[P_Marlowe]

Pass.

If playing 11-14 NT, I open.

Given you play 15-17, 5 card major, you will open 1C / 1D, whatever.
They will have the bal. of power, outbidding us, do we want a minor suit
attack? No.

[P_Marlowe]

jillybean, on 2025-October-20, 07:46, said:

I'm talking exclusively matchpoints here. Bidding is aggressive, most players preempt freely, open all 12 counts, I don't see many club players opening 11 counts.

The scoring would not matter to me, if I decide to open this one.
The scoring may matter, if you rebid 1NT, p is more likely to pass with a flat 11 count
playing MP, ..., passing a weak NT rebid may still be good policy playing IMPs,
but than he may try to locate a 44, and be endplayed in bidding 2NT.

[pescetom]

 jillybean, on 2025-October-24, 07:18, said:

I did not consider opening 1H and "lying about my major length". This gives me more bids available and another rule to forget.

I would consider 1H and reject it as not worth the risk of that lie versus the potential gains over Pass or 1C. Make the suit spades and 1S it is.
If you are pulling this stunt often it also gives you another disclosure headache, although most TDs will sweep it under the "style" carpet so long as it is reasonable as a deviation (as here). I also find it unduly upsets many opponents, but YMMV on that and how much you care.

[jillybean]

 P_Marlowe, on 2025-October-24, 09:17, said:

Pass.

If playing 11-14 NT, I open.

Given you play 15-17, 5 card major, you will open 1C / 1D, whatever.
They will have the bal. of power, outbidding us, do we want a minor suit
attach no.

Yes, that was my thinking.
Others are saying if you want to open this and don't have mini NT available, open 1H, playing 5cM

Director please ! "It's just bridge"

[P_Marlowe]

jillybean, on 2025-October-24, 09:43, said:

Yes, that was my thinking.
Others are saying if you want to open this and don't have mini NT available, open 1H, playing 5cM

Director please ! "It's just bridge"

I dont believe in 3rd seat openings, but that may just be me, I guess I am getting old.
The suit is ok, but not great, you are 4333.

[TMorris]

jillybean, on 2025-October-24, 07:18, said:

I don't have a problem opening light.
I did not consider opening 1H and "lying about my major length". This gives me more bids available and another rule to forget.

TMorris , partner may have 9, RHO 11, I'm opening 1nt if 10-12 available

Indeed so. It is a matter of probabilities of course. I don't think, opposite a passed hand, we are likely to win the auction so I would rather not give the opponents information. I will also not get doubled in my weak nt which is my opening bid were I to open.

[jillybean]

The more people I talk with and question opening 1H with "only 4", the more I am hearing
"But you are 3rd seat, openings are fuzzy at best"

[akwoo]

TMorris, on 2025-October-24, 12:56, said:

Indeed so. It is a matter of probabilities of course. I don't think, opposite a passed hand, we are likely to win the auction so I would rather not give the opponents information. I will also not get doubled in my weak nt which is my opening bid were I to open.

White vs red at MPs, I would love to get doubled in 1N. -500 is quite likely to be a good score.

BTW, anyone for a psychic 1S? What if you notice LHO obviously having trouble counting their HCP?

I don't like 1H on this hand. If LHO is strong, I don't want a heart lead (it'd be different if my hearts were KQJx); if LHO is average, I don't want to encourage partner to bid 3H over 2S, thinking there are 17 total tricks rather than 15.

[jillybean]

TMorris, on 2025-October-24, 12:56, said:

Indeed so. It is a matter of probabilities of course. I don't think, opposite a passed hand, we are likely to win the auction so I would rather not give the opponents information. I will also not get doubled in my weak nt which is my opening bid were I to open.

?
Am I still enjoying the benefits of playing in Strong NT Land, against less experienced opponents

[Huibertus]

A clear pass. UNLESS you have a partnership understanding that you can open in 3rd for the lead and this can be done on 4 cards major too. In that case ONLY you open 1♥. Opening 1♣ on this hand is ridiculous, you open a 3rd hander only for the purpose of taking your potential ONLY shot at indicating a lead. You don't want a ♣ lead once the bidding leads partner to conclude you must have had a 3rd hander.

[DavidKok]

Very strong assertions. I could not disagree more.

[blackshoe]

Jilly: Mike Lawrence's The Complete Guide To Passed Hand Bidding is highly recommended.

[jillybean]

blackshoe, on 2025-October-27, 04:31, said:

Jilly: Mike Lawrence's The Complete Guide To Passed Hand Bidding is highly recommended.

Thanks. I'd like to say I'll get it but honestly, I'm not a fan of ML and I have a stack of unread bridge books.

[mycroft]

Interesting statement. I tend not to hear that.

I would say that if your introductory experience with Lawrence is "How to Read Your Opponent's Cards" - which many people's are, because it is such an eye-opener and pillar of the canon - try one of his "Complete Guide"s before giving up on him. The focus is very different, and he toned the speed down a bit, so you aren't so overwhelmed so quickly.

(oh, avoid "Card Combinations" - it's a very good book and I need to reread it, but it's not a book about computing percentages and how to determine the best play with a certain combination in general (it basically assumes you know how to do this) - in fact it's almost anti-that (in the style of "I fought the Law (of Total Tricks)"), it's "Here's 8 card combinations, and 50 pages of analysis of auctions and previous play on each one, showing how your thoughts should change based on circumstances". Which is great and actually important, you know, just neither what people expect a book on "card combinations" to be or anywhere near "complete".)

One of my very favourites of his (with *several* caveats on its age - it's pre-VPs!) is "Play a Swiss Teams With Me". It really helped with my post-hand analysis (which still isn't good) as well as "how to play the opponents" and "thinking in competitive situations". Now it is IMPs, which many newer players don't play; but it's not "teach you one thing for 200 pages" like the "Complete Guide"s are, so you have a different thing to think about on every hand.

[DavidKok]

I loved Mike Lawrence's "How to Read Your Opponents' Cards". But, for what little it's worth, I strongly disliked his "The Complete Book on Overcalls". The latter was dated, contained several mathematically false motivations for actions, cherrypicked the results and simply did not survive modern competitive thinking, notably the Law of Total Tricks.

[pescetom]

I only own "How to Read Your Opponents' Cards". As mycroft said, it was an eye-opener for me, even if it sorely lacks a short Preface outlining the bidding and carding agreements which the text takes for granted.