[Lobowolf]

Unopposed auction: 1♦ - 1S; ??



♠x
♥KTxx
♦KQ9xx
♣AJx

[mike777]

I would try 1nt but I think it is close.

[Lobowolf]

Jlall, on Aug 10 2008, 07:17 PM, said:

If I could only include 1 2m bid in my poll it would definitely not be 2D.

ok, you caught me...I deliberately left my bid out.

[rogerclee]

1NT. I admit I fail to see the closeness of this.

[jdonn]

I hate everything but 1NT because any other bid begs to miss hearts.

[Lobowolf]

My bid is 2C, a call that Max Hardy once told me was "an easy one." I don't know about all that, but I think it's interesting. In the last several years, I've played in two 3-3 club fits when I had a 4-4 heart fit available.

This one ties into the question of 5-3 major suit fits, and how you uncover them (when responder has the 5, of course). I deny a singleton or void with my 1NT rebids, leaving responder free to rebid a 5-card major over a 1NT rebid; we're either in a 5-2 fit, which is approximately breakeven with 1NT, or we're in a 5-3 fit, which is superior.

The reason I say it ties in is, if the auction:

1♦ - 1♠;
1NT

might show 3 spades, or it might show a singleton, then responder has the unattractive choice of passing 1NT with a 5-card suit and missing 5-3 fits, or rebidding a 5-card suit and "finding" 5-1 fits. On balance, I find it preferable find bids other than 1NT as opener for that reason.

One way to mitigate the 5-3 fit issue is to raise more often with 3-card support, but I'd rather only do that with a singleton in the hand (as opener), or a worthless doubleton. If I have Hx in a side suit, I prefer to rebid 1NT. 5-2 fits play about as well in the suit as they do in 1NT, but 4-3 fits don't, so if you have to "risk" a 7-card fit to find most of your 8-card fits, I think the 5-2 fit is the one to cater to (except when the 4-3 fit comes with a sure ruffing value in the short hand).

[655321]

1NT.

This is not at all close for me. By rebidding 1NT you limit your hand, and make the rest of the auction much simpler. In addition, partner knows that when you do rebid 2♣ or 2♦, you have real suits, and these auctions are better. I would not want to lose all this because of a fear of sometimes playing 1NT instead of 2♠ with a 5-3 spade fit.

[crazy4hoop]

Almost makes me want to open this hand 1♥ (I can always say I missorted my hand at live bridge) but of course we'll probably get too high in hearts and partner won't want to play with me again (well, s/he may have other reasons for that but, whatever). I don't really "like" any rebid, but I go with 1NT as the least of all evils in this situation.

[neilkaz]

Jlall, on Aug 10 2008, 07:47 PM, said:

When I first started playing expert standard was 2C, now it has moved to 1N.

Yes and the same has been told to me by a couple world class friends/authors I spoke to about this a couple years ago.

[Lobowolf]

So do you automatically pass 1NT with your 5-card spade suits as responder?

[mike777]

I would think if you save your 3 card raises for when you have a stiff or a weak doubleton in an unbid suit and add on rarely rebidding 1nt with a stiff you should come out ok.

I understand this whole issue has been discussed in depth from at least since Al Roth.

I wondered why 2c rebid was not an option.

Edit. Roth went to the extreme and never rebid 2c with these type of hands without alot of extras. Therefore he rebid 1nt with a stiff or rebid good 5 card suits very often. As far as I know this never really caught on with other experts at his level let alone int level players.

[kenrexford]

2♣. I'll stay old school.

[CSGibson]

I have to admit I'm leaning toward 2 clubs, and trying to decide if I have enough to bid 2 hearts over the 2 diamond reply next.

[CSGibson]

Jlall, on Aug 10 2008, 07:45 PM, said:

CSGibson, on Aug 10 2008, 09:44 PM, said:

I have to admit I'm leaning toward 2 clubs, and trying to decide if I have enough to bid 2 hearts over the 2 diamond reply next.

umm...you would be like a queen light at least to bid again over 2D from pard.

yeah, I'd probably be willing to do it with another JT in there, too, but you are, of course, right on the money with that evaluation.

[Lobowolf]

I'd be happy enough that partner took a preference to my "real" minor.

[gnasher]

This is a matter of partnership agreement rather than judgement, but I prefer opener to rebid 2♦ with this type.

As Lobowolf says, if you allow a 1NT rebid with a singleton you create a problem when responder has a weakish hand with five spades, where he wants to remove to a 5-2 or 5-3 fit but not to a 5-1. It also complicates matters when responder has a good hand with six spades, because you have to cater for decisions about strain as well as level.

I've never understood the point of 2♣, which will lose any heart fit unless responder has a game-force, and sometimes leads to a poor or ridiculous 2♣/3♣. If you bid 2♣ and responder gives preference to 2♦, you have gained nothing over rebidding 2♦ yourself.

Of course, rebidding 2♦ is also imperfect, in that it too can lead to a 5-1 fit, and will lose the heart fit when responder is less than invitational.