Weekly Hand Analysis - Vic Johnson - January 31, 2022 - 1NT with no spade stopper

 

Question: N has 17 hcp and a balanced hand, should it be opened 1 NT even though there isn’t a stopper in S?

Vic:

Opening NT bids promise a point count within a narrow range (ideally not more than 3 points) & balanced distribution (no void - no singleton - not more than one doubleton). They absolutely DO NOT promise a stopper in every suit. In fact, it is possible Opener might lack a stopper in more than one suit. 

So yes, the proper opening bid for North is 1NT.  

Remember: The initial focus of bidding is simply to describe your hand to partner (points & distribution). An opening  bid of 1NT does NOT tell partner that you want to play the hand in NT. Maybe the two of you WILL ultimately decide you do want to play the hand in NT. Or maybe not. It depends on what partner has in their hand.