We’ve finally left behind the annoying 1NT section. In comparison, the rest of the convention card will be a breeze.
In this article, we will cover the items in the upper half (as shown) of MAJOR OPENING.
Five-card majors
Of course, LC Standard uses 5-card majors. In 3rd or 4th seat, however, I recommend occasionally (“rarely” is probably a better word) opening with a good 4-card major. For example, after two passes, I like 1♠ (not 1♣), holding: ♠KQJ9 ♥J52 ♦A32 ♣J32. The hand could easily belong to the opponents (since partner already passed) and I want a spade lead. Opening 1♠ has more preemptive value than opening 1♣. I’m not in too much danger of partner burying me by getting me too high in a 4-3 fit (again protected by his passed-hand status). As to the exact parameters for opening a 4-card major, that’s up to the individual (and vulnerability-dependent), but it always has to be a good suit (lots of honors). I would never open a 4-card major as the dealer or in 2nd seat.
Major-Suit raises
While Bergen raises are popular, they are not part of LC Standard. For one…Click Here to continue reading