[Frank_lol_]

There’s no hand editor on mobile??????
S AJ6 H AKJ642 D A2 C AQ
You are on first seat at favorable vulnerability (Although I don’t know how that will matter)
What do you open at Imps?

[mikeh]

Edit. I mistyped 2H. I meant 2C (thanks pescetom)I probably open 2C less frequently than most but I can’t imagine not opening 2C on this.

This is even though I play 2C 2H immediate second negative….denies an Ace or a King, and thereafter 3H is forcing! All that does is make me contemplate bidding 2N if he bids 2H.

Opening 2N is not only a distortion of shape (my 2N rebid after a 2C response is also a distortion but chosen after receiving a specific and informative response) but also grossly undervalues the hand. You have a GOOD 23. xxx xxx xxx xxxx gives you a play for game. Now, I’m missing it as well, but you’re missing it opposite Jxx Qxx xxx Jxxx as well…I’m not, since I will have shown 22-23 hcp.

[P_Marlowe]

2C

[pescetom]

mikeh, on 2023-January-30, 15:05, said:

2H. I probably open 2C less frequently than most but I can’t imagine not opening 2C on this.

I assume you mean 2♣?
(I avoid 2C because around here that is 2 hearts )

[Frank_lol_]

mikeh, on 2023-January-30, 15:05, said:

2H. I probably open 2C less frequently than most but I can’t imagine not opening 2C on this.

This is even though I play 2C 2H immediate second negative….denies an Ace or a King, and thereafter 3H is forcing! All that does is make me contemplate bidding 2N if he bids 2H.

Opening 2N is not only a distortion of shape (my 2N rebid after a 2C response is also a distortion but chosen after receiving a specific and informative response) but also grossly undervalues the hand. You have a GOOD 23. xxx xxx xxx xxxx gives you a play for game. Now, I’m missing it as well, but you’re missing it opposite Jxx Qxx xxx Jxxx as well…I’m not, since I will have shown 22-23 hcp.

The thing is, I HATE opening 2C with a long suit without 9 (9.5 with a minor suit) playing tricks. Give me the heart ten and I'll open 2C without a doubt. I guess this hand is still too good for a 1 level opening.

Or the hand does have 9 playing tricks?
1+5+1+1.5=8.5 (I can't force myself to count the heart suit as 5.5 tricks; It can makes anywhere between 4-6 tricks)

Edit: I guess the most important creteria is not whether I have enough tricks/points or not; it is whether I will miss a game if I open on the one level (and whether 2C will often leads to bad games)

[jillybean]

Frank_lol_, on 2023-January-30, 14:55, said:

There’s no hand editor on mobile??????
S AJ6 H AKJ642 D A2 C AQ
You are on first seat at favorable vulnerability (Although I don’t know how that will matter)
What do you open at Imps?

---

(I love this hand)

[LBengtsson]

2♣ always. The 'LBengtsson simple, but sometimes imperfect formula" why I open 2♣ here.

1. You have 23 points (too simple)
2. You have all four aces (a bonus)
3. You have 5.5 honor tricks (a essential requirement to open 2♣ imo)
4. You have a good suit, albeit without the ten (which might or might not help)
5. You have to feel optimistic with bidding these hands. (It's a bidder's game)
6. Partner could have the right cards to make game but passes a one-level opening (and then you will regret not opening 2♣)
7. Divide the remaining HCPs around the table so partner has in the region of 5-6 HCPs (Still feeling optimistic)
8. Kaplan & Rubens evaluator but it at 24.55 (and Edgar and Jeff knew more about hand evaluation than us lesser guys.)
9. How are going to bid it otherwise? (It's awkward without a 2♣ opening)
10. Jillybean loves this hand (And so do I, and that should be recommendation enough )

[DavidKok]

2♣. There is a chance we will get too high. There is an argument for bidding this as a 24-25 balanced (or 22-23 balanced), but I'll just show my 6-card heart suit instead. The risk that the auction goes 1♥-a.p. is too high.

[sfi]

Frank_lol_, on 2023-January-30, 15:21, said:

The thing is, I HATE opening 2C with a long suit without 9 (9.5 with a minor suit) playing tricks.

We all hate doing certain things in bridge (one of mine is 5-card overcalls at the two-level), but at some point you just need to accept that a hand is right for the action anyway. The inability to reduce bridge to a simple set of rules is part of what keeps us coming back.

Here you miss game way too often if you open 1H, and on a good day partner will even have the HT for you.

[Cyberyeti]

Others have covered this, it's just too good not to open 2♣. Do you want to miss game opposite xx, Qxx, xxxx, xxxx or Qxxxx, xx, xxx, xxx ? You are the heart suit running or a club lead and the hearts playing for one loser away from making 3N also.

We have the complication that unless I show the hand as balanced, 2♣ is FG and even with that high bar I open 2♣ (we likely get into a Kokish auction).

[blackshoe]

Playing 2/1: First choice: 2♣. Second choice: 2♣.
Playing Precision: First choice 1♣. Second choice: 1♣. Third choice: 1♣.
Playing Romex: First choice: 2♣. Second choice: 2♣.
Playing Acol: First choice: 2♣. Second choice: 2♣.
Playing MOSSO (which I'm trying to learn): 1♥ (5+ hearts (longest suit), 13+ points, unlimited, forcing). What happens next? I don't know I haven't got that far yet. :-)