[mgoetze]

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[diana_eva]

I'd open.

[gszes]

1H

Hardly the most substantial opening bid ever but in PO seat it seems surprisingly useful as 12 hcp hands go. Easy rebid(s) and the 55 distribution is anything but horrific from an offensive standpoint. Nvul means that even if you manage to get too high the negativity factor will remain small. Lots of potential gain and not much risk. Seems ideal to open (especially at IMPS). MP going negative at all can be bad so the risk/reward ratio is much closer but overall it looks like your side should be somewhat better off opening vs passing.

IMPS 1H = 8
MP 1H = 6.5

[Tramticket]

12 HCP, 5-5 distribution, plenty of intermediates. The singleton king is a negative, but an easy opening for me. I can envision many hands opposite where we might make game.

[Phil]

Yes. Could be wrong of course but you just get used to such things.

[billw55]

55 and three tens? 1♥ 100%

[rmnka447]

1 ♥, I'm an opener also. Without the plethora of intermediates, say, ♠ A5 ♥ Q7632 ♦ K ♣ K7542, I'd pass.

I wouldn't criticize anyone who would pass this hand.

[Jinksy]

It's close, but I'll pass. It feels too offensive for us to be beating 2♠ if they bid it, and too defensive to expect 3 of anything to be odds on.

[Manastorm]

1♥. I like 5-5 shape, good high cards, the only downside is a bad singleton king. I think this is a much stronger hand than a minimum balanced, which I would open. I am not afraid of losing a partscore battle, I win some too. If partner shows a good raise, would I try 4♥? Of course.

[fromageGB]

deleted

[mgoetze]

I guess I should have specified it was matchpoints - agree opening is more attractive at IMPs.

I passed it out and of course we had 11 tricks available in hearts or clubs, partner bringing along ♦Axxxx. But I figured it could just as well have gone p-p-p-1♥; 1♠-p-2♠. Oh well, thanks for the input guys.

[neilkaz]

1♥ is clear to me.

[mr1303]

I think 1H 1S P 2S is unlikely, since partner is marked with at least 8 ish hcp. What is more likely is that partner might bid 1nt or double, and then you need to bid 3 non forcing clubs.

My biggest concern is that 3S might be cold and 4C/H one off.

[PhilG007]

Open 1 heart and wait to see how the land lies... bear in mind that,since partner has
already passed,a change of suit from him is no longer forcing.

[fourdad]

If 5-5 hands were not powerful in play there would not be Michaels or Unusual NT conventions. Are they less powerful because you are opener? Methinks not.

1♥ 100% of the time.

[kenberg]

Oh drat! I just saw post 11 where the OP says pretty much the same thing. Oh well. I really did come to this (comment below) on my own!

So I guess my fear is something like this: I open 1H, lho overcalls 1S, partner passes, rho bids 2S, I do what? I can hardly double, partner will no doubt (or little doubt) bid 3D. Bidding 3C over 2S could get exciting. I suppose I pass and hope partner has something to say when 2S is passed around to him. If he says 3D, he is playing it there.

All in all, I still open 1H. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. But I can see a point in passing.

[Manastorm]

Is pass really an option here? I fail to see the merit. I get hearts in first, have 2 clear suits to offer and opponents haven't bid. If I was worried that opponents could outbid us, they are less likely to do it now. I should be much happier than at start, when I clearly had something. If you give me those cards every deal, I beat anyone in pairs.

[rmnka447]

mgoetze, on 2016-April-29, 15:52, said:

I guess I should have specified it was matchpoints - agree opening is more attractive at IMPs.

I passed it out and of course we had 11 tricks available in hearts or clubs, partner bringing along ♦Axxxx. But I figured it could just as well have gone p-p-p-1♥; 1♠-p-2♠. Oh well, thanks for the input guys.

Don't beat yourself up too much for passing. It's close. Most of the time the result is a part score/set one way or the other, but you can't predict which way it'll turn out. All you can do is use your best judgment and realize that if you do so, in the long run, you'll break even on the results.

[lycier]

This hand is too weak, can't provide two quick tricks, so it doesn't meet the opening condition.
I'd pass at once.

[ggwhiz]

1♥ is clear in my partnership as we don't open as many 11 counts as most.

However the corollary to the rule of 15 favored by Bergen is to also open if you are willing to go to the 3 level and I am. It would be a touch safer if you reverse the minors so they can't kibosh our club contract with a big diamond fit but still takes a big parlay to be wrong.