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nearly that many!

How to handle all those hearts!

A hand like the following has been seen many times before but there seems a wide difference of opinion on how it should be treated. Many who held this hand and their partners did not seem to be on the same wave-length when it occurred in a recent Open Teams event.

 

What would you open? Also, if you open 1, your partner bids 1. What now?

Before we hear from the Panel, let’s get rid of one option. This hand may contain (most of the time) 8 playing tricks and could be counted as a 4-loser hand, but you should not, would not want to, and are now barred from opening such a hand as a 2 Game Force style hand. It falls far short of the “Rule of 29” requirements for such a bid if you have less than 20 hcp (hcp + length of 2 longest suits must equal at least 29). No argument.

So, to the Panel. Andy has seen all this before:

Andy Braithwaite “1: This is an old chestnut- originally opening 1 and rebidding 4 after 1 showed some spade support. But this seems to be a forgotten agreement now and 4 now shows 8 playing tricks with solid hearts (although it could be argued that 3NT may mean the same thing)

Anyway, 1 seems to be the only logical opener and 4 the logical rebid as the minor holdings look too vulnerable to try 3NT.”

 

Nigel Kearney “1: If I had a way to show a strong 4 opening, I would do that, otherwise the hand is too good to pre-empt in first seat and is not even close to a 2 opening. On the next round I would bid 4. We need quite a lot from partner for slam to be good, e.g., AKxx xx xxx Axxx.”

 

Kris Wooles “1 followed by 4. 4 meaning a self- sufficient suit and a hand not good enough to open with a game force but enhanced sufficiently by the 1 response to be able to bid game.”

 

Michael Cornell “1 and rebid 4 which in my book is simply about 8-9 tricks, obviously long hearts and too strong to open 4 which is what I would open opposite a passed partner.”

 

Bruce Anderson “1 and over the 1 response I bid 4 showing a self -sufficient suit and the values to make game more often than not over a one level response. Obviously, there could be problem bidding this way as if partner is very short in hearts with long strong spades and a minor suit ace; then it is likely a slam will be missed, but I can see no other way to get this hand across.   

I would not open this hand 4 because as in my view it is too good for that bid; with one of my former partners, I used to play 4 as a strong 4 and 4 as strong 4 opener. I would use that option if it was available, albeit there is again the potential problem of partner having a good hand with long strong spades.”

 

Initially agreed but not really in unison about what the jump to 4 shows. Way back in time, I learnt that the 4 rebid was a rather minimum hand with 7+ hearts, not normally with much interest above game, rather a gamble. Our Panel seem to have revised that. Should it have spade tolerance? Nice if it has but is that guaranteed?

1 was not our only choice of opener:

Peter Newell “4: At this vulnerability I like to play sound 4 bids, and while this is a good one, it is still within my range.  I think 4 describes the playing strength, a good suit (of course not this good..) and will make it harder for the opponents to judge whether to sacrifice or not.

 

If you choose 1 and your partner bids 1, the 1 bid has improved my hand further as the Q looks like a very good card. 4 doesn't really do justice the hand as it is too good for 4 as you would bid 4 with the same hand and 1 less heart. However, I like the alternatives less unless one has some kind of artificial game forcing bid available. Any other bids will give partner a very misleading picture of my hand, so I would rebid 4 as at least it gets across an excellent suit and strong playing strength.”

 

Certainly, 4 is an opening option when vulnerable but it was interesting the reaction of the partners of this opening bid. The range was from passing out 4, using Key Card to simply bidding 6. Who was right?

 

 

11 pairs reached slam out of 24. Of those 11, only 3 bid it after a 4 opener. 13 auctions started at the 1 level, 11 at the 4-level.

It paid to be, this time!

 

Thus, a variety of opinions. At this vulnerability, I would not mind starting at the 4-level and if you check on key-cards, you will be in slam per force. North would just have one nervous moment if West found a diamond lead, though few did.

Richard Solomon

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