When I learnt to play bridge about 8 years ago I was taught Acol mostly for geographical reasons. The first rule I got taught was to "Open your longest suit". That was pretty simple and I mastered it quickly. My triumph was short lived as only a single hand later my world was overturned when I picked up a hand with two suits the same length.
It was time for lesson 2: "Open the lower of two four card suits and the higher of two five or six card suits." These two rules have worked in harmony for a long time because regardless of how much you play there isn't a hand for which they work badly. Except there is and I picked it up last night:
| ♠ | 6 |
|---|
| ♥ | Q J 6 4 3 |
|---|
| ♦ | K J 9 8 7 2 |
|---|
| ♣ | A |
|---|
If it's not immediately clear what I mean here's what happened:
| Daniel |
North |
East |
South |
| 1♦ |
Pass |
1♠ |
Pass |
I'd really like to show my hearts now but to bid them it would be a reverse and I haven't the high cards. I just have to rebid my suit and hope to get a chance later.
That's not really what I wanted to see. There's all the warning signs of a big misfit and partner has no idea. I'd better be as discouraging as I can. Thinking about bidding hearts is useless anyway, we play fourth suit forcing.
I'm tempted to think I could get away with bidding the heart game here but what if partner takes it the wrong way? Will he simply pray that my insanity isn't contagious and pass or might he over think it? It doesn't seem worth the risk.
So I opened my hand with the intention of showing some suits and doing some bidding but in 4 rounds of uncontested auction I couldn't bid my 5 card major. That can't be right.
|
|
| ♠ | 6 |
|---|
| ♥ | Q J 6 4 3 |
|---|
| ♦ | K J 9 8 7 2 |
|---|
| ♣ | A |
|---|
|  |
| ♠ | A Q 9 5 4 |
|---|
| ♥ | K T 7 |
|---|
| ♦ | Q 6 |
|---|
| ♣ | K T 6 |
|---|
|
|
|
3NT isn't too bad a contract... well... it's quite good when they lead the unbid suit (he he, surprise!). On a club lead though 3 clubs and two red aces are unavoidable. In 4
♥ the bad guys can't get 3 tricks.
Watch what happens if I don't open according to the beginner rules:
| Daniel |
North |
East |
South |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
1♠ |
Pass |
| 2♦ |
Pass |
4♥ |
Pass |
I think I've learnt something here.
I'm one of those in the minority that always open my longest suit (of course there are a few exceptions e.g. x/AKQJx/x/xxxxxx).
ReplyDeleteAround 18 months ago I had a discussion on the OBC forum along similar lines (http://otagobridgeclub.org.nz/forum/index.php?topic=56.0) and although my thought process has naturally evolved since then about some aspects (such as the forcing nature of 1C-1S-2C-2D), I still maintain opening your longest suit is the best policy.
In your example: 1D-1S-2D-3C- 3H is not useful as 4th suit force, so it is instead how I would resolve my 5/6 hands. I wouldn't bother showing a 4-card suit here as P can't possibly have 4 Hearts, so with 4/6 I would bid NT. With long single-suited Diamonds and no Heart-hold I rebid 3D. So there's a convenient gap for the 5/6.
1D-2S- etc. can make it difficult to reach 5-3 Heart games, but these are rare, and are about to get tapped at Trick 1 snyway. Gadgets such as good/bad 2NT can sort out reversing hands vs 2-suiters at higher-than-intended levels, I can't see why that wouldn't extend to 5H/6D ...
I think the rule with 5-6 is that you open the higher ranking 5 card suit if the suits are adjoining, otherwise you open the 6 card lower suit. If your suits were spades and diamonds, then you can bid spades over a likely 1H response by partner.
ReplyDeleteHBJ here,
ReplyDeleteHands like that are awful to bid. 11HCP points but no solid suit either in H/D. To bid a diamond first is not on, because to introduce hearts later sounds like a reverse. I'm always for getting a five card major bid in as soon as possible. Then I will rebid in diamonds and pretend I'm 5-5.
Ever thought about passing and hoping to get in a negative double to express your two suited hand. Alternatively if you play Lucas twos a 2H opener shows 5 hearts plus long second suit. Stiff Aces I often downgrade initially as bad news. Convert that club Ace into the Ace of Hearts and the hand becomes a rock crusher.