[biggerclub]

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What is your opening bid playing typical North American 2/1 GF style?

[inquiry]

1NT for me. I tend to open 1NT with 5332 distribution and good 14 to 16 HCP. 17 HCP and five card major tends to be too much for me. Here with 16 HCP, I would open 1NT automatically.

[masonbarge]

inquiry, on 2015-February-13, 21:37, said:

1NT for me. I tend to open 1NT with 5332 distribution and good 14 to 16 HCP. 17 HCP and five card major tends to be too much for me. Here with 16 HCP, I would open 1NT automatically.

Ditto.

[mike777]

1h here with xx in clubs, will rebid 2nt over 1nt.
over 1s I have a difficult rebid, my options are 2d or 2s.


I expect many on the forums will open 1nt and not be stopped by the xx in clubs.

[MrAce]

mike777, on 2015-February-14, 00:38, said:

1h here with xx in clubs, will rebid 2nt over 1nt.
over 1s I have a difficult rebid, my options are 2d or 2s.


I expect many on the forums will open 1nt and not be stopped by the xx in clubs.

And how does your partner know the difference between no club stoper 15-17 or 18-19 bal hand when you bid 2 NT ? Or do you just blast three no-trump with 18?
You already mentioned the problems over 1sp response.
Why would a man torture himself like this?

[eagles123]

1n wtp

[P_Marlowe]

1H, wtp.

In the end this more a partnership issue, than anything else.
In N/A opening 1NT seems to be quite common, in Europe ... unclear,
the french style would always open 1H.
Both methods have their advantage, 1NT makes the bidding more symmertric,
but you may feel the urgency to make your response structure after 1NT
more complicated.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mgoetze]

Is this a poll to discover what "typical North American style" is? Because if it is, I would point out that several respondents are not from North America.

I personally (and I too am not from North America) prefer a style where a 1NT opening is automatic on all 5M332 hands in range. This allows me to dedicate my rebids after opening 1M to more interesting hand types.

[helene_t]

The doubleton clubs makes it attractive to open 1NT. You are ok with p transfering to spades but you would have to rebid 2♦ if he responds 1NT to 1♥. OK some prefer to rebid 2♣ but that has its disadvantages too.

I don't open 1NT with 5cM consistently but I would with this hand.

[the_clown]

I would open whatever my systemic opening is for a balanced 17 count with 5♥s

[biggerclub]

Our unimpeded auction (I am Responder) went 1♥ - 1♠ - 2♦ - 3♦ - 3♠ all PASS.

I held AKxx, xx, T9xx, QJx and gave up after imagining the value of QJx opposite x. Didn't really matter because 3♦ was the last plus (barring a line that involves looking at the OPPs cards) and no matter what we weren't stopping there.

I was a bit upset with my partner when dummy came down and actually said something about the auction at the table (I VERY rarely do that). I ran it by my best partner and he would have bid the hand the same way. So I apologized to my actual partner on this hand.

And renewed my resolve to never comment on a hand at the table. Because bridge is harder than that.

[mgoetze]

biggerclub, on 2015-February-16, 11:35, said:

Our unimpeded auction (I am Responder) went 1♥ - 1♠ - 2♦ - 3♦ - 3♠ all PASS.

I held AKxx, xx, T9xx, QJx and gave up after imagining the value of QJx opposite x. Didn't really matter because 3♦ was the last plus (barring a line that involves looking at the OPPs cards) and no matter what we weren't stopping there.

I was a bit upset with my partner when dummy came down and actually said something about the auction at the table (I VERY rarely do that). I ran it by my best partner and he would have bid the hand the same way. So I apologized to my actual partner on this hand.

And renewed my resolve to never comment on a hand at the table. Because bridge is harder than that.

Well, 3NT is not such a terrible contract, you basically need either spades or hearts to be 3-3. And you would have reached it via a simple 1NT-2♣-2♥-3NT auction. But I think it is very reasonable to open your partner's hand 1♥ if the system allows judgement. Your auction just demonstrates the advantages of not allowing judgement here - unless you have special gadgets, it's hard to show the hand properly after a 1♥ opening. So perhaps consider just agreeing with your partner that you will open all 5M332 hands in range 1NT, you may be pleasantly surprised by the results.

[rmnka447]

1 NT wtp.

I'm normally opening 1 NT on just about any 5332 hand in range.

Some players who play 2/1 will prefer to open 1 M versus 1 NT with a doubleton in the other major. That prevents being transferred into the doubleton suit and playing in a 5-2 fit when a 5-3 fit exists in the other major. But that isn't applicable here as a transfer to ♠ will be to a 5-3 fit.

[neilkaz]

Add in my vote for 1NT WTP.

[masonbarge]

mgoetze, on 2015-February-14, 08:18, said:

Is this a poll to discover what "typical North American style" is? Because if it is, I would point out that several respondents are not from North America.

I personally (and I too am not from North America) prefer a style where a 1NT opening is automatic on all 5M332 hands in range. This allows me to dedicate my rebids after opening 1M to more interesting hand types.

I'll open 1NT with a good-texture 6-card minor, but not 5 spades.

[biggerclub]

For those who added wtp?

Generally the hard prime values, coupled with the small doubleton.

Had partner opened 1NT, we would have ended in 3NT but, I fear, scored the same -50.

For whomever asked about scoring . . . MPs, NV.

Edited to add: FWIW I did chastise partner (very mildly -- "XXXXX, you have to open this hand 1NT") at the table. But after polling some local trusted resources, I consider that her bid is not awful.

[mgoetze]

masonbarge, on 2015-February-16, 19:14, said:

I'll open 1NT with a good-texture 6-card minor, but not 5 spades.

Well obviously you are not compelled to take any advice you might find on the forum. Lucky you.

[P_Marlowe]

biggerclub, on 2015-February-16, 11:35, said:

Our unimpeded auction (I am Responder) went 1♥ - 1♠ - 2♦ - 3♦ - 3♠ all PASS.

I held AKxx, xx, T9xx, QJx and gave up after imagining the value of QJx opposite x. Didn't really matter because 3♦ was the last plus (barring a line that involves looking at the OPPs cards) and no matter what we weren't stopping there.

I was a bit upset with my partner when dummy came down and actually said something about the auction at the table (I VERY rarely do that). I ran it by my best partner and he would have bid the hand the same way. So I apologized to my actual partner on this hand.

And renewed my resolve to never comment on a hand at the table. Because bridge is harder than that.

I dont think, that 3S can be passed, either bid 3NT or 4S.
I also dont think, that raising diamonds with only 3 is a option,
2D does not promise 5.
What is wrong with 2NT, you have a bal. hand with inv. values, or if
you dont want to show the inv. values, which is a judgement call,
why not bid 2H?

[mr1303]

Yeah, 3S is forcing, since 3D was invitational, and partner bid again.

[helene_t]

Technically partner's 3♠ bid is forcing. I suppose you can take the view that partner is limited by not having jump shifted so you are unlikely to have the values for 5♦.

Anyway, partner's bidding is fine unless the 2♦ bid 100% promises four cards in your style.