Difficult openings

A delicate topic : How to open « problem » hands?

Atypical 1NT openings

You have a two-suited hand with Diamonds as your long suit. A priori, the system asks you to open 1♦. Let’s continue a little. Over 1♦, your partner responds 1♠ (nothing really unexpected…). And now?

› You are too strong for a 1NT rebid (which would show 12-14 HCP).
› You don’t have enough to bid 2♥, a two-suited reverse promising at least 17 HCP.
› Your only solution is to choose 2♦, a bid that could just as well come from ♠7 ♥K74 ♦AQ10873 ♣QJ5, and over which partner will have a hard time to continue bidding.

None of those is extraordinary!

You have a much better approximation at your disposal right from your first bid:

open with 1NT. This shows 15-17 HCP in a balanced hand, which is very, very close to what you have. Whenever you have 5-4-2-2 distribution with a five-card minor, four Hearts and 15 or 16 HCP, you are a lot better placed opening 1NT rather than your minor. We said 15 or 16. With 17 HCP, you hand is most of the time worth 18 points and therefore deserves to be opened with 1 of your minor… You can then still choose to jump to 2NT!