rhm, on 2018-August-02, 09:56, said:
No help?
What would you call North singleton spade? A liability?
If you think North is too weak to splinter, then he should have made a second negative (2NT looks very dubious) to be able to splinter.
Rainer Herrmann
Hi Rainer
Methods matter.
For example, I play 2H immediate negative. I appreciate that there are a lot of players who scoff at this, but I've had my share of successes with it, and better players than I also play it. Fred G. does, as I understand it, and he isn't exactly a weak player:)
One of the problem hands for this method is a minimum 2C opening bid with hearts as the primary suit. Kokish allows such hands to be bid very efficiently if partner is kind enough to respond 2D (as will happen most of the time), but over 2H negative one is pretty much forced to use 3H as a gf, and this hand (a) isn't much of a gf opposite a bust and (b) may not time out well in terms of finding a fit.
Imo, if one plays 2H immediate negative, when I think that opening 1
♥ is a reasonable choice, since one is assured, if the auction continues, of a chance to pattern out while suggesting something close to this strength.
One may also find that opening 1H works better than 2C on some hands when one plays control-showing responses to 2C.
1H 1N 2S 2N 3D shows ostensibly 4=5=4=0 with gf values opposite a 1N call that is ostensibly 5-12 hcp
In addition, if the opps interfere over 2C, one expects that to more likely than not to be in clubs.....we will often find that the auction times out better after 1H (3C) ...(as one example) than if it went 2C (3C), when we have yet to indicate anything about shape.
Thus, while I accept a 2C opening bid, I think it unfair to dump on a 1H alternative.
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari