Posted 2025-June-27, 00:17
Ok, I’ll try to avoid sarcasm.
Assuming you’re sincere, which isn’t clear to me given your seeming refusal to accept advice, let’s talk our way through how this hand should be bid. I appreciate that i don’t claim to know your methods, but you’re playing robot bridge so presumably some poor version of 2/1, which is what the robots bid…badly.
We have a pretty good 21 count, with every suit stopped…in the sense that if we declare there is no suit that they can lead and run right away.
The hand is semi-balanced.
What to open?
1C can be passed when we’re cold for 3N. Something like 109xx Jx QJxx xxx gives us decent play for 3N.
Moreover, 1C then reversing, if available, into 2H tends to suggest a less notrump suitable hand, and in no way implies 20+ hcp. Here’s a typical reverse: Axx AQJx x AKxxx
Bear in mind that by necessity we are discussing probabilities not certainties. Plus we are doing our best to describe our hand to partner.
One of the biggest drawbacks of robot bridge is that the software is simply awful, and what could be a powerful subtle auction with a competent partner becomes largely a guessing game, but I know that you play real bridge sometimes, so I’m discussing this in the context of a not utterly hopeless human partner.
So far we’ve got two reasons to choose an opening other than 1C, of which our 21 hcp and all suits stopped (in terms of the opening lead if we declare, is the most important.
Next…hand evaluation, while irrelevant to the proper final contract, is very important when playing with a live partner.
You have 21 hcp. Assuming you play 20-21 for 2N, you might open this 2N. Remember, you can always find hearts after 2N, unless partner has an appalling hand, and surely you’d like to declare a heart contract rather than lay down dummy, with a possible killing diamond lead….whether defeating you or merely costing an overtrick.
But compare this to Axx KQxx Kxx AKQx.
Same honours in same location but I hope the you can see that the fifth club..in a suit headed by AKQ…is worth something. It’s what experts call an upgradable holding. i’d value this at 22 hcp
If your range is 20-22, fine. But most 2/1 players use 20-21.
So, unless you’re one of those players who simply counts hcp, this is well worth 2C then 2N (unless partner surprises us by showing long hearts).
You’d glide into 3N.
Btw, to bid as if you know that parrtner can’t stayman with 4H, and that LHO has good diamonds but chose to lead something else, and that you don’t have 9 easy winners is just silly.
Edit: you may think ‘all the books I’ve read show 2N (or 2C then 2N) as having really balanced hands, 4333, 4432, or 5332. Partner won’t expect me to be 5422.’
There’s an important principle in bidding theory, often omitted from books for beginners. It’s called the least lie.
Bridge books aimed at beginners or intermediates use example hands, to illustrate correct bidding by (typically but not universally afaik) that match the suggested strength and shape. Plus many 5422 hands are easy to bid…give me 4 spades and a five card minor, say 4=2=2=5, and I can rebid spades over any red suit bid and if partner bids notrump or raises clubs, I know we don’t have a spade fit so I might not even bid the suit.
Here, if you had 3=4=2=4 shape, same point count, it’d be a classic 2N. So classic it could be put in the dictionary under ‘2N opening bid’.
Opening 2N ‘lies’ by the tiniest of margins….the club 2.
It’s otherwise perfect. Every suit stopped, no singleton or void, and 21 hcp. Ok…for me I upgrade but at your level it’s probably best not to do that much.
Compare to 1C then 2H. That shows a very wide range of hands, almost none of them containing 21 hcp and many of them distributional.
You had a chance to make a virtually textbook description of your hand but chose, out of fear, to distort your hand, never coming close to describing either the semi balanced nature of the hand, or the 21 hcp, or the stoppers in yiur short suits.
Think about this. Would you open 2N with Axx KQxx Kx AKQx?
If you say no….RHO might get on lead and run the diamonds through me because LHO might have diamonds….my advice is to give up the game.
If, otoh, you recognize that 2N is the right call, then ask why you let the club 2 tell you otherwise. Isn’t the club 2 the cheapest possible lie?
This principle arises many, many times. I’d say that it arises maybe once or twice a session. And the simpler your methods, the more frequently it will arise. There are so many billions of hands possible and so few bids available that you’re often holding a hand on which no call you make us a perfect description. So yiu have to lie. Learning to make the best lie is an art.
Btw…one reason experts tend to play complex methods is the complex methods allow one to describe more hand types than do simple methods….but at your level…keep it simple until you are comfortable.
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari
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