Ask Jerry

Source: www.jerryhelms.com

Dear Jerry: Playing five-card majors, would you ever open with a four-card heart or spade suit? P. S., Randburg, South Africa

Dear P. S.: I have noticed that some partnerships which have agreed to play five-card majors stick religiously to the “rules” and never open with a four-card major suit. I feel this is too inflexible. Even though I play 5 five-card majors with many of my partners:  5  A K Q 8  8 5 4 3 2  A 9 5, I  would open 1 with this hand.

If I follow the five-card major directive all the time and feel I have to open 1 because I don’t have five hearts, I’m not going to enjoy my rebid problem if partner responds 1 —and partner always seems to make the response I least want to hear.

What are my choices now? I don’t want to rebid 1NT showing a balanced hand; I don’t want to rebid 2 with such a ratty-looking five card suit; and I don’t want to rebid 2, a higher ranking suit at the two level, which is a reverse showing extra strength. That might force the partnership too high. Partner could have 6 or 7 points and would have to now bid 3, preferring diamonds to hearts as the trump suit.

To avoid these unpalatable choices, I would open it, even with the four-card suit, planning to rebid 2 if partner responds 1. That shows hearts and diamonds, potentially with a minimum hand, which sounds about right. True, I’m suppose to have a fifth heart, but these four hearts feel like a five-card suit, and the five diamonds feel like a four-card suit.

What if partner is not the flexible type? Then I’d open 1 and choose my poison after partner responds 1. I’d probably choose 1NT for the rebid, even with a singleton; but I try to find partners who are adaptable and appreciate that, in this situation, considering the rebid problem takes precedence over making it imperative that a it opening guarantee at least a five-card suit.

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