[mike777]

2/1
Q87..7..KJ876..AQ87

1D=1H
?

Your rebid and why?

[jillybean]

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I want to tell partner I have a minimum hand and offer to play 1nt

I'm masterminding, still

[Cyberyeti]

2♣, no need to distort my hand (I play weak NT so 1N not an option)

[mikeh]

jillybean, on 2024-December-26, 15:00, said:

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I want to tell partner I have a minimum hand and offer to play 1nt

I'm masterminding still

I agree with your last sentence. Do you find that masterminding works for you and partner? If the answer is ‘yes’ you need to find a new partner

[pescetom]

2♣ seems automatic, even if the fact this was posted suggests we may be in trouble.

[mike777]

pescetom, on 2024-December-26, 15:29, said:

2♣ seems automatic, even if the fact this was posted suggests we may be in trouble.

You are never in trouble....I value your comments.

fwiw this is from a Michael Rosenberg bidding discussion, not with me, about a year ago...

The actual debate comes later in the bidding, turns into another discussion about this hand, which in turn becomes a third discussion with ED Davis and others starting here...

All about this every day hand...no fancy conventions...just judgement after judgement above my pay scale.

[mycroft]

Again, if you're one of those pairs who can bid 1NT on a singleton in partner's suit - this seems like a fine hand to do it.

I'm not one of those, I hate when partner has to play the submisfit I "promised" was okay, so I bid 2♣ like a reasonable boy.

It's an interesting question (one for the ages) what I do with the minors reversed - open 1♦ on the 4-card and rebid 2♣? Open 1♣ and rebid 2♣ on five? Open 1♣ and rebid 1NT and let partner play the 5-1 heart fit?

But this way around I have a simple rebid that shows my hand; why wouldn't I do it?

[jillybean]

Of course with T-walsh, unbalanced ♦, weak nt, everything has changed.

Playing strong nt, when I open 1♦ and rebid 2♣ partner can expect my minors to be reversed.
Within these methods, 1♦ 1♥ is an awkward auction.

[jillybean]

 mike777, on 2024-December-26, 16:57, said:

You are never in trouble....I value your comments.

fwiw this is from a Michael Rosenberg bidding discussion, not with me, about a year ago...

The actual debate comes later in the bidding, turns into another discussion about this hand, which in turn becomes a third discussion with ED Davis and others starting here...

All about this every day hand...no fancy conventions...just judgement after judgement above my pay scale.

Please provide a link to the discussion.

[pescetom]

mycroft, on 2024-December-26, 20:21, said:

Again, if you're one of those pairs who can bid 1NT on a singleton in partner's suit - this seems like a fine hand to do it.

I'm not one of those, I hate when partner has to play the submisfit I "promised" was okay, so I bid 2♣ like a reasonable boy.

Me too. But make it 4=1=4=4 and I am not so concerned about opening 1NT however (bridge is a game for optimists, but not for negationists).

mycroft, on 2024-December-26, 20:21, said:

It's an interesting question (one for the ages) what I do with the minors reversed - open 1♦ on the 4-card and rebid 2♣? Open 1♣ and rebid 2♣ on five? Open 1♣ and rebid 1NT and let partner play the 5-1 heart fit?

Here I am aligned to (I imagine) the silent Davidkok: I make the natural clubs opening and then do whatever seems best (which will rarely or never be to rebid the 5 card suit). I do have Pass in my repertory of calls and can count on generally obliging opponents

[akwoo]

jillybean, on 2024-December-26, 20:52, said:

Of course with T-walsh, unbalanced ♦, weak nt, everything has changed.

Playing strong nt, when I open 1♦ and rebid 2♣ partner can expect my minors to be reversed.
Within these methods, 1♦ 1♥ is an awkward auction.

I would think playing unbalanced diamond you'd use 1N for some convention that's not this hand. Though maybe it's better to use 1N for this hand and 2C for something else.

[mikeh]

akwoo, on 2024-December-27, 16:29, said:

I would think playing unbalanced diamond you'd use 1N for some convention that's not this hand. Though maybe it's better to use 1N for this hand and 2C for something else.

We, as do many others, use 1D 1M 1N to show 4+ clubs

[jillybean]

mikeh, on 2024-December-26, 15:15, said:

I agree with your last sentence. Do you find that masterminding works for you and partner? If the answer is ‘yes’ you need to find a new partner

Playing weak nt I am of course forced to bid 2♣ after 1♦ 1♥

Playing a strong nt I think there is benefit in limiting my hand as soon as possible. 1nt could be our best spot and I'm happy to play this in 1nt opposite a partner with hearts. Isn't this why we all play weak nt? I have denied 4 spades & heart support. We have xyznt allowing partner to drive the auction from here if needed.

[akwoo]

mikeh, on 2024-December-27, 20:11, said:

We, as do many others, use 1D 1M 1N to show 4+ clubs

And then what does 1D 1M 2C show? (Let me guess: a heavy 3 card raise?)

[awm]

While I probably rebid 1nt with a singleton in partner's suit more than most, I wouldn't do it on this hand. While you could always belong in 1nt, it's also very possible that two of a minor plays better and you probably won't get there after a 1nt rebid.

Usually rebidding 1nt with a small singleton is a least-of-evils sort of thing; if you are 1345 shape and partner responds a spade, your options are basically to open 1♣ and rebid 2♣ (selling a five card suit as a six-card suit and playing some 5-1 fits), open 1♦ and rebid 2♣ (confusing partner about your minor suit lengths and playing some 4-2 fits instead of 5-2 or even 5-3 fits), open 1♣ and rebid 1♠ (playing a few 3-3 fits and many 4-3 fits even at the game level), or open 1♣ and rebid 1NT. The last of these seems the least bad option to me. Rebidding 1nt can also help you get to hearts on patterns like 1444 or 1453 (rebidding two of a minor generally makes it hard for partner to show hearts on a weak hand).

With this shape you have a normal 2♣ rebid. Of course if your suits are really bad on some hand like ♠AQx ♥K ♦Jxxxx ♣Qxxx you can choose to bid 1nt but I wouldn't do this on a more "normal" 3154 hand.

[mw64ahw]

akwoo, on 2024-December-27, 16:29, said:

I would think playing unbalanced diamond you'd use 1N for some convention that's not this hand. Though maybe it's better to use 1N for this hand and 2C for something else.

Playing an unbalanced ♦ I'm comfortable playing in a Moysian. For weak responder hands my esoteric version uses 1♥ as either or both Majors so opener's 1♠ is 3/4 unlimited, 1N is 3/4♥, short ♠, 2♣ is 10 cards in the minors all limited.

[mikeh]

akwoo, on 2024-December-28, 00:47, said:

And then what does 1D 1M 2C show? (Let me guess: a heavy 3 card raise?)

1D 1M 1N. Is 4+ clubs. May have 3M with extra values. Responder will occasionally pass 1N when 2M is superior.

1D 1M 2C. Is nominally 6D, denies 3M. I say nominally because after 1D 1S, opener is stuck if he holds 1=4=5=3…he rebids 2C since it is the least distortion.

1D 1N 2D shows a minimum range opening bid with 3M.

A raise of the major promises 4 card support.

[jillybean]

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[apollo1201]

Bid what you have. A 3rd descriptive call after 1D and 2C: 2NT.

I have spade stop and I deny 3H, 55 or 64 minors, so I can only be 5422 or 5431.

If partner does not bid 3NT next, I will raise my concern probably with 3S.

[mikeh]

FSF auctions can be complex but are @ctually quite simple most of the time, so long as you understand the concept. FSF says ‘we’re going to (at least) game but I can’t yet place the contract. Please make the cheapest descriptive bid and my next bid will tell you more about possible contracts I’m interested in’.

Here, the cheapest descriptive bid is 2S, showing at least a little something in spades and maximizing responder’s bidding space. For example, maybe he’s got a gf hand, or better, in a minor…by bidding 2N, we allow him to bid 3m, forcing.

Now, make our hand xxx x AKxxx AJxx and you can see that we have a problem. Bidding 2N is still, obviously, the cheapest bid, and if we knew we were headed for a minor contract or hearts, we wouldn’t worry about having xxx in spades. But often responder is thinking about hearts, if we show preference, or notrump, if we have some help in spades, thus many players say 2N guarantees something in spades. For them a rebid of 3C doesn’t show 5 clubs…it’s the ‘default’ action on this hand type. I don’t think there’s a demonstrably right or wrong approach.