[SimonFa]

Real world game, pick up partner 10 mins before we played and my first time in that club as a vistor. We just had time to discuss basics.

Half way through evening things going OK using GBK and I picked up this hand:

♠ xx
♥ xx
♦ AQT9xxx
♣xx

(xx is worse than 8)

MP, W v W

(P) ?

When I first looked at this hand I thought I would pre-empt but I talked myself out of it, mainly because I was in 2nd seat but also because it just didn't feel right. I felt it would have been a no-brainer in 1st and 3rd seat, it was the 2nd seat that swung it.

In the bar afterwards partner reckoned I should have opened and in hindsight I agree, or do I?

Given the circumstances is this a close decision or did I over analyse the situation?

As always thanks in advance,

Simon

[EricK]

I think you should have opened and I don't think this is close. The 7222 distribution is a slight negative, but the strength of the ♦ suit more than compensates. As for being in 2nd position, this just makes it 50/50 whether partner or LHO is the strong hand, and one reason to be more cautious in 2nd seat as opposed to 1st is that there is a greater chance that you are pre-empting your partner. But with all your strength in your long suit and no distributional surprises for partner, he is likely to be able to make a good decision after your pre-empt as this is just the sort of hand he will imagine.

[Phil]

If this hand were a coin, it would be uncirculated. Its not 'mint', but if you wait for the perfect preempt you might as well take the three-bids out of your bidding box.

The only scratches are the 7222, and the fact you have an Ace. Everything else is great.

[S2000magic]

You have about 6 tricks, so this looks like a fine 3♦ in 2^nd seat. In 3^rd seat, I'd be tempted to open 4♦ at these colors.

[rbforster]

Can see 2♦ or 3♦, but not pass.

[jmcw]

I would always pre-empt with this hand. I don't see any glaring flaw...seems more or less textbook 3♦.

3♦ = 10
2♦ = 3
4♦ = 3
pass = 1

[JLOGIC]

You outthought yourself. This is a great hand to preempt with. If you were red vs white and you opened 2 I would say fine if that is your style but it is just too conservative to not open 3 with this hand w/w, and if you didn't want to do that why wouldn't you at least open 2? Does passing really feel right?

[SimonFa]

Thanks all. Its one thing doing all the reading and theory, and I've done a lot in the past 18 months, its another seeing it in the real world.

Another lesson I learned was that if I didn't describe my hand straight away I am going to have a serious problem later. The bidding went:

(P) P (P) 1H
2C ?

At this point I knew I had really got it wrong.

But it was a good lesson and as my first partner said - I don't make the same mistake twice.

Once again, many thanks,

Simon

[Cthulhu D]

My rule of thumb here (not sure if it's good mine, but yeah), is what's going to happen if P bids 3NT on Kx or even Jx. Here it looks very good, you'll take 7 diamond tricks pretty easily, so he only needs to come to two outside tricks. P's probably okay even with xx, (as long as KJx isn't over you or K offside with Jxx onside).