[kaitlink]

I opened 2♠ on this hand the other day at a club and wasn't sure how to play it.

Scoring: MP

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What do you think of my 2♠ opener? I got the diamond 8 lead, how should I play it?

[Cascade]

2♠ is fine.

What lead did you get?

[gwnn]

I gave up on this hand.

Maybe you shouldn't have put it in the beginner forum

[wclass___]

♦A then ♠ is obvious...
I might have obtained some info by now.
Possible continuation: ♠K and ♣Q

[cherdanno]

Actually, I really like ducking the lead. RHO won't be able to read this lead as from shortness (especially if we duck without much thought), so he may just duck, and we can pitch ♥ K via the club finesse. Or he may go up and underlead his ♥A.

I don't like the 2♠ opening btw. The shape is a plus, but the many honors in short suits (Qx, K tight) and the bad suit are a minus. KJT8xx x KQxx xx would be a much better 2♠ opening.

[vuroth]

I go up with the A♦, run a ♠ (probably playing the J, but whatever). Next chance I get, I'll probably run a ♠, hoping to catch Hx or HH. Ultimately, I'd love to draw trump and establish diamonds, although the chances of my having losers to throw on diamonds by then are slim, I guess.

I don't care for the 2♠ bid, though honestly I suspect that many intermediates would make it. A better suit would certainly help, as you found out when you had to declare it.

[Quantumcat]

The reason a 2♠ bid isn't very good is that you have a lot of defence and a bad suit, so you may find your partner sacrificing when he has some spades and they can't make their 4♥ or 3NT contract.

i.e. imagine your p has

♠A643
♥J64
♦K
♣JT432

And the auction goes
2♠ 3♥ ?
or 2♠ X ?

I'm sure most people would bid 4♠. And they can't make 4♥, because the 2♠ opener has so much unexpected defence.

Anyway, with the play, you don't mind diamond ruffs too much, since with a bad trump suit they are probably only ruffing with natural tricks. But, you don't want them to make a diamond and TWO ruffs, so take the ace so they can make only 1 diamond and one ruff. That's pretty much it. They'll make some trumps and a club and heart and diamond, you'll scrape together eight tricks in the end. Also, RHO is more likely to have the ace of trumps (people who lead singletons like to find their partner with aces rather than have them themselves), so I'd probably lead toward the king of trumps, then play a low one.

[Codo]

Some people do not like your weak two because it is too strong.
Some don't like it because it is not pure.
Some would bid 3 Spade with 6/4.

Style differs, but yours is perfect too.

For the play, I would duck too, but I have no real idea what is the percentage play.

[gwnn]

I like 2♠, it's the least bad option I think.

[Fluffy]

I would also duck, the lead migth be from K108

[Phil]

Fluffy, on Aug 18 2009, 04:48 AM, said:

I would also duck, the lead migth be from K108

Or from KT8x. Even 8x gives us some entry flexibility.

If it is from KT8, we are at the gates of fat city: win in hand and hook the club possibly ditching a heart.