okay

[Cope]

Didn't really have anything to say, but this board was empty and looked lonely, so I thought I would start a bridge question:

What would be your opening bid with this hand:

Spades A, Q, 10,
Hearts K, Q, 9
Diamonds J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 3

[Lew]

1 DIAMOND IF YOUR PARTNER IS A NEWBIE, DJ OR ROBERT.
1 NO TRUMP (AND PRAY) WITH JOHN, TERRY, OR DARREN

Either way you hoping to go out on this hand.  Either with a 3 no trump (very dangerous) or something else.  But your screwed if your partner wants to fight you or is the just have shit for cards.

I suppose that 1 diamond is really the right bid, I just like taking risks with a hand like this.

[Cope]

1 no trump would be a very interesting bid here.......... more than likely the rebid from your partner would be in clubs, hearts, or spades (probably in that order.) In all 3 cases, do you come back with a diamond bid of 2 or 3.......

[Lew]

If your opponents are not bidding it is probably a pretty screwed up hand.  After all you've forced them to open with two with a no trump bid.

If your partner comes back with a club, all you can count on is that clubs are his long suit in a bad hand.  So come back with a 2 heart and hope he leaves it or goes to spades.

If he bids hearts or spades your probably in good shape with a two bid.

If your opponents are bidding, your probably better off on defense.  Especially if they get to three.

I'm not nearly as optomistic about this hand as I was yesterday.  It looks like a strong potential for two partners to bid against each other until they're set.

I still think the right opening bid is a 1 diamond for this reason, but the no trump is the best way to get to game if you don't go set instead.

[Cope]

Actually, I think the 1 NT bid isn't bad, if your partner knows to bid his lowest best suit. This gives good range for rebidding. If you get lucky and your partner bids 2 Clubs, you fire back 2 diamonds and see where it goes.

The problem with 1 diamond is it will probably die out at a 1 or 2 bid because of the possible funny splits. The NT bid always adds aggression to bidding.........

[Fingers]

T, did you just start this post to have more posts than me!  Well, this one puts me one up!  BTW, a 1 n/t is ballsy but prob the right bid.

[Cope]

No, that's not why.........if I was going to do that it would look mre like the newest post in this section.

[Fingers]

I knew that would work!

[Dj]

What would be your opening bid with this hand:

Spades A, Q, 10,
Hearts K, Q, 9
Diamonds J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 3

Mark-Mark would bid 1-club...

[Dj]

Ok, seriously, you have 12-points (15 counting the void) and a 7 card suit. That's a 3-Diamond opener.

Worse-case scenario, you lose three ♦s pulling trumps and somehow lose the ♠K. You will lose the ♥A. So, you have five losers in your hand alone, but odds are not all 6 remaining ♦s are to the right of you. 

Yeah, 3♦s is a very safe bid. With any luck, your partner could provide you with a little slam.

What would be your opening bid with this hand:

Spades A, Q, 10,
Hearts K, Q, 9
Diamonds J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 3

[Cope]

The 3 bid is a good agressive bid. I like to  talk a little more than that though. Most of the people in this group would not rebid as your partner.

Here is my thinking.......75% of th etime you will end up at 3 diamond, which is a makeable hand, but it is still just 60 points. Bidding lower allows for the chance of a conversation.

What do you think?

[Dj]

Bridge is like sex...if you don't have a good partner you'd better have a good hand. And I don't talk much during my sex either, so that's why I jump out there instead of talking too much.

An inexperienced partner might sell you short - if I start 1D or 2D just to talk, but they only have 2 little diamonds in their hand and the Ace of Hearts, they might be shy to respond, and I'm stuck with a little bid in a minor suit. I'd rather get stuck at 3D.

An experience partner (with the same hand) is going to know why you bid 3D and realize you have long (or strong) diamonds. They should either support to 4D or tell you their long suit by bidding 3 of Hrts or Spds (or 4Club). This puts the decision back in the stronger hand (where final bidding should fall back to by default). Now consider how strong their Hrts or Spades are and jump to 4D or 5D... hard to analyze bidding without knowing what's in the partner's hand to know how they should be responding.

But, I think with this strong of a hand, you look for partner's response and consider the slam. You only need to shore up a few holes. If they have long clubs and 2 or 3 diamonds, who cares about the losers in hearts and spades?

[Dj]

I guess my Bridge is like sex, too - I play it aggressive!

I know TMI... 

[Dj]

What about?

♠ 9 8 6 5 2
♥ Q 7
♦ K J 10
♣ A K J

[Cope]

More than likely, I don't touch this hand unless my partner bids first. But if I had a good feeling, I would bid the spade. All things being equal in the other 3 hands, you can easily catch 5 with this hand - 2 trumps, A, K, K.