[Hanoi5]

White vs Red, you're dealer:

♠9
♥A
♦K9xxx
♣AJTxxx

What do you open?

[jmcw]

1♦

[nige1]

Hanoi5, on 2011-July-05, 18:34, said:

White vs Red, you're dealer ♠ 9 ♥ A ♦ K9xxx ♣ AJTxxx What do you open?

IMO 1♣ = 10, Pass = 7, 1♦ = 5. The potential problem is that in some actions, you may lose the ♦ suit.

[the hog]

1D also for me.

[mike777]

1c may lose the d suit. Planning on rebidding 2c.

[mtvesuvius]

1♦. It's not like the clubs are significantly better, and although it will distort the suit lengths when I bid 4N later, I think it's still the longterm right bid.

[kenrexford]

The implied threat is an auction where we lose the ability to bid the second, higher-ranking but shorter suit. I like to imagine the auction coming back to me at the four-level in an opposition suit to determine whetherb a problem exists.

If I open 1♣ and the auction comes back at either 4♥ or 4♠, I am no worse off having opened 1♣ because I can bid diamonds at the five-level as effectively by bidding 4NT as I would opening 1♦ and rebidding 5♣. So, I don't see a big problem.

With clubs and hearts, I have no problem if the auction comes back at 4♦ (I can bid 4♥), and I am actually better off. But, if the auction comes back at 4♠, I have a problem. So, I might be more inclined to open 1♥ with longer clubs IF this concern is high. With diamonds and hearts, I am in an inferior position if the auction comes back at 4♣, but I am in an acceptable position if 4♠ comes back (I can bid 4NT and convert 5♣ to 5♦). This seems somewhat similar, possibly meriting introduction of the hearts first.

With clubs and spades, I am always better off if I start with longer clubs, assuming 4red, so 1♣ is easy.

With diamonds and spades, I would be better situation opening spades if 4♣ comes back, but I am worse off if 4♥ comes back. I can live with bidding 4♠ if 4♣ comes back, so 1♦ is almost always OK. I might find an exception.

Hearts and spades is the real kicker, as I am always better off at the four-level if I start with spades. So, I might make an exception here.

But, again, with diamonds and longer clubs, I see no good reason to violate, for 4-level concerns.

Now, the three-level gets trickier, but only if 2NT in a contested auction is not geared toward this problem. If it is, no problems.

[han]

1C, would not have known that there were alternatives if it wasn't for this thread. I think that pass is ridiculous and 1D is misguided. It's not like the clubs are significantly better Adam? AJ10-sixth compared with K9-fifth?

[dake50]

1C.
Then hope for Unu2NT, 4NT next.
May even bid 2D,3D,4D.

[Cascade]

mtvesuvius, on 2011-July-05, 18:53, said:

1♦. It's not like the clubs are significantly better, and although it will distort the suit lengths when I bid 4N later, I think it's still the longterm right bid.

Two more honours and one extra card!!!

[the hog]

han, on 2011-July-06, 01:21, said:

1C, would not have known that there were alternatives if it wasn't for this thread. I think that pass is ridiculous and 1D is misguided. It's not like the clubs are significantly better Adam? AJ10-sixth compared with K9-fifth?

Well, goodness gracious me, you have learned something.

[JLOGIC]

1C

[hotShot]

1♣
The suit is longer, has more honors and I would prefer partner to lead a ♣ instead of a ♦.

[Hanoi5]

1♣-Pa-1♥-1♠
???

Now what?

[Free]

1♣, followed by 2♣. I only like 1♦ when we may have a true rebid problem (4♦-5♣, or good 5♦ with poor 6♣), rebidding a good 6 card suit is no problem.

[whereagles]

Diamonds. The ensuing situation at table is a good example of why I pick 1D instead of 1C.

[han]

Hog, if you cannot see why you want to be in 6D instead of 6C holding

---

then it is no surprise that you cannot see why you want to open a AJ10xxx suit instead of K9xxx. From you I would expect such claims, but not from Mtvesuvius who not only has a fairly open mind but also has an exceptional talent for bridge.

Adam, if you think rebid issues are more important than bidding your longer and stronger suit first, fair enough, I disagree but we can argue about that. But let's try not to fool ourselves with arguments that are clearly false.

[mike777]

Hanoi5, on 2011-July-06, 06:09, said:

1♣-Pa-1♥-1♠
???

Now what?

2c no problem yet.
--


fwiw if pard rebids 2d here after 2c that is art/gf.

may lose d suit if pard is weakish with d.

[mtvesuvius]

han, on 2011-July-06, 07:47, said:

Adam, if you think rebid issues are more important than bidding your longer and stronger suit first, fair enough, I disagree but we can argue about that. But let's try not to fool ourselves with arguments that are clearly false.

Yeah, I didn't really phrase it very well. I meant that our diamonds aren't great, but that we can stand to have them led. In general, I tend to look more at rebid problems before I make these decisions, but I suppose we don't have too much trouble after a 1♣ opener. Partially because the auction often will come back to us at a fairly high level, and we can bid 4N then to show this hand and also I guess losing the diamonds isn't the end of the world in other auctions where we don't get a chance to rebid 3 (or 4)♦.

[OleBerg]

1♣

I think I'll die in appr. 35 years. Troublesome.