[dickiegera]

Open 1NT or 1 Heart playing 15-17 NT?

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[JLOGIC]

1H for sure. You have a prime 17 with a 5 card suit, so your hand is definitely at least close to being too good to open 1N. On top of that, if you have a major suit fit, especially a 4-4 spade fit, your hand is WAYYY too good to open 1N.

If you open 1H, what will happen? If your partner has 4 spades, he will bid 1S, and the fit will be found. If he has 3+ hearts, he will raise hearts, and the fit will be found (and playing hearts will likely be best, becuase you aren't balanced, you are 5422 and could probably use a spade ruff). If partner has neither, he will bid 1N, and you will bid 2N describing your hand as 18-19 balanced, not missing a major suit fit...this is probably not even an overbid with a nice 17.

On the other hand, if you open 1N, plenty of bad things could happen. Your partner will not investigate a major suit fit without inv+ values, imagine him with Axxx x Qxxxx xxx, he will pass and you will play a silly contract rather than an easy 4S.

[CSGibson]

One of the most frequently stated reasons to open 1N instead of one of a major is to avoid awkward rebids. This hand doesn't have that problem; in fact, you have two palatable rebids in a spade reverse or a natural 2N. Opening 1N is clearly inferior in my opinion.

[billw55]

CSGibson, on 2011-November-23, 21:58, said:

One of the most frequently stated reasons to open 1N instead of one of a major is to avoid awkward rebids. This hand doesn't have that problem; in fact, you have two palatable rebids in a spade reverse or a natural 2N. Opening 1N is clearly inferior in my opinion.

Agree, the goal of bidding is to describe one's hand accurately, and there is no rule that says we can only use one bid. Why choose 1NT when more accurate sequences are available? In particular the spade reverse is much more descriptive.

[Zelandakh]

The hand as presented is an obvious 1H. It would be more interesting if the SQ was changed the S10 - now I suspect there would be some differences of opinion.

[EricK]

The hand is too strong for a 15-17 1NT. Apart from that, there is a very good chance that you will be able to describe your hand accurately if you open 1♥. I expect this poll to be near unanimous.

[whereagles]

no 1NT on 54 majors for me thankyouverymuch

[ArtK78]

Almost 12 hours since this hand was posted and the vote is 20-0. So, while someone may come along and mess up the unanimous vote, I think this one qualifies as one of the very few (only?) unanimous votes in the history of the Fora.

[gwnn]

There have been other unanimous topics but I won't post the links to them here.

[Free]

Don't worry, there will be a 'misclick' sooner or later...