that hand
AQxxx / A / AKJx / ATx
The Korbels bridge blog is great reading, have you seen it? I fell in love with this hand (which Shannon and I also open 1S, by agreement) when it really fit perfectly a question I’d been asking George some weeks ago.
We play a cool gadget George got from Alfredo called Gazilli. It’s fairly uncommon in the US, so I’ll hit the highlights: when we open 1M and partner responds 1M or 1N (1H-1S; 1H-1N; 1S-1N), opener’s 2C rebid is either natural and weak (11-12hcp, 5+M and 4+C) OR any strong hand, 16+ (or, in Alfredo’s case, 15+).
I’ve been asking George about the 1M range he plays with Ralph. He says he’d like to be able to open this hand 1S but feels compelled to open 2C. Shannon said we definitely open 1S. Judi Radin, with whom I’m going to play at the spring nationals, said she opens the hand 2C playing any methods.
Is Gazilli a red herring? If you play it, do you open this hand 1S or 2C? Take away the diamond Jack, now do you open it 1S or 2C? Move the diamond jack so you hold AQJxx in spades, now is it different? Does this hand really turn on the presence or absence of the jack of diamonds? If you open 1S, what would you change to make it a 2C opener?