In bridge, are there some 13 point hands that should not be opened?

Question

Suppose you have: (s) Jx (h)KQxx (d) KJxx (c) Kxx.

That's 13 points, by the usual count. But I can think of at least two things wrong with it.

First, there are no aces, meaning that the hand has fewer "quick tricks" than the usual 13-pointer. Second, the Jack of spades is "stranded," meaning that might not be worth a full point because it can be picked off by the opponents. And, of course, there is no five card suit, meaning that you need 13, not 12 to open.

Do the above negatives detract from your hand? Or must it be opened since you have 13?

Answer 1

Sure the JS is a fairly pointless HCP, but the spade shortness is worth something in a trump game.

It's the kind of hand that should definitely be opened, but only at the 1 level. The point of opening the hand is to let partner know you've got something, at which point you're looking for a 4-4 heart fit.

So in my opinion the hand should be opened, a heart response from partner should be supported, and a 'pass' is the probable response to all non-forcing circumstances. The biggest danger I can see in this hand is falling into the "use NT as an exit if nothing else works" trap instead of following the "when there's no fit, quit" rule.

Advertise what you've got, and let partner decide if there's any game here.

Well, that's how I read the hand at least.

Additional:

Now to carry on to the more general question, could there possibly be a hand that technically should be opened, but in fact really shouldn't be? Sure there is, but it's important to note that it's all dependent on the situation, and not the hand. The main point of opening a "weak opener" is to let your partner know that you've got the points; it follows that the time to NOT open it is when partner doesn't care.

When does partner not care what you've got? When they don't have a hand good enough to do anything about it. When can you know that's the case? When the situation makes it obvious! For example, when you're in 4th seat and LHO and RHO have both bid. LHO obviously has 13+, RHO has 6+, you've got 13, your partner can't have much to talk about; there just aren't enough points in the deck. When the situation tells you something like that, then you know it's time to sit in the weeds and help the opponents dig themselves into a nice deep hole.

In general, yes, you should open a 13 point hand. Because your partner might really want to know. But there will be situations (not hands, situations!) where you shouldn't bid.

Like all good rules in bridge, you have to know when the rule doesn't apply.

Answer 2

I don't think there is such a thing as a hand that must be opened, of course if you deceive your partner too much they may stop playing with you.

In general I'd open 1nt (assuming weak nt) with this hand even without the J so certainly with. The only occasion I might consider passing is if I'm in the fourth seat and partner has already passed, even this is likely to depend on score/vulnerability at the time.

Answer 3

I find this question amusingly old-fashioned.

I don't know any top player who wouldn't regularly open in 1st and 3rd seat

(s)xx (h)KQxx (d)KJxx (c)Kxx

or, looking at your comparison hand, I don't know any top player who wouldn't open in 1st and 3rd seat

(s)xx (h)xxx (d)AKxxx (c)Axx

It's simply way too valuable to get in first with a bid to disrupt the opponent's bidding and help partner figure out what to lead on defense. Letting opponents have lots of uncontested auctions is a losing strategy unless their bidding is bad or your play is so superior to theirs that you have them beat anyway. You can reasonably safely jump in with either hand, and your partner might not be able to.

(Both hands are passes in 4th seat because of the weak spades. 2nd seat depends on vulnerability and maybe a better read on the opponents' abilities.)

Answer 4

Assuming Standard American (5 card Majors), I'd open this with 1 diamond. If partner responds 1H you can raise to 2H to show how weak you are. With partner bidding 2D you can pass.

What's tough is when partner bids 1S. I personally would rebid 1NT because it best communicates the hand. It denies Spade support, communicates the point count, and truthfully expresses a stopper in every suit but spades. And it does not deny having a 4 card heart suit.

To your general point, yes there are 13 point hands that are better off passed. Two kinds:

1) 3-3-3-4 distribution. This is the worst possible shape for a hand - not just for trump contracts but also for no trump contracts, especially if the 4 card suit is weak.

2) 4-4-3-2 distribution where both 4 card suits are minor and the points are scattered around, with no solid suit anywhere (Note: if you swap the clubs and heart suits in your example, that would fit this template and I would pass).

I do this not because some book says so, but because I've gotten into trouble bidding such hands far too often. Both of these types of hands are better for defense then offense.

In the event your partner has 13+ there's no risk of being passed out of a game - and if you're partner has 12 or fewer than you'll more often then not find that the zero score you get after the hands are passed out is better than the down 1 or 2 you would have otherwise achieved.

Answer 5

Many players adjust the original high-card point count from Milton Work's 4-3-2-1 system. I, for example, discount singleton kings and doubleton queens and jacks. I also add points for long suits, one point for each card beyond 4. I also discount unsupported honors known to be under an opponent's suit, and thus likely to be finnessable. (That would not apply at an opening when nothing is know of an opponent's holding). I also tend to somewhat discount a flat hand, and an aceless hand.

So given the example hand (s) Jx (h)KQxx (d) KJxx (c) Kxx. I would rate this as a bad 12, discounting the Jx totslly, and noting the flatness and acelessness (if I found a fit with partner, i would add for the spade shortness, but only once I had a fit.) I would probably open this with 1D if not vulnerable, and might or might not when vulnerable, in 1st or 2nd set. (I would always open this in 3rd, and I would never open this in 4th seat.)

However, given a hand such as:

(s) Qx (h)KJxx (d) KJxx (c) Kxx.

I would be much less inclined to open. There are really only 11 working points here, and it is flat and aceless. There is no concentrated strength. This looks like a good supporting hand or a defensive hand, so passing and seeing what develops might pay off, especially vulnerable against not.

Answer 6

Most 12 point hands should be opened (one of a suit). The main exception is 12 hcps with a 4-3-3-3 distribution. Such a flat distribution reduces the value of the hand by one point to 11. Other exceptions would be where there are "quacks" (queens and jacks) "stranded" in a doubleton or singleton (also kings in the latter case), that are not pulling their full weight. Barring this, a hand as weak as KJxx KJxx KJx xx can be opened.

In the case of a 13 point hand, I would need either stranded honors or the flat 4-3-3-3 distribution plus another negative not to open. A hand like this might be QJx QJx KJxx QJx. Here, the second negative is that you have no aces and only one king. Even though the point count is nominally "13," it's more like 11 to 11.5 after the two above negatives. And even then, I would open one of a minor if the KJxx were in spades, because you have the "boss" suit under the rule of 15 (an adjusted 11-11.5 points plus 4 spades).

Make one or more of the x's a T, and I would open with 13 points and the 4-3-3-3 hand above. In your example hand, I would open with a 4-4-3-2 distribution and 13 point count. Reduce value of the Jack of Spades to 0, making the hand worth 12 points, and it would still be worth opening with a 4-4-3-2. Although you have no aces, you have three kings (more than your "fair share" of "two aces and kings"). Also, the Q and the second jack are well placed behind your kings.