[Cascade]

I would bid 2♠ over 1♠.

I don't especially like that with only five moderate spades but I don't feel that sitting around with these 16 hcp is good.

[Codo]

I agree with Josh

[whereagles]

Would probably dbl 2♥ or something. Maybe bid 2♠ over 1♠. I dunno.

[InTime]

[mikeh]

For those who advocate an immediate 2♠: several years ago the BW posted a problem in which partner had bid 2♠, in 4th seat, over a 1♠ response... we had passed the opening bid. The point was to try to establish then-expert styles for the 2♠ bid. Some very good players (including, if memory serves one-half of meckwell and cohen-berkowitz) advocated 2♠ on hands worth a reasonable weak 2♠ opening, while others thought that it should show approximately an opening hand.

I think that the given hand fits poorly for both of those approaches.. the spades are too short, and the hand too good. That doesn't mean we don't bid, since it may be safer/more effective to bid now rather than later. But I do think that we need to have some idea what partner will play us for.

I go for the pass then double... I agree with those who say that this is NOT a light t.o. Bear in mind that opener is relatively unlimited, and that this is not an OBAR sequence... rho's 2♥ bid usually denies a real raise.. it is a preference.

[FrancesHinden]

I also go with pass then double. I think an immediate 2S bid really has to have a 6-card suit, although otherwise the strength is fine.

Double-then-bid-spades is not usually used to reveal a psyche in this auction. In general, there's basically no auction in which you can make a take-out double of a suit and then subsequently show length and strength in the same suit.

[cherdano]

mikeh, on Dec 22 2008, 02:41 PM, said:

For those who advocate an immediate 2♠: several years ago the BW posted a problem in which partner had bid 2♠, in 4th seat, over a 1♠ response... we had passed the opening bid. The point was to try to establish then-expert styles for the 2♠ bid. Some very good players (including, if memory serves one-half of meckwell and cohen-berkowitz) advocated 2♠ on hands worth a reasonable weak 2♠ opening, while others thought that it should show approximately an opening hand.

I didn't read that Bridge World but I have heard about it. I still don't get the point of the first style. We wouldn't think a 2m overcall shows a good weak two, it shows a better hand then that. Why would we lower our requirements when we overcall in their suit, thus making the risks higher? I always thought the point of a 2♠ overcall is to reach game, just for a partscore battle the dangers are just too big.

[han]

I don't recall one half of meckwell saying that they liked that style as well. Which half?

[mikeh]

han, on Dec 22 2008, 11:10 PM, said:

I don't recall one half of meckwell saying that they liked that style as well. Which half?

I was going by memory, which is why I didn't say who it was... I would have, had I remembered.. I vaguely recall that it was a month in which Berkowitz/Cohen were the directors, but that may well be incorrect. And it is possible that neither of Meckwell were on the panel that month, and that it was the director(s) saying that the meckwell style was the aggressive one.

Anyway, the point was, again subject to faulty memory, that the aggressive players felt that disrupting the opps' auction, given that partner had passed in 2nd seat, was more important than finding game.

I am not arguing for or against either school of thought.. I have always played the more conservative style, which is why the more aggressive comments have stayed with me as long (and as vaguely) as they have... it was something new, and I tend to remember those things even if I don't adopt them...

[han]

I vaguely remember either Cohen or Berkowitz saying that he would bid 2S NV with KJxxxx and out. Wow.