[paulg]

 dickiegera, on 2015-February-23, 16:20, said:

---

This was the East hand.
Playing 2/1 and 1NT forcing how does one get to a 4 Heart contract unless it is opened 1NT?

Am I the only one who thinks that this is a very comfortable 2♥ response playing 2/1?

It looks a lot stronger than hands such as

---

that I expect most would happily respond at the two level.

[rhm]

 aguahombre, on 2015-February-25, 07:51, said:

This will be valuable information for your partner, if you ever agree to play 2/1 methods.

When you open and then rebid to show 5-3-3-2 and 18-19, you won't have 5-3-3-2 and 18-19.
And when, as responder, you show 10-12 HCP and a good 6-card heart suit (via 1NT forcing followed by 3H), you won't have 10-12 HCP and a good 6-card heart suit.

A matter of philosphie.
The objective of bidding is to arrive at the best contract with the least amount of information exchanged.
It is not telling everything valuable you can to the defense so that they guess better on the right opening lead and defense.

Rainer Herrmann

[aguahombre]

It truly is a matter of philosophy. Either you have a system and use it, or you have a system and don't use it, or you don't have one at all.

I don't care which you choose; I do care which my partner chooses. I would like to know that when it goes:

1S-1N
2N-? and I hold a routine 7-count..what I should do. But, that's just me preferring that partner at least allow enough leakage that I have a clue what he holds.

[Trinidad]

 rhm, on 2015-February-25, 04:48, said:

In my opinion the hand is too good for a 1NT opening
Accordingly the bidding should go:

1♠-1NT
2NT--4♥

I see little point in pussyfooting around with a 2♣ rebid.
I would not object to a 2♥ response (game forcing) instead of 1NT. in fact I like it.

Rainer Herrmann

So you would sell a 16 HCP unbalanced hand as an 18-19 HCP balanced hand? And you consider bidding your suits pussyfooting?

Wouldn't it be fun if responder's clubs and hearts were interchanged? Or is responder supposed to bid 5♣ then (instead of the obvious raise to 3NT)?

Rik

[aguahombre]

 paulg, on 2015-February-25, 08:08, said:

Am I the only one who thinks that this is a very comfortable 2♥ response playing 2/1?

It looks a lot stronger than hands such as

---

that I expect most would happily respond at the two level.

You are right, of course about the difference in the two hands. But, that doesn't make either one of them a 2/1 game force response. The OP hand, because a two-step 3H bid IMO is the textbook description; and your example, because it is a textbook example of NOT game forcing opposite today's normal opening 1S bids.

[Phil]

I'm a big believer in opening this hand 1N. All my values are positional and I'm easily within range. I also don't leak a lot of information as we head toward a likely 3N or 4♠.

[biggerclub]

 dickiegera, on 2015-February-23, 16:20, said:

---

This was the East hand.
Playing 2/1 and 1NT forcing how does one get to a 4 Heart contract unless it is opened 1NT?

With 6 losers opposite an opening hand, I am forcing game from my first bid. 1♠- 2♥ and we go from there.

[biggerclub]

 aguahombre, on 2015-February-25, 13:59, said:

You are right, of course about the difference in the two hands. But, that doesn't make either one of them a 2/1 game force response. The OP hand, because a two-step 3H bid IMO is the textbook description; and your example, because it is a textbook example of NOT game forcing opposite today's normal opening 1S bids.

I dunno about that. I can live with a void opposite, I am more than fine with a singleton, and, of course ecstatic with a doubleton.

[MrAce]

 Phil, on 2015-February-25, 14:27, said:

I'm a big believer in opening this hand 1N. All my values are positional and I'm easily within range. I also don't leak a lot of information as we head toward a likely 3N or 4♠.

I like it when I have heart suit but not as much when I have spades.