Reopening the bidding

[Nick France]

I am amazed on how little there is on opener reopening the bidding:
The following sequence is the one that brought this up

You (OPP) Part (OPP)
1H 2D P P
3C

So what do you need to reopen 3C.

1) If you are 5-5 can you do it a minimum hand? If not how much above
a minimum hand do you want

2) If you are 5-4 how much above a minimum hand do you need (and is it
different from the first question).

3) Would you ever bid 3C instead of double, if you were 3514 or 4513.

4) What strength would a reopening double instead of bidding or pass
show.

5) If instead of 3C you had bid 2S how much extras would that show.

Thanks in advance

Nick France

[Barry Margolin]

In article
<78189f4a-aa0a-4395...@gb2g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>,

Nick France <gand...@optimum.net> wrote:

> I am amazed on how little there is on opener reopening the bidding:

Mike Lawrence just published a major revision to his Balancing book.
I'll bet it addresses this.

--
Barry Margolin
Arlington, MA

[rhm]

Since playing negative doubles is nowadays almost universal, strength
is not the major aspect, since the bidding is considered forcing
opposite an unlimited partner if you are short in diamonds.
Partner may have any strength if he has a penalty double. Not to keep
the bidding open means you should usually have at least three cards in
diamonds.
I would say 3C shows 5 cards and a hand which is not suitable playing
2D doubled.
My impression is that experts stretch to open with a double if at all
possible and sometimes even if you do not have tolerance for both
unbid suits.
With tolerance for both spades and clubs like 3514 why would you
refuse to reopen with a double?

Rainer Herrmann

[Nick France]

On May 12, 4:52 pm, Barry Margolin <bar...@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> In article
> <78189f4a-aa0a-4395-ae27-59daae493...@gb2g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>,

>  Nick France <gandal...@optimum.net> wrote:
>
> > I am amazed on how little there is on opener reopening the bidding:
>
> Mike Lawrence just published a major revision to his Balancing book.
> I'll bet it addresses this.
>
> --
> Barry Margolin
> Arlington, MA

That was the first place I looked. Seems he didn't cover it or I just
missed where it was in his book

Nick France

[Lorne]

I assume will double initially with spades and pass with a penalty
double of 2D.

To me it says I can't stand partner's likely response to a double. So I
might have a strong 2-suiter with something in diamonds knowing partner
probably has nothing and will likely pass or you may have a
singleton/void diamond and a weak 2-suiter and partner is likely to bid
3N or explore a suit contract if he thinks 3N may be wrong but you do
not want to play 2D doubled.

There is no guarantee partner has what you think of course but you have
to play the odds and passing with a singleton/void diamond just because
you have an 11 count will often be wrong.

[lowerline]

Op zondag 12 mei 2013 18:05:52 UTC+2 schreef Nick France het volgende:

1) yes
2) I don't do it with 5-4
3) no
4) no extra strength required for any of these, only extra shape for bidding
5) only extra shape (4-6 or 5-6)

Steven

[Will in New Haven]

On May 12, 12:05 pm, Nick France <gandal...@optimum.net> wrote:
> I am amazed on how little there is on opener reopening the bidding:
> The following sequence is the one that brought this up
>
> You  (OPP)  Part  (OPP)
> 1H      2D       P        P
> 3C
>
> So what do you need to reopen 3C.
>
> 1) If you are 5-5 can you do it a minimum hand?  If not how much above
> a minimum hand do you want

I want a better than minimum hand.

>
> 2) If you are 5-4 how much above a minimum hand do you need (and is it
> different from the first question).

Yes, I want a strong hand.

> 3) Would you ever bid 3C instead of double, if you were 3514 or 4513.

No.

> 4) What strength would a reopening double instead of bidding or pass
> show.

A reopening double of 2D is a takeout double of 2D but my partner has
the added knowledge that I have five Hearts. Of course, they will now
bid a game that they would have missed but i persevere.

> 5) If instead of 3C you had bid 2S how much extras would that show.

A bit more than a minimum with no more than two Clubs.

--
Will in New Haven

[Lorne]

On 13/05/2013 14:41, Will in New Haven wrote:
>> 3) Would you ever bid 3C instead of double, if you were 3514 or 4513.
>
> No.
>

How about:

xx
KQxxxx
-
KQJxx

pretty certain you can make something and if partner thinks he has a
penalty double 2D may be making also.

[france...@googlemail.com]

On Monday, May 13, 2013 2:57:07 PM UTC+1, Lorne wrote:
> On 13/05/2013 14:41, Will in New Haven wrote: >> 3) Would you ever bid 3C instead of double, if you were 3514 or 4513. > > No. > How about: xx KQxxxx - KQJxx pretty certain you can make something and if partner thinks he has a penalty double 2D may be making also.

That's not a 3514 or 4513

[Adam Beneschan]

My answers: (1) maybe a queen above minimum; (2) a lot, maybe the equivalent of about 19 points; (3) no; (4) nothing extra--with support for the unbid suits and diamond shortness, double is automatic; (5) with 4=5=x=x, maybe a good 17; with 5=6=x=x, I don't think I'd need any extra strength.

-- Adam

[Will in New Haven]

How does that hand relate to "3514 or 4513?" I also wonder at the 4513
question, since I don't think bidding the three-card Club suit would
_occur_ to anyone.

Yes, I would bid 3C on that hand, although the possibility that they
have a high-level Diamond or Spade contract is sobering.

[vsp...@hotmail.com]

On Sunday, May 12, 2013 9:05:52 AM UTC-7, Nick France wrote:

> I am amazed on how little there is on opener reopening the bidding:
>
> The following sequence is the one that brought this up
>
>
>
> You (OPP) Part (OPP)
>
> 1H 2D P P
>
> 3C
>
>
>
> So what do you need to reopen 3C.
>
>
>
> 1) If you are 5-5 can you do it a minimum hand? If not how much above
>

This is the unexplored territory. Don't think there's any
wide spread agreement. It's all about estimating tricks.
Expected tricks vary wildly depending on the strain.
With 5-5 it is probably safe to reopen with a minimum
on the three level when all the points are in the two suits.
Partner should be careful not to double too closely in
contested auctions.
With all the other patterns one needs more than minimum.