Julian Pottage
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I would count 2 points rather than 3 for the king of hearts, which gives the hand 8 high card points. Adding 3 for the singleton gives 11 in all, so I would raise to 3H but agree it is really close. Although I am not counting a point for the 109 of hearts, I am looking favourably on those. The 10 of clubs could be a useful card too.
If I had a partner who wanted to play 5-card majors and a weak no-trump then I would happily do so. Partnership harmony is just as important as technical efficiency, sometimes more so.
Sorry second sentence came out slightly wrong. The 12-14 range for 1D-2C-2NT does not work very well because partner, if holding 11 points, is guessing whether or not to raise.
Why did you open 1D rather than 1C? If you open 1C then whatever suit partner bids you can rebid 1NT.
The standard range for a 2NT rebid is 12-14 but i do not really like it partner. With 11 points, partner is getting whether or not to raise.
If you open 1C and partner bids 2C (forcing), I play a 2D rebid as showing a weak no-trump hand.
If you have 4-card support for partner’s major, showing support takes priority of showing the other major.
I know a couple of world champions (Sally Brock and Maureen Dennison) who favour a weak no-trump with a 5-card major, so it cannot a terrible system.
One possible disadvantage is that if opener has a good hand and the side has a 4-4 fit in one of the majors then the weaker responding hand will become declarer if opener has to open a minor rather than a 4-card major.
Any system that requires five cards for a major-suit opening involves opening a three-card minor on some hands. This can mean partner does not know whether to raise or lead opener’s suit in a competitive auction. Since your side is less likely to end up defending when opener is 15+, this is less of factor than when playing a strong no-trump and five-card majors.
In answer to Charles Bentley’s query about ranges, I tend to play quite a lot of teams and while you are less sure of defeating 1NT doubled when you have 15 points you cannot afford to miss game if partner has 9 or 10 points. It is less clear to double a 12-14 1NT opening with 15 at matchpoints, though I generally do anyway on the basis that you have a better hand than the opener and the advantage of the opening lead. Sometimes you have a collection of broken suits and the opening lead is less of an advantage!
At favourable vulnerability 3H would be a rash underbid with the South hand. You need to look at the vulnerability before deciding how to pre-empt – you would happily open K-Q-10-x-x-x-x and garbage outside. Either you open 4H or you pass hoping to catch up and show both suits later. Second seat is the less orientated to pre-empting so I do not mind a pass too much. Whether North would make a move over 4H is not 100% clear, though you would at least have a chance of reaching 6H after a 4H opening.
I think you mean South was the one who overcalled 1S.
With the West hand I would bid 3H over 1S, which I play as a fit-showing jump, hearts and clubs. East is then very interested in a slam if West has a spade control and so makes a 4D cue bid. West can then cue bid 4S. East should then bid 4NT in case West’s spade control is a void and settles for 6C when West simply shows one key card.
You have not said anything about the strength of your hand but if you bid 2H and partner rebid 3D, surely you could then have passed? With strong hand your partner would have doubled 1NT rather than doubling, so the 2D overcall limits her hand.
The 2D overcall is not a command to pass. If you think your side has game on (bearing in mind partner has shown a maximum of 14 points) then of course you bid. If you have a six-card major and a singleton or void in diamonds then you would not need much to be to be bidding. Since your partner will often have six diamonds to overcall 2D, you would not change that to a 5-card suit unless you have some more positive values.
West could have passed 2D doubled. For one thing, if North-South have had a misunderstanding about whether South’s pass of 2D doubled showed diamonds, a big penalty could be in the offing.
West could then have doubled when 2H came back. When East then bid spades, West could bid 4S; if East bid one of the minors, West could rebid 3NT.
Either you open 4D or you pass. The playing strength is too great for 3D and the high cards are too few for 1D. Given that you would feel comfortable coming in even if the bidding is up to 4S at the next turn, passing is a realistic option. In third seat I would definitely open 4D and in second seat I would definitely pass – first in hand it is a tough one!
Non vulnerable pre-empts should be more aggressive than vulnerable pre-empts. I do not know many people who routinely open a weak 2D on a 5-card suit but plenty of bold bidders open a weak 2H or 2S non-vulnerable with a decent 5-card suit, in which case opening a weak 3 with a 6-card suit could be reasonable. Second seat is different because you are just as likely to be pre-empting partner as the opponents so pre-empts in second seat should be sounder just like vulnerable pre-empts should be sounder.
If you are vulnerable then sometimes you can sometimes have a moderate 8-card suit for a 3-level pre-empt. If you are non-vulnerable or if the suit is good then you should be opening at the 4 level.
