[Toradin]

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Hi all, playing a fairly basic 2/1 system, what would you open with this hand and what would your subsequent bidding plan be? The scoring is in IMPs. Thanks!

[ggwhiz]

1♦ planning to bid 3nt over 1♥ showing a gambling 3nt on steroids (solid suit with outside stuff) that would fit this hand reasonably well if only the K♥ was in a black suit.

Over a 1♠ response something like a bizarre 3♣ bid, natural game force and hope I know what to do at my next turn.

Over interference by them, ????

[rmnka447]

You have too much to ever contemplate any preempt. If you preempt, partner will never be able to picture you hold all the values you hold. As a result, you're likely to miss quite makeable games or slams.

For instance, holding ♠ Axx ♥ Axxx ♦ xx ♣ KJxx after a 3 ♦ preempt, partner would pass but the hand is laydown for 6 ♦. Partner can't even bid 3 NT because you will often open 3 ♦ with KQ10xxxx, KJ10xxxx, or possibly worse in ♦ -- there's no assurance ♦s will run.

A strong 2 ♣ is out because you have too many losers -- you want to reserve that bid for hands where you are within a trick of game (i.e. 3 loser hands).

2 NT just plain misdescribes the hand -- both in point count and distribution.

You have 17 HCP and a 5 loser hand. So you should open 1 ♦ with this hand. It's true that the ♥ K and ♣ Q probably aren't worth full value as a singleton and doubleton respectively. Even so, you should strongly bid this hand because it has so many playing tricks.

After a 1 ♥ reply by partner, I also like a 3 NT rebid.

Over any other response, I'd probably make a jump response of 3 ♦.