[miamijd]

ahydra, on 2019-April-28, 21:59, said:

Good points, but I'd describe a 15-card hand as being a rather atypical minimum...

ahydra

What's a couple of clubs between friends? I meant to show 4 clubs, but my keyboard got carried away.

Cheers,
Mike

[cherdano]

I admit I am glad it is no longer myself against the rest of the world in this thread.

[hiei81]

Ugh... so nowadays no one opens 3H with West's hand? Wasn't that a textbook weak 3 opening?

[RD350LC]

ahydra, on 2019-April-27, 01:23, said:

---

IMPs, none vul

Any blame for getting to 5 missing three aces, or just unlucky that we had virtually every other point in the pack?

ahydra

This is just my opinion, based on what I have read what others have said.
I would not open the west hand 3 or 4H, not first hand. Too strong for that. I would open it 1 heart.
But, in response to the negative double, I would simply go 3H. No need to go further.

[kuhchung]

cherdano, on 2019-April-29, 01:08, said:

I admit I am glad it is no longer myself against the rest of the world in this thread.

I always agree with you, whatever that's worth! (Nothing)

[mikeh]

I think that west’s second call is close. However, while we have every reason to think that 3H may miss a decent game, the opps. Are white and one of them is preemption. So we have more room were he to have a great hand. That he did is coincidental, but nobody can say it’s implausible

One has to compromise: show a good one suiter, with some extras. Now the risk of getting overboard is clear. Four slam purposes, we need a side A or more.


That’s what happened here and while I think the diamond cards are not worth much, the rest of the hand is good, and the diamonds may let partner create a morton’s Fork coup later.

[pescetom]

hiei81, on 2019-April-29, 17:03, said:

Ugh... so nowadays no one opens 3H with West's hand? Wasn't that a textbook weak 3 opening?

You must have different textbooks. Terence Reese for instance cites the following as an ideal 3M opening: KQJ9832 7 T83 62. None of his examples of opening 3 bid have more than a J on the side. Goren simply says that most of the points should be in your long suit, but this hand doesn't even meet that.

[nige1]

ahydra writes 'IMPs, none vul. Any blame for getting to 5 missing three aces, or just unlucky that we had virtually every other point in the pack?'
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

IMO, mostly bad luck.

---

cherdano, on 2019-April-27, 23:52, said:

You guys are being harsh on West. If East had ♠KJxx ♥xx ♦xxx ♣Axxx and EW played in 3♥+1 who'd get the blame? Yes I know there might be a ruff, but still I think it's easy to visualise many minimum doubles of 3♦ that would make game decent.
Here are some bids I hate much much more:
- The suggested 4♥ opening. I just don't get it. Why? We have two defensive cards, we have good defense against 4♠, I just see no reason to bid one more than the normal 3♥.
- Double. Isn't this a completely normal 3N bid?
- 4N. This is way too aggressive - I think two keycards+♥Q is one of the most likely hands for partner and we are in 6♥ off two keycards for no reason. I am doubtful any move is justified, as 5♥ will often be down on a ruff, and we need a lot of cards from partner; but if we do move, it has to be another bid.

cherdano, on 2019-April-29, 01:08, said:

I admit I am glad it is no longer myself against the rest of the world in this thread.

Cherdano might not welcome my support but I respect his arguments.

pescetom, on 2019-April-30, 02:15, said:

You must have different textbooks. Terence Reese for instance cites the following as an ideal 3M opening: KQJ9832 7 T83 62. None of his examples of opening 3 bid have more than a J on the side. Goren simply says that most of the points should be in your long suit, but this hand doesn't even meet that.

IMO, Terence Reese would have tolerated a 3♥ opening on this hand. Famously, he criticized predictable preempts: "A preempt, known to be weak, is a blunt sword ".

[pescetom]

nige1, on 2019-May-01, 12:04, said:

IMO, Terence Reese would have tolerated a 3♥ opening on this hand. Famously, he criticized predictable preempts: "A preempt, known to be weak, is a blunt sword ".

Yes that's very Reese
I was just pointing out that this is more a case of textbook limits than of textbook ideal.