[AL78]

♠JT87
♥AKT862
♦62
♣8

IMPS, all vuln, dealer.

[sfi]

Preempt, 2H or 3H depending on partnership. Yeah - I've got four spades, but I've learned to accept that flaw.

[smerriman]

2♥.

Larry Cohen

Quote

The truth is that preempts are entirely too complicated to describe with rules. None of the following are good rules: "Don't preempt with a void" or "Don't open a weak 2-bid with a side 4-card major" or "You need 2 of the top 3 or 3 of the top 5 honors in the suit." So many rules. So much nonsense.

[Winstonm]

2H. If I pre-empted us out of spades it won't be the first or last time so get over it.

[AL78]

Thanks for the fast responses. I opened 2♥. This is what happened:

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A game swing out when the other table got to 4♥. Partner said after that I was too strong to open a weak two and I should have opened 1♥ instead.

[sfi]

This is a hand where the side 4-card spade suit actually provides tricks. Partner should clearly not pass 2H, but mostly to extend the preempt. It's hard to picture 4H being a great contract unless you have four spades. So some days you get lucky and partner bids 4H over 2H. Some days you get unlucky and partner only bids 3H.

But 1H is stretching the evaluation for "normal" 5-card major openings beyond what most people would be comfortable doing.

[Winstonm]

AL78, on 2021-August-27, 18:10, said:

Thanks for the fast responses. I opened 2♥. This is what happened:

---

A game swing out when the other table got to 4♥. Partner said after that I was too strong to open a weak two and I should have opened 1♥ instead.

Personally, I think your partner is taking Marty Bergen too literally. If this is an opening hand it is only in a forcing club system. With the west hand, I am more inclined to bid 4H than pass and at imps would at the least bid an asking 2N - and I think opener is good enough to bid 4C splinter over the ask.

[PeterAlan]

E's hand is also right on the limit of what EBU permits for opening 1-level agreements, namely 8+ HCP and (in first or second seat, as here) Rule of 18 (Blue Book 7A3). That's assuming the event is played at Level 4 systems: it wouldn't be legal to have that agreement at Level 2.

Quite apart from the bridge merits (or otherwise) of opening that hand with 1♥, when advocating such aggressive tactics as this is your partner fully au fait with the regulations?

[Douglas43]

Winstonm, on 2021-August-27, 18:41, said:

Personally, I think your partner is taking Marty Bergen too literally. If this is an opening hand it is only in a forcing club system. With the west hand, I am more inclined to bid 4H than pass and at imps would at the least bid an asking 2N - and I think opener is good enough to bid 4C splinter over the ask.

I agree. We regard weak twos like overcalls and apply Total Tricks in most circumstances (except flat hands when "red" - adverse vul). I'd expect to bid 2♥ - 4♥ here at any vulnerability, any form of scoring.

Our weak twos in first and second are pretty sound by modern standards, especially vulnerable, which allows responder to raise freely. If yours are weaker or you open five card suits, then 2NT might be wiser.

[eagles123]

AL78, on 2021-August-27, 18:10, said:

Thanks for the fast responses. I opened 2♥. This is what happened:

---

A game swing out when the other table got to 4♥. Partner said after that I was too strong to open a weak two and I should have opened 1♥ instead.

so your partner has 4 card support, 2 aces, and blames you for this auction lol? passing over 2H vul at imp is madness imo, just way too many hands that have play for game.

[Cyberyeti]

sfi, on 2021-August-27, 18:21, said:

This is a hand where the side 4-card spade suit actually provides tricks. Partner should clearly not pass 2H, but mostly to extend the preempt. It's hard to picture 4H being a great contract unless you have four spades. So some days you get lucky and partner bids 4H over 2H. Some days you get unlucky and partner only bids 3H.

But 1H is stretching the evaluation for "normal" 5-card major openings beyond what most people would be comfortable doing.

You can't picture (before the 3♦ bid) xxx, AKxxxx, Q10xx, void where you make 6 some of the time ? (admittedly this is a 1 opener for us, but 2 for many) Heart suits headed by AJ/AJ10 and a card offer many chances of 4 being on a finesse or better.

Also you only have 2 spades, you have no particular expectation of being able to beat 4♠ opposite ♥AKxxxx and out, so I would bid 4♥ immediately.

[LBengtsson]

a partner who criticizes when it is his fault is a partner I would not play with any more!!! period. as many have said before me, west is completely at fault. how west is not bidding 4♥ after a 2♥ opening is beyond my brain. even 3♥ after 2♥ is better, but not very good. pass is CRAZY!!!

[AL78]

LBengtsson, on 2021-August-28, 05:11, said:

a partner who criticizes when it is his fault is a partner I would not play with any more!!! period. as many have said before me, west is completely at fault. how west is not bidding 4♥ after a 2♥ opening is beyond my brain. even 3♥ after 2♥ is better, but not very good. pass is CRAZY!!!

She's apologised to me since, she thought at the time I held 10 HCP hence why she said I was too strong for a weak two, and she acknowledges she should have made a move to game after I opened.