will be aware that 3D might be 5-6 and this hand might be barely good enough for 3D. (Partner will expect a 5-5 16 count or good 15 count and this hand is about as good). For instance if you played washington standard and partner has a 5224 7 count, they will know to pass 3D since you might be 5=6 but wouldn't bid this way with 6=5.

[jdonn]

joshs, on Jun 5 2006, 05:48 PM, said:

If I decided to open 1H on this hand then I have already decided I am not strong enough for a third bid. Hands that are strong enough for 3 bids should be describing there shape correctly...

Now I have no problem with the 1H opening, you just have decided to bid conservatively and are planning on passing 2H in this auction.

Why can't you be strong enough for one 3 bid sequence (1♥ 2♦ 3♦) but not strong enough for a different three bid sequence (1♦ 2♥ 3♥)? It seems completely possible as long as you agree with me that the second sequence promises a better hand, which seems obvious. Thus I don't see any inconsistency with taking a third bid on this hand, given that the player in question has chosen to open 1♥.