[rduran1216]

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[Cascade]

3♠ middle of the road.

[gwnn]

4♠

[Cyberyeti]

gwnn, on 2011-December-05, 02:59, said:

4♠

Agreed, position and vul say this is right.

[kgr]

3♠ MP's
4♠ IMP's

[Mbodell]

I expect to take 6 tricks opposite nothing from partner. I'm favorable. I'm bidding 4♠. If partner does have nothing then they could easily be cold for a slam.

[rhm]

Mbodell, on 2011-December-05, 05:08, said:

I expect to take 6 tricks opposite nothing from partner. I'm favorable. I'm bidding 4♠. If partner does have nothing then they could easily be cold for a slam.

And if partner has some secondary values and length in the red suits along with a singleton ♠ you may go for a number with no terrible breaks and nothing on for them.
When you end up with 6 tricks in ♠ it does not follow that partner was broke.
RHO passed already and if they still have slam sometimes 3♠ will be more effective to keep them out.
4♠ is easy to double, 3♠ is not.

Rainer Herrmann

[Flameous]

♠T makes me open 4♠.

If my club was a heart, I'd be more inclined to open just three, as it's more likely they would end up playing 4m or 3Sx.

[S2000magic]

4♠; lefty's gotta be itching to get into the auction.

[dake50]

Pass. Hoping to back into 2S-X, 3S-X later.

[gordontd]

S2000magic, on 2011-December-05, 07:14, said:

4♠; lefty's gotta be itching to get into the auction.

No reason lefty can't have a balanced ten-count.

[gwnn]

gordontd, on 2011-December-05, 07:53, said:

No reason lefty can't have a balanced ten-count.

Surely you can think of reasons why that's unlikely though!

[phil_20686]

rduran1216, on 2011-December-05, 00:38, said:

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4S.

Also, this kinda question best asked in a poll imo.

[fromageGB]

gwnn, on 2011-December-05, 07:54, said:

Surely you can think of reasons why that's unlikely though!

While I would say the chances are less than 50%, therefore in the literal sense "unlikely", I see no reason to suppose LHO has a 20 count or a game force. That is much more unlikely. My feeling is "normal opening hand" is likely.

[gwnn]

I would say the chances of LHO holding a balanced 10 count is less than 5%, not 50%. Maybe less than 1%. Nobody said they would play LHO for a 20 count.

[aguahombre]

Looks like a 3S opener to me; will save my divining powers for some other time.

[mikeh]

If we open 4♠, then I'd expect that we would end up playing 4♠ doubled much of the time.....maybe not most of the time, but certainly quite often. LHO will frequently have the hand to double and rho will usually not have any reason to pull.

So opening 4♠ is committal, while if we open 3♠ and LHO doubles, partner is there to help us.....we probably don't want to be in 4♠ unless partner thinks it's a good idea.

Otoh, we certainly increase the chances of a great outcome by maximizing the pressure via 4♠. I think this is close and I don't think that the adherents of either approach can demonstrate that theirs is the better over the long run. Go with whatever style you and partner enjoy. I know that with some partners I would bid 4♠ and with others only 3....I seem to have more fun with the 4♠ bidders tho

[Phil]

gordontd, on 2011-December-05, 07:53, said:

No reason lefty can't have a balanced ten-count.

Awesome! Then we might make 4♠.

(C'mon people grow a friggin' backbone already )

[fromageGB]

gwnn, on 2011-December-05, 09:10, said:

... Nobody said they would play LHO for a 20 count.

Of course you are correct in the last sentence. I was merely trying to imply that 3♠ is a sufficient preempt, and that there is no need to open 4 to make slam difficult for them to bid. I should have expressed that.

[gwnn]

Again, nobody said they would open 4♠ to make slam difficult for them to bid.

You might retort that nobody said anything whatsoever about why they would open 4♠. That is a fair point, so let me break this evil trend: I open 4♠ because it looks like a 4♠ opener to me.