[y66]

You deal yourself xx AKJ9x -- AJT9xx

Do you open this 1H planning to bid 2C over 1S or 1N?

That seems pretty clear after re-reading mikeh's stuff on reverses (maybe after 3 times it will sink in).

Unfortunately, that's not what I did. I opened 1C thinking I had enough playing strength to reverse. We ended up in 6N (pard had 17 highs). She played it beautifully and managed to get home with some help from friendly opps. Think she's still shaking her head about that one.

Edit: fixed typo in hand.

[cherdano]

I would open 1♣ and reverse to 2♥, rebidding 3♥, since the suits are so great. Partner should give some leeway for 6-5 hands reversing.

[jillybean]

me2

[Codo]

The playing strength is surely big enough to bid a reverse.

[P_Marlowe]

1C followed by 2H.

Reaching 6 NT was certainly not the result of
reversing, after I showed 6-5, partner should
be aware, that we should play one of my suits.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[G_R__E_G]

The hand shown is actually 7-5 with 14 cards in it.

[mikeh]

Assuming that the hand is 5=6, I have to confess that I would open 1♣ and reverse into 2♥

My post on reverses was intended to address the usual reverse hand, based on great hcp strength and some shape requirements, with a particular emphasis on how responder (and opener) could incorporate either lebensohl or Ingberman afterwards.

As I mentioned, at the end of the initial post, the subject of reverses was more complex than I had discussed... at the time, I did not anticipate that the post would be made permanent

Had I known that, I would have added a section on 5=6 hands.

5=6 hands are, in my view, exceptions to the usual rule. Where one draws the line varies from player to player, and partnership to partnership.

Last weekend, playing the GNT District Final semi-final, I held x KQJxx AJ9xxx x

I opened 1♦, intending to reverse into 2♥ despite holding only 11 hcp. Now, this is a rock-bottom minimum for me, and I would not have done it without the heart J and the diamond 9.... make either suit even a tad lighter and I would have opened 1♥ (assuming I still had an opening hand). LHO overcalled 1♠, partner made a negative double, rho bid 4♠ and I bid 5♥, got doubled and made it.

At the other table, a fine player (true expert, with better credentials than I have) opened 1♥. He also ended up in 5♥ doubled for a push

I don't have rigid rules for when I open 5=6 in the 6 card suit, intending to reverse.

It really comes down to trick taking and suit quality. I need some combination of hcp and/or suit quality. The better the suits, the fewer the hcp I need to perpetrate this reverse. You can get some idea of what I mean from the red 2-suiter described above.

Many experts require more than I do.. I suspect I am at or close to the low end of the spectrum in terms of acceptable strength, but I am a big believer in both the power of shape and the importance of showing it.

As for followups.... responder should always be wary of an auction in which opener rebids his reverse suit, to show 5=6 or wilder. Responder should understand that these auctions strongly suggest downgrading Queens and Jacks, and even Kings, outside of opener's suits and upgrading, even more than normal, all fitting cards and side suit controls... especially Aces.

My apologies if my original posts had caused confusion... if you were 5=6, then I think you bid correctly with your reverse. However, I don't treat 4=7's as aggressively, for reasons that would take too long to post here, in detail.

[jillybean]

mikeh, on Apr 11 2008, 08:30 AM, said:

Had I known that, I would have added a section on 5=6 hands.

The mods can always add your sections on 5=6's and 4=7's to the original post.

[ArtK78]

Clearly strong enough to open 1♣ and then bid hearts twice.

[jdonn]

Easy reverse. Don't blame Mike's post if you don't, he didn't talk about 5-6 hands! Probably the minimum with that shape is something like 13 or outstanding 12 with all your strength in your suits, a hair more if some is in the short suits. Since this is an extremely good 13, reversing is easy.

Sorry you got too high this time once you bid hearts twice after opening 1♣ partner should be very aware that this range is possible.

[y66]

Thanks everyone for your posts.

p.s. to mikeh - the confusion is 100% on my end (and pard's ). Thanks for taking the time to further clarify this interesting, difficult problem area.

[Echognome]

mikeh, on Apr 11 2008, 07:30 AM, said:

Last weekend, playing the GNT District Final semi-final, I held x KQJxx AJ9xxx x

I opened 1♦, intending to reverse into 2♥ despite holding only 11 hcp. Now, this is a rock-bottom minimum for me, and I would not have done it without the heart J and the diamond 9.... make either suit even a tad lighter and I would have opened 1♥ (assuming I still had an opening hand). LHO overcalled 1♠, partner made a negative double, rho bid 4♠ and I bid 5♥, got doubled and made it.

Surely you bid 4N and corrected to 5♦ over 5♣?

[cherdano]

Echognome, on Apr 11 2008, 01:04 PM, said:

mikeh, on Apr 11 2008, 07:30 AM, said:

Last weekend, playing the GNT District Final semi-final, I held x KQJxx AJ9xxx x

I opened 1♦, intending to reverse into 2♥ despite holding only 11 hcp. Now, this is a rock-bottom minimum for me, and I would not have done it without the heart J and the diamond 9.... make either suit even a tad lighter and I would have opened 1♥ (assuming I still had an opening hand). LHO overcalled 1♠, partner made a negative double, rho bid 4♠ and I bid 5♥, got doubled and made it.

Surely you bid 4N and corrected to 5♦ over 5♣?

Why would Mike do that opposite a negative double?

[Echognome]

cherdano, on Apr 11 2008, 11:06 AM, said:

Echognome, on Apr 11 2008, 01:04 PM, said:

mikeh, on Apr 11 2008, 07:30 AM, said:

Last weekend, playing the GNT District Final semi-final, I held x KQJxx AJ9xxx x

I opened 1♦, intending to reverse into 2♥ despite holding only 11 hcp. Now, this is a rock-bottom minimum for me, and I would not have done it without the heart J and the diamond 9.... make either suit even a tad lighter and I would have opened 1♥ (assuming I still had an opening hand). LHO overcalled 1♠, partner made a negative double, rho bid 4♠ and I bid 5♥, got doubled and made it.

Surely you bid 4N and corrected to 5♦ over 5♣?

Why would Mike do that opposite a negative double?

Aha! I knew I missed something.

[kenrexford]

1♣...♥...♥ for me also.

The 7-5-1-1 problem reminded me of a funny story. Playing in a Blue Club, if you catch my meaning, partner found himself with that pattern, but neither he nor the short opponent noted the issue. We ended up in a slam, down one. This settled the debate between us as to whether to count winners or losers. He had his systemic bid at a specific point in the auction (9 winners), per his definition, but not by my definition (four losers). When I bid the slam with three clear covers, down one, I explained that this was impossible if he had his bid. He described his nine winners, which stumped me, until we worked it out. (A claim of down one delayed the revelation until the next round, when the hand was brought to my partner for clarification of what card he did not have, an inquiry that failed to yield a solution other than eventual laughter and a win of the debate by me.)

[ArtK78]

kenrexford, on Apr 11 2008, 04:34 PM, said:

1♣...♥...♥ for me also.

The 7-5-1-1 problem reminded me of a funny story. Playing in a Blue Club, if you catch my meaning, partner found himself with that pattern, but neither he nor the short opponent noted the issue. We ended up in a slam, down one. This settled the debate between us as to whether to count winners or losers. He had his systemic bid at a specific point in the auction (9 winners), per his definition, but not by my definition (four losers). When I bid the slam with three clear covers, down one, I explained that this was impossible if he had his bid. He described his nine winners, which stumped me, until we worked it out. (A claim of down one delayed the revelation until the next round, when the hand was brought to my partner for clarification of what card he did not have, an inquiry that failed to yield a solution other than eventual laughter and a win of the debate by me.)

Ken, are you sure you were down 1 in slam? Last I checked, the definition of a slam contract was a contract to make 12 tricks. The fact that you lost 2 tricks is not material if you do, in fact, make 12 tricks.

[the hog]

1H for me followed by 2C. I lack the high card strength for a reverse despite the quality of the suits.

[655321]

Easy 1♣ opening followed by bidding hearts twice.