[the_dude]

Scoring: IMP

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What is your opening bid? I've been away from the game for a while and I'm wondering what the modern style is.

[dburn]

I haven't been away from the game for any length of time at all, but I'm also wondering what the modern style is.

[gwnn]

I think I'd bid 1S.

Also ran
3S (if you play that opening 3 bids actually promise playing strength)
4S (actually fun bid but really with 6 cards..)

Have absolutely no merit and are abominable:
Pass
2S

[Cyberyeti]

gwnn, on Aug 11 2010, 11:20 AM, said:

I think I'd bid 1S.

Also ran
3S (if you play that opening 3 bids actually promise playing strength)
4S (actually fun bid but really with 6 cards..)

Have absolutely no merit and are abominable:
Pass
2S

Largely agree with this.

2♠ has very little merit unless you play the 8-12 or 10-14 style, I'm not opening one that stops at 10.

[Fluffy]

I dislike the ♦Q so I'd open 3♠, but close to 1♠.

[pooltuna]

I choose the abominable 2♠ callbut as a lite opening fan I could live with a 1♠ call if partner allowed for it (i.e. didn't play 2/1)

[Fluffy]

pooltuna, on Aug 11 2010, 04:58 PM, said:

I could live with a 1♠ call if partner allowed for it (i.e. didn't play 2/1)

I understand your logic, but I beleive you are wrong, many people who play 2/1 will open this kind of hands at the 1 level.

[P_Marlowe]

Depends on your system / playing enviroment.

Assuming something like North America / Standard American,
a 1S opening is the most likely bid, that will ocurr, but you may
also see Pass or 3S.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[CSGibson]

2♠. I'm first seat, this is within my preempt range even white vs red.

[gszeszycki]

white vs red the infamous license to steal position in first chair. Opinions about alternatives first:)

2s accurate suit point count but this hand would be a decent 2s bid r/w has little merit w/r because it is way too good.

1s some find this close to opening bid but I feel it gives poor (anti acid addicted) partner a totally wrong idea of our potential defense in any competitive or slam
oriented auction. I mean would you really want the excuse but P i told you I had
the worst hand I could in context:))))

3S has some solid merit in setting suit preemting a significant amount and warning p about a serious lack of defense. AT MP I think this would merit consideration as
top spot but sigh this is IMPS and here it strikes me as trying to stop on a dime
(3s vs 4s) at the slight risk that the preemtion was not sufficient. 3s will win mostly
tiny amount of imps (vs a 4s opener) but lose big when we miss game or opps bid a game they would never arrive at over 4s.

my favorite 4s
Trump suit decent enough to play opposite even 1. Huge amount of preemption
and warns p about our defensive liability if opps do bid. Severly limits our power
just like 3s but who knows maybe p will hit with a nice club fit and 4s will make
when it can never be bid if we open 3s

This is how I like to use my license to steal by giving p a pretty fair evaluation of
my hand in a playable spot with some (virtually impossible to evaluate) upside potential.

[jjbrr]

I would open 1♠

[Pict]

Looks like agreement and taste.

I play 6-10 points so this is 2S.

If I played n-m where m is less than ten, then 1S rather than 3S.

[nigel_k]

Pict, on Aug 12 2010, 08:16 AM, said:

I play 6-10 points so this is 2S.

I play 6-10 points so this is much too good for 2♠

[MFA]

I like 3♠.

[Pict]

nigel_k, on Aug 11 2010, 02:42 PM, said:

Pict, on Aug 12 2010, 08:16 AM, said:

I play 6-10 points so this is 2S.

I play 6-10 points so this is much too good for 2♠

Nigel

What does a suitable ten count look like?

[Vilgan]

Easy 1♠ for me. Colors reversed, 2♠ might be worth considering. Not so when its w/r.

[nigel_k]

Pict, on Aug 12 2010, 10:34 AM, said:

nigel_k, on Aug 11 2010, 02:42 PM, said:

Pict, on Aug 12 2010, 08:16 AM, said:

I play 6-10 points so this is 2S.

I play 6-10 points so this is much too good for 2♠

Nigel

What does a suitable ten count look like?

2♠ would be fine if it was:

AQJxxx
xx
Qx
Jxx

Having a 6-4 shape and good intermediates in both long suits means it just has too much trick taking potential for a weak two bid. If it's 10 it should be an ordinary looking 10 at most.

[Cyberyeti]

Pict, on Aug 11 2010, 04:34 PM, said:

nigel_k, on Aug 11 2010, 02:42 PM, said:

Pict, on Aug 12 2010, 08:16 AM, said:

I play 6-10 points so this is 2S.

I play 6-10 points so this is much too good for 2♠

Nigel

What does a suitable ten count look like?

6322 almost certainly, a 6421 10 count is too good without a stiff honour.

[awm]

I might open 2♠ if we were vulnerable. At NV, the combination of a very good suit and the extra distribution is too much playing strength.

I'm sure that 1♠ is a popular choice here, but I like to have some values for my one-level openings. It doesn't make much sense to me that there are hands I'd open 1♠ with at NV (where we want to bid games less aggressively) but would not open 1♠ at V (where we want to push for games).

So this looks like a 3♠ opening to me. I'd make the same opening bid without the ♦Q (which I don't think really adds anything to the hand).

[jdonn]

1♠ is a real wtp to me. 3♠ doesn't seem very accurate to me, as far as hand type is concerned it would fit 2♠ but of course it's a bit too good.

But all that said, I don't think you will usually come to much harm with any of those choices. Pass and 4♠ seem really insane.