[pclayton]

Short team game, no one vul:

♠AJx ♥AKQTxx ♦9x ♣Jx

Your opening bid as dealer?

If you open 1♥, what is your plan after pard bids a forcing NT?

[matmat]

the misbid that first occurred to me was 1H followed by 2s.
the one that occurred second was 1h followed by raising 1n to 2n
the one that is third is 1h followed by 2h

[hrothgar]

I would open 1NT

If I were to open 1♥, I'd rebid 2♥ after 1NT (I consider this slightly less of a lie than 3♥)

[gwnn]

1♥, then lets try 2NT?! argh.

[Halo]

I voted 1H and then 3H.

My hand is reasonable and it is hearts.

[P_Marlowe]

1H followed by 3H, the hand is dead min. for the bid,
but the hand is sufficient.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[han]

1H followed by 3H.

I think the hand is too strong for 1NT (if 15-17), so I see no reason to bury the hearts. I don't mind a 2NT rebid.

[ArtK78]

1♥ followed by 2♥. This is a 6-loser hand by modified losing trick count, which is not good enough for a 3♥ rebid (shows a 5-loser hand). If partner bids again, you can drive to game.

[Echognome]

I find this to be an easy 1♥ - 3♥. Don't see anything else close. If 3NT is the spot, one or the other of us will be guessing anyway.

[han]

How does modified loser count distinguish between AJx and Axx? Does it distinguish between Jx and xx? If you can't distinguish, do you think it is right not to take any notice of these jacks? If it can distinguish then I don't get how you get to 7 losers.

[pclayton]

I tried the 1♥ - 2♥ route. The heart suit is great, but I don't think the hand is much better than Axx AKQTxx xx xx. LHO decided to pre-balance over 2♥ with 2♠.

Pard competed to 3♥ with: Txx xx KJ8xx Axx, which I thought was a little strange. I bid 3N, and its a good spot on a non-club lead and a fair spot on a club lead. Somehow the opps let this one in.

At the other table, teammates let in 4♥. I have no idea how, since every pointed suit honor was off.

For me it is a tweener between 2♥ and 3♥. Give me a singleton and its 3♥ for me. 2N would not occur to me - that shows 17+ - 19. Does this hand really evaluate to that? I think not.

[han]

Minimal opening hands do not have 7 top tricks. I agree Jx is not much better than xx, but I think AJx is clearly a better holding than Axx.

This hand has plusses and minusses. By ignoring the plusses and focussing on the minusses you don't get a fair evaluation.

[helene_t]

Hannie, on Oct 18 2007, 10:58 PM, said:

How does modified loser count distinguish between AJx and Axx? Does it distinguish between Jx and xx? If you can't distinguish, do you think it is right not to take any notice of these jacks? If it can distinguish then I don't get how you get to 7 losers.

The way I learned it, a working jack as in AJx is -1/4 loser. Jx is not adjusted for. I don't remember (if I ever knew) the exact criteria.

Of course, LTC is not a complete surrogate for judgement, if you think that Jx is better than xx in context, adjust the LTC by -1/8 or whatever.

This hand is 5.5 or 5.25 LT (depending on whether you take ♠J into account) but I'm not sure if LTC is appropriate for this decision.

[han]

pclayton, on Oct 18 2007, 03:58 PM, said:

2N would not occur to me - that shows 17+ - 19. Does this hand really evaluate to that? I think not.

Compare the trrick taking potential of this hand with that of your average balanced 3532 18-count, which is higher?

[ArtK78]

Hannie, on Oct 18 2007, 03:58 PM, said:

How does modified loser count distinguish between AJx and Axx? Does it distinguish between Jx and xx? If you can't distinguish, do you think it is right not to take any notice of these jacks? If it can distinguish then I don't get how you get to 7 losers.

First, I said the hand is a six loser hand, not a 7 loser hand. Saying that the hand is a 6 loser hand is not the same thing as saying that the hand has 7 winners. MLTC is just a method of hand evaluation.

Second, MLTC does not distinguish between AJx and Axx, nor does it distinguish between Jx and xx. That is where judgment comes into play. I don't find that the added jacks make this hand worth a 3♥ call or a 2NT call.

This hand is, in my opinion, a maximum 2♥ rebid. It is always nice to have a little in reserve. And I know that my partners are not shy.

[pclayton]

If you are calling Axx, AKQTxxx, xx, xx, a maximum 2H rebid, do the 2 black jacks tip the scale for you. They don't for me.

K and R (that is notorious for upgrading long strong suits) calls the actual hand a 17.95. Without the black jacks (primarily the JS) its 17.2. FWIW, K and R calls xxx AKQTxx xx xx as a 13.0, so go figure.

My judgment says this isn't a 17 point hand. My 3♥ rebids in a non-fit auction tend to be a little stronger too. I've been playing an 8-12 and 9-13 weak 2 lately, so this may have an influence too.

[jdonn]

I have to admit I thought this was posted as a problem between 3♥, 2NT, or weird stuff like 2♣ or 2♠. 2♥ didn't even enter my head.

I like 2NT, get toward our most likely game, and steal a lot of games that "shouldn't" be made.

[mike777]

Great problem Phil

If you open sound then an easy 1h=2h rebid.
If you open light this is a common problem hand(14-15 hcp), let me think about it for a few seconds.

[pclayton]

Hannie, on Oct 18 2007, 01:04 PM, said:

pclayton, on Oct 18 2007, 03:58 PM, said:

2N would not occur to me - that shows 17+ - 19. Does this hand really evaluate to that? I think not.

Compare the trrick taking potential of this hand with that of your average balanced 3532 18-count, which is higher?

I think we are a favorite to take 7 tricks on this hand. Whether or not the opponents can take 5 or 6 tricks first is the issue.

[mike777]

2nt

With so much side strength in spades.

I do not think this promises as much as 17+-19 even assuming we may respond with less than 6 hcp.