Weekly Hand Analysis - Mark Olsky - December 26, 2022 - Reverse

 

Question:  The South hand shows 5 hearts and 4 spades.  If you bid the hearts first and then the spades you are showing a reverse implying the South hand has 17 or more HCPs which the South had does not have.  In order to avoid a reverse do you bid the spades first even though you have four of them?  If you do that are you misleading your partner?

Mark:

This hand can be awkward for partnerships that are not prepared for it. One popular tool is the Flannery convention (Usually 2 diamonds, artificial) that shows exactly this hand. Many players don't find a weak 2 diamonds useful as a pre-emptive bid, so they use it to plug the hole under discussion. If you don't use that, partner would be wise to respond 1 spade with 4, even with a better minor suit. In that case, opener doesn't promise a strong hand raising 1 spade to 2. Also, if playing 2/1 game force, if partner responds 2 of a minor to your 1 H opening, 2 spades by opener is not considered a reverse by most players, with the possible exception of those who play Flannery.

  I strongly recommend against opening 1 spade with that hand. Partner will assume (and should assume) spades equal to, and usually longer than hearts, so with 3-3 in the majors, a very common holding, should always put you in spades. If I'm playing with a partner where I'm so worried about a potential misunderstanding about a reverse, I'd pass that hand (Even taking a pass-out in 4th seat!) rather than open 1 spade. I'm not advocating a pass, just in preference to opening 1 spade.

Let me add a bit more. Even if the top cards in spades and hearts were reversed, i.e the spades were A,K,10, 9 and the hearts were 10, 9,7,3,2 (5 weak cards) I would still open 1 heart. You might find an occasional experienced player that would open 1 spade with that modification, but the majority of experienced, solid players still value length over strength and maintain disciplined consistency. I disagree with the 2 spade bid and the pass of 2 spades by North. North should carry on to game with the strength that the 2 spade bid implied. I would choose between a pass of 1NT or 2 hearts, which typically shows a 6 card suit, but with this suit quality, it's tempting. Passing 1 NT is normally the best. In this case, 1 NT is likely down 1. However, East is likely to lead the club J, W could well be tempted to play a third round of clubs, thinking that partner might be long in that suit. That would allow N to make 8 tricks for a top board. (5 hearts, ace of diamonds and the 2 established clubs.