[AL78]

This hand came up on the same session as the two other hands I have posted recently. The question is (and this may have been discussed on here before) whether there exists a hand or set of hands which is too strong for a weak two opening and too weak for a 1-suit opening. Partner thought so on this board:

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The auction might not be accurate, I can't recall if North bid 2♠ or 3♠ at their second turn, but I have a feeling he bid 2♠ and I raised partner. This should have been held to nine tricks for an around average board but after partner cashed her two top hearts, I carelessly played the four instead of the eight on trick two, which she interpreted as asking for a club switch, thus setting up their side suit for discards instead of knocking out the diamond ace. One day I'll work out how to stay awake for a complete session.

At the time I couldn't vision a hand that couldn't open 1♥ or 2♥ yet could find a two level overcall in the sandwitch position. Personally I would have opened 1♥ on those cards but partner decided it fell into some narrow non-opener category between 1 and 2. Is there such a thing if you are playing Acol or 5CM?

[helene_t]

In my opinion, there is no such thing as a one-suited hand in-between 1♥ and 2♥. W should open either 1♥ or 2♥. 10 points is the most common point count, especially when you have an unbalanced hand, so it is the worst point count to have to pass with.

That said, you could have a 2-suited hand that arguably has too little defence for a 1♥ opening and too much offence for 2♥. Say something like
♠ -
♥ KQ5432
♦ QJ543
♣ 43

You could then open 3♥ but vulnerable in 2nd seat you probably find the heart suit insufficient for a 3♥ opening.
I am not saying you should pass with such a hand, and personally I probably wouldn't pass, just saying that it wouldn't be eccentric to pass.

West's bidding here is consistent with a hand that has the heart suit and strength for a 2♥ opening but has some other flaw that made her not open 2♥, for example a too long spade suit. Many people don't open 2♥ with a 4-card suit in the other major. Here she was in 2nd seat which is a good position to be disciplined, but given the favourable vulnerability she might make the 2♥ overcall even on a good 5-card suit.

[blackshoe]

Second seat, favorable, thirteen starting points, two quick tricks, I'm opening 1♥.

[mikeh]

A perennial question with opinions differing over the (many) years in which it’s been asked

I think that these days most experts would say that there are definitely hands that contain a six card major, with 6+ hcp, that shouldn’t be opened with a weak two, and are too weak for a 1 bid….1 level openings are (except in very rare hands) unaffected by suit quality, as opposed to suit length…if one has the requisite hcp within one’s methods, then one opens 1S on xxxxx or AKQJx.

Weak twos are a very different story, especially vulnerable and even more so at unfavourable. Weak two bids are traditionally ‘semi-constructive’, at least vulnerable. As such they should be fairly narrowly defined….vulnerable one wants a good suit…if not holding a top honour, then something like QJ109xx…and definitely not a lot of defence outside your suit.

Suit texture matters because one never wants to go for a number nor even for -200 against nothing. Limited defence matters because partner needs to know whether to bid or defend.

Thirty years ago the west hand would be a textbook 2H bid at any vulnerability, with only the ‘then’ younger experts opting for 1H. Imo, second seat is the seat in which one should be most conservative in opening calls. RHO has passed, which implies that more than half the deck is sitting to your left or opposite. I’d still be tempted, these days, to open 2H if red but 1H if white

Passing with this hand makes little sense. But make it, say, Kxx Jxxxxx AQx xx and the hand is too weak, in playing strength, for 1H and wrong (weak suit, too much outside) for 2H.

I’m increasingly happy, when I see hands like this, that I currently play that 2M is 10-13. We do this even when not allowed to play multi, and while I’ve occasionally regretted passing a ‘normal’ weak two, on balance I’m very happy, both for the bid itself but even more so for the ripple effects on our 1M opening bids.

[Cyberyeti]

To me yours is a 1♥ opening bid (rule of 19 with nothing to feel bad about). We do have a gap, but it's very specific, we don't open a weak 2 with 2 aces.

If I was dealt Qxxxxx, QJ, Jxx, KJ I'd happily pass that.

[sfi]

helene_t, on 2023-September-22, 17:40, said:

In my opinion, there is no such thing as a one-suited hand in-between 1♥ and 2♥.

I used to think that, and I still agree there is no strength gap. It’s more a question of the texture of the hand, including defence, spot cards in the suit and hand shape. Now I think there are hands not good enough to open 1H but wrong for 2H.

Not the original hand though. Depending on my agreements, I might try 1H, 2H or 3H. But pass wouldn’t be a serious consideration.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

In short, yes but there are other opinions.

I would open the West hand with 3H, but I dont mind 1H.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mycroft]

Add me to the list of "there are no hands that are too strong for 2♥..., but there are hands that have too much defence for 2♥ but are not good enough for 1♥."

And to the list of "that does not apply to the West hand". In one partnership it's 1♥ (partner will *never* expect this suit at favourable, even second seat); in one it's 2♥ (and hope she's not disappointed in the lack of outside control); in some it might be 3♥ (because partner will yell at me if I open 1 with only 10, and would not expect this trick count for 2). But not Pass.

[bluenikki]

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Unrelated to the question, but no mere signal would convince me to lead clubs through that dummy while the side entry remains.

[AL78]

bluenikki, on 2023-September-23, 09:56, said:

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Unrelated to the question, but no mere signal would convince me to lead clubs through that dummy while the side entry remains.

I did explain to partner later that with a dangerous suit in dummy, leading through it cannot gain and could easily lose if it gets established, so a diamond switch is clear whatever I play at trick two, however, we did have a discussion on signals not long ago in this situation when a switch is clear (i.e. dummy is void), and I could have simply followed on from that and played the heart eight. I know signals are not tablets of stone and looking at the whole hand is vital, but part of partnership bridge is making it easy for partner.