[Wackojack]

Your are playing Acol 12-14 no trump

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1. Do you open this 1♦ or 1NT?

2. Generally regardless of strength of 1NT and points in the 1NT range and a 2254 distribution if you were to open 1NT what cards would you require in the 2 major suit doubletons?

3. Reverse diamonds and clubs so a 2245 distribution. Same question.

4. Opposite 1NT opener you have a good hand with 5-5 in the majors. How do you avoid playing in a major when a no trump contract is better?

5. Playing weak no trump it is doubled for penalties. You are weak with a 4432 or 4423 shape. How do you avoid wriggling into a 4-2 major fit?

[gszes]

If your NT methods do not include a way to show 55 majors and game
forcing (below 3n) I would always opt for 1d followed by 2c (54) or
1c followed by 2c 45 IF my club suit was decent (else back to 1d 2c).

Most common method used to show 55 majors and game forcing is 1n 2h 2s
3h and opener then follows up as needed (including bidding 3n).

[Jinksy]

I don't claim much insight into this, but my preferences fwiw:

Wackojack, on 2015-January-03, 12:38, said:

Your are playing Acol 12-14 no trump

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1. Do you open this 1♦ or 1NT?

Either looks fine to me. Depends on vul, perhaps - favourable I'd prob prefer the preemptive value of 1N, unfavourable I want to get to the right contract, so I lean towards 1♦. But would have no objections to a P opening either at any vul.

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2. Generally regardless of strength of 1NT and points in the 1NT range and a 2254 distribution if you were to open 1NT what cards would you require in the 2 major suit doubletons?

I seem open 1N on such shapes fairly conservatively, but for me Qx or better in both would normally be a rough min. Seat is also relevant - with a 12-dodgy 13 and a decent diamond suit, I'd often prefer 2♦ in third.

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3. Reverse diamonds and clubs so a 2245 distribution. Same question.

Now it's more about what my club suit looks like, since I don't have the choice of rebids 2254 offers. If I have a comfortable 2♣ rebid I might open 1, else I'll lean towards 1N with maybe 3+ points in the majors.

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4. Opposite 1NT opener you have a good hand with 5-5 in the majors. How do you avoid playing in a major when a no trump contract is better?

This just seems like something to chuck into your laundry list of things you might want your 1N continuations to deal with. It's not obviously one that would make the final cut though, since if P is 5-5 in the majors, 4M might well play better than 3N.

For my main partnership, 1N 2D / 2H 2S is forcing, and opener can bid 3m with a max and the corresponding major, or 2 or 3N with this shape or an uninspiring (4333) - but we play a Fantunes weak NT, on which all 5422s in the range get opened 1N.

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5. Playing weak no trump it is doubled for penalties. You are weak with a 4432 or 4423 shape. How do you avoid wriggling into a 4-2 major fit?

Obviously it depends on your methods, but short answer is you probably don't. I play responder's 2m as a controlled psyche, which might be a hand with both majors - in which case if he bids his 3 card minor and P shows up with 5 cards in it, the opps might not be able to X you there.

Playing natural runouts, there's nothing to stop you bidding 2m on a 3-card suit for the same reason, then pulling to 2H if you do get Xed.

[nige1]

Wackojack, on 2015-January-03, 12:38, said:

Your are playing Acol 12-14 no trump

---

1. Do you open this 1♦ or 1NT?

2. Generally regardless of strength of 1NT and points in the 1NT range and a 2254 distribution if you were to open 1NT what cards would you require in the 2 major suit doubletons?

3. Reverse diamonds and clubs so a 2245 distribution. Same question.

4. Opposite 1NT opener you have a good hand with 5-5 in the majors. How do you avoid playing in a major when a no trump contract is better?

5. Playing weak no trump it is doubled for penalties. You are weak with a 4432 or 4423 shape. How do you avoid wriggling into a 4-2 major fit?

IMO

• 1♦ = 10, 1N = 9.
• No particular requirement.
• 1N = 10, 1♣ = 8 because a 2♣ rebid is unsatisfactory.
• Responder can show 5-5 in the majors and opener can bid 3N.
• After a double, 2 any is natural and weak, showing 5 cards. Redouble shows at least two 4 card suits and usually "puppets" 2♣. If opener has a 5 card suit, however, then he bids it instead. (This gets the partnership to 2♦ in the first case but doesn't help much in the second case -- although it does give opponents more opportunity to let you off the hook).

[Tramticket]

1. 1D. My 1NT openings will be balanced unless there is an exceptional reason - not this hand.
2. Most of my values in the two majors and a very weak 5-card suit.
3. 1C.
4. I wouldn't - I would "expect" us to have an 8-card fit in at least one major.
5. I play Halmic. There are no guarantees, but I haven't played in a complete mis-fit for a long time (maybe I'm due one!)

[1eyedjack]

1) 1N for me. It's a 4-handed game.

2) I don't care too much about suit quality.

3) Well yes, still 1N. This question really only has relevance to those who choose 1D in response to Q1.

4) I can show GF with 5-5 in the majors without committing beyond 3N. But to be frank if I did not have that facility available the fear of this rarety would not be sufficient to deter me from opening 1N.

5) Again, as with 4, there is a risk of coming unstuck here. Hasn't happened to me yet. No doubt it will. Again not something to deter me from the bid.

[the hog]

1nt for me also. I would play 4s as i have no way of showing 5/5 gf in the Ms at the 3 level.

[Zelandakh]

Wackojack, on 2015-January-03, 12:38, said:

1. Do you open this 1♦ or 1NT?

1♦ 1st/2nd; 1NT 3rd/4th but I have no strong objection to a 1NT opening.

Wackojack, on 2015-January-03, 12:38, said:

2. Generally regardless of strength of 1NT and points in the 1NT range and a 2254 distribution if you were to open 1NT what cards would you require in the 2 major suit doubletons?

I guess something like Kx or AQ would be positive. The weaker the minor suits the more appealing 1NT looks.

Wackojack, on 2015-January-03, 12:38, said:

3. Reverse diamonds and clubs so a 2245 distribution. Same question.

Here 1NT for sure.

Wackojack, on 2015-January-03, 12:38, said:

4. Opposite 1NT opener you have a good hand with 5-5 in the majors. How do you avoid playing in a major when a no trump contract is better?

I have a system advantage here. The sequence for a GF major 2-suiter is 1NT - 2♦; 2♥ - 3♦. Now Opener can bid 3NT with 2245.

Wackojack, on 2015-January-03, 12:38, said:

5. Playing weak no trump it is doubled for penalties. You are weak with a 4432 or 4423 shape. How do you avoid wriggling into a 4-2 major fit?

My runout method (modified Spelvic) allows Responder to show the stronger major but does not differentiate between 44 and 54 shapes. So the result would be playing in the better 4-2 fit. Not ideal but at least it is better than those that can only show both majors.