[phoenixmj]

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If you play a strong 2C is 22+ points OR 8.5 tricks, should you ALWAYS open 2C with any 22 point hand?


This hand came up and it was PPP to me. This hand has 22 HCP, but is also has a 6 LTC - although it might be better than a 6 with adjustments. The spade suit lacks "texture" and I know my partner does not have an opening hand. I probably only need 4 points and a spade fit to make 4 spades and the only forcing bid I can open is 2C.


Do you look at a hand like this and say - I can open 2NT (I am a point strong but i have 3 tenaces and the KQ of clubs. OR, do you say I am going to open 2C and then bid spades. Or, do you say this hand is really only "worth" 19 ish points so I will treat it as such.

I have frequently opened hands that have lower point counts but also fewer losers with a 2C open - so this is somewhat the reverse of that. IMHO weaker than its HCP.

As always - interesting hand and I look forward to hearing different opinions - or a universal opinion if there is one.
Thx in advance

[TylerE]

Anything but 2C-banana-2NT is losing bridge.

Bidding 101 - when you have a sequence that shows a specific hand (22-23 balanced, in this case), and you don't do it, you don't have that hand.

[mikestar13]

The lack of spot cards in hearts and clubs is a negative factor, but not sufficient to downgrade the hand IMHO, and I do downgrade when I think it appropriate, unlike the very frequent upgrade freely, downgrade never school.

[FelicityR]

I would never open 2♣ and bid ♠s here. It's a 2NT opening - if 2NT is 20-22 HCPs in your system - every time in my opinion. I look at the ♣KQ doubleton as the equivalent of ♣A. It's more 21 HCPs than 22.

Opening 2♣ here is overstating the strength of the hand.

[TylerE]

A 3 pt 2nt range is unplayably bad. I’d rather play it as exactly 20 than 20-22. This is 22, not 21.

The reason 2NT cannot be 22 - or even a good 21 is that responder needs to be comfortable passing with a bare king.

[fromageGB]

> If you play a strong 2C is 22+ points OR 8.5 tricks, should you ALWAYS open 2C with any 22 point hand?

Almost. Some hands will be 8.5 tricks in a suit but less than 22 hcp, so you should open those 2♣, and it's hard to imagine a single-suiter or two-suiter with 22 hcp that does not have 8.5. The exception could be a 3-suiter, say AKxx, x, AQJx, AKJx where you have 22 but you have nowhere near 8.5 and you do not like to rebid 2NT with that heart suit. You would open that one 1♦ I expect.

Having said that, I think your requirements are too lax and I would prefer balanced 23+ OR no more than a trick short of game in your own hand. So that's 9 tricks in a major, or 10 in a minor. Therefore as no 2NT open or rebid should be more than a 2-point range, 2NT is for me 21/22 and you think of something else for your 19! As you can see, I disagree with Tyler and open this 22 with 2NT, and I am happy to pass that with a bare K. Imagine this hand with any K you like opposite. A club lead, and you can take only one finesse to set up a suit. I do not fancy the odds in 3NT.

[pigpenz]

pick your poison open 2♣ followed by 2NT or just open 2NT, if that 1 hcp is gonna kill you
then thats life