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Opening Light.

In “olden days”, it was a minimum of 12 high- card points to open the bidding. There were even some balanced 12 counts which were not opened. The minimum level has reduced in recent years and 11 hcp 1-level opening is quite normal, even if some really balanced 11 counts should attract the “pass card”.

What though with 10 hcp, not all, of course, but those with some shape, like:

One big plus in opening this hand is that it contains both majors and were we to find a fit, then partner would need few high cards to make game. This hand does also conform to “the Rule of 20” where the sum of our high card points and two longest suits should equal at least 20 for the hand to be worthy of an opening bid.

Let’s hear from our Panel who are united:

Andy Braithwaite “ One word- I open 1”  
I did ask the Panel to offer more than “one word”. Perhaps, Andy could not count? Nice “words” from Pam:

Pam Livingston “ 1 and aroha to all the bridge players and their whanau for the holidays!”

Nigel Kearney “ I would always open 1. If I was using two-suited openings, I would define them as being weaker than this so still open 1.”

I gave the Panel the option of opening 2, spades and a second suit…and all declined!

Michael Ware “ 1: the Mike Ware rule - never pre-empt with two aces.”

Bruce Anderson “1: a marginal opener it must be said but if partner fits one of my majors this hand has a lot of potential. Also it may be difficult to catch up if I pass; partner will not suspect I hold two aces.

I would not open 2 as I don’t cotton to opening at the two level with a major and another suit, and less than an opening bid; doing so risks a significant penalty if it is the opponents’ hand and we do not have a fit.”

 

Leon Meier “1: 2 is awful.  I'd be very surprised if any tournament regular even considers this bid. Pass and 1 are both options and while I like to have better intermediates when I'm opening 10 counts based on suits, having the majors is so nice. The chances we play in a suit drastically increase compared to if we had the minors. This decreases the need for intermediates so I'm definitely a 1 bidder here.

Were our long suits spades and a minor, there is less attraction for opening at the 1-level but both majors, we must. Here is another form of hand evaluation:

Steph Jacob “1: Using the ZARS formula for shapely hands, it well and truly adds up to an opening bid.

26 ZARS is needed to open and this one is 5+5+4 (14 for shape) and 6+6+1+1 (14 for the ace’s and jack’s, ace=6 and jack =1) giving a grand total of 28.

 

One Panellist is not so enthused but would open 1 anyway:

Peter Newell “1: It depends a bit on style and partner. I don't like it much with poor pips and unsupported jacks, but 5/5 and 2 aces is pretty good if we have some sort of fit and the alternatives are worse. We may have awkward bids if we pass or be pre-empted. I do not like 2 much with 5 hearts - hard for partner to judge over 2 with spade tolerance and hearts may be risky to look for the second suit or too weak e.g. 2461 type shape.”

We hear plenty of words about finding a major fit but what if we do not have one? If the bidding goes, 1 -2-2, then responder should be wary bidding more than 2NT with 12 hcp and no more than 4 cards in the majors.

However, 1 wins the day.

Wayne Burrows “1: 10 hcp with five-five distribution or a six-card suit is my normal minimum for an opening bid. This hand with AJ, AJ more than qualifies."  

Michael Cornell “1: Far better than most 11 counts. Game has play opposite 2 major kings and nothing else.”

Stephen Blackstock “1: Straightforward. This is a much better playing hand than the balanced 11 counts it seems are all the rage to open these days.”  

Or simply:

Kris Wooles “1: always!
Now, that is a 1-word answer!

Getting to game was not the issue on the actual hand. It was to reach an excellent low high-card point slam!

 

Above is a Jacoby sequence to 6 with 3 showing a club shortage, then 2 cue-bids, a 4 sign-off by South and then Roman Key Card. 5NT asked for side-suit kings and 6 denied any.

It is certainly possible to reach slam after South opened either 2 or did not open at all. Only 6 out of 31 North-Souths reached 6 (a couple more could not have checked for kings as they were in grand slam...no joy!). Many North players declared 4 which suggested that South passed in 1^st seat. As our Panel indicated, that is not the trend nowadays with such a hand as South’s.

Richard Solomon

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