[Flame]

you are the Dealer No one vul
you hold:

---

We play 2nt for under opening strengh with minors.
What do you open ?

[whereagles]

I open 2NT. The possibility of missing a game/slam is miniscule compared with the advantages of bidding the hand in ONE bid, preempting opps at the same time.

Add a point and I would still open 2NT. Add two points and I might consider it a close call whether to open 2NT or 1♦.

[bearmum]

Flame, on Jan 29 2005, 12:20 AM, said:

you are the Dealer No one vul
you hold:

---

We play 2nt for under opening strengh with minors.
What do you open ?

why bid ANYTHING else BUT 2NT??

[Flame]

Im glad i asked, i opened 1D i thought this is too good for 2NT, because i have great honors and intermidiates.

[Winstonm]

The form of scoring would deternime my decision; unfortunately, that is not shown

At MPs, small gains are as valuable as large gains and a single disaster is not that big of deal. Therefore at MPs I would open in your system 2NT. The good texture of the suits gives a degree of protection from being doubled and increases the playing strength. The drawback to this hand as I see it is the good defensive nature of this hand. But that is the kind of thing you do at MPs.

At imps, I see this as a clear-cut pass. A one diamond opening overstates the defensive strength of the hand as well as the playing strength. I don't mind so much overstating the defensive strength with an extremely trick-oriented hand but this hand it not one of those. If the hand were 6/5 and the Ace of hearts were instead part of one of my long suits then two things occur: my defensive strength diminishes and my playing strength increases. In that case a one diamond opening is reasonable.

Another reason to pass this hand at imps is that it is minor-oriented and it takes 11 tricks to make game. If this were a 5-5 major suit hand it would be a much closer decision and would probably need to be opened just to protect yourself from a similar opening at the other table; however, if you were outclassed by the other team a pass could create a sizeable swing.

A final reason to pass at imps is that we don't as yet know what is going on around the table or whose hand it is. Partner could have majors and a goodish hand, and we get way too high if I make a first seat noise. It could be a misfit for the opponents in which case my opening takes them off the hook. Avoiding disaster is part of the team concept at imps. This hand has too much negative possiblities verses gain to be worth a "hero" bid in my opinion.

WinstonM

[Free]

1♦. You have only 6 losers, you're just waaaaay too strong for a 2NT imo.

[whereagles]

I consider it very bad strategy to dismiss a 2NT bid that is informative, preemptive and very precise in favor of a muddy 1D bid that is neither of those and whose constructive edge is marginal at best.

But if you're happy with it, by all means do it

[Gerben47]

This is a close decision between 1♦ and 2NT. And in this kind of close decisions I ask myself: which bid is more descriptive? And the answer is 2NT, so I bid that.

Gerben

[han]

Flame, how exactly do you play 2NT, what range? What kind of responses?

I'm really interested because I'd like to play this convention too with my regular partners.

[Flame]

Hannie, on Jan 28 2005, 03:55 PM, said:

Flame, how exactly do you play 2NT, what range? What kind of responses?

I'm really interested because I'd like to play this convention too with my regular partners.

I dont have the expirence to give advice about this 2nt.
About the structure i dont even remember it, you can find what we play on WJ2000 file.

[mr1303]

At unfavourable, I might consider 2NT. But at any other score, 1D. This hand is FAR too good for 2NT 1st NV

[the hog]

1D in first 2 seats. This hand is far too good for a minor suit 2NT opening.

[pclayton]

If the suits were in the majors; its an automatic 1 opener. Normally, 2N is, "5-5+ in minors", too weak for a 1 bid.

But I think 2N can and should cover hands like this, although its a clear max.

[shanbari]

i play this 2 minors 2nt as well, i like it especially in NON-VUL.
2nt bids indeed give opps a lot pressure, (sometimes to my partner too).

in vul, i had a couple of huge loss, for example, we have 2M contract, now we play 3 level contract going down 2; and major game would be little hard to explore; etc.
so i decide to play it with opening hand with VUL now.


shan

[Flame]

shanbari, on Jan 28 2005, 08:52 PM, said:

i play this 2 minors 2nt as well, i like it especially in NON-VUL.
2nt bids indeed give opps a lot pressure, (sometimes to my partner too).

in vul, i had a couple of huge loss, for example, we have 2M contract, now we play 3 level contract going down 2; and major game would be little hard to explore; etc.
so i decide to play it with opening hand with VUL now.


shan

If you play it strong , you need to have a narroow range or else you will miss games which hurts especially when you are vulnarable.

[shanbari]

Flame, on Jan 28 2005, 09:00 PM, said:

shanbari, on Jan 28 2005, 08:52 PM, said:

i play this 2 minors 2nt as well, i like it especially in NON-VUL.
2nt bids indeed give opps a lot pressure, (sometimes to my partner too).

in vul, i had a couple of huge loss, for example, we have 2M contract, now we play 3 level contract going down 2; and major game would be little hard to explore; etc.
so i decide to play it with opening hand with VUL now.


shan

If you play it strong , you need to have a narroow range or else you will miss games which hurts especially when you are vulnarable.

that's true , flame, i play it 12-14hcp in vul. and we don't use invitational bids in vul, due to narrow range. and leave more room to investigate major game instead.
(major game for imps is more important than to preempt opps).

shan

[Cowology]

I definately open this hand 1D in 1st or 2nd seat, but in 3rd seat I'd open 2NT since my ps hand is already limited.