Openings with 5+ card Spades

   

Opening Bid options for hands with a 5+ card in Spades

First we must eliminate special holdings of 5+ Spades which are processed in other ways:

A) All hands with 5+ spades and a second suit of 5+ cards and an LTC of <7LTC strict counted, are handled by BETA's 55+ sequences.

B) With 6+ Card spades, HCP+DP of 18+ & an LTC of  <5LTC are opened with  2♠.   See Beta's 2S sequences.

C) 5 Card spades + 1|2 4 card any other suit, HCP+DP of 18+ & an LTC of  <5LTC are opened with  2♠. See Beta's 2S sequences.

D) 6 Card spade suit and  HCP  6-9  See Beta 2D sequences. To show a weak 2. Note distributions without a Singleton or Void are not recommended

E) With 7+ Card Spades and LTC >=7LTC See Beta's pre-emptive  bids

G) Hands with 23+ HCP & 5+ card Spades and LTC <=3.5 & NO 4 card suit open with 2♣.  See Beta's 2C Sequences

H) Balanced Hands with 21-22HCP & a 5 card Major are opened 2NT responder uses Puppet 2 bid which discovers the 5+ card Spade suit - all other bids are transfers -

P) <10HCP and no significant distributional values:.....PASS

All other hands with 5+ spades are opened 1.
Continuation guide shown in the following table.:

Case 1. LH opponent  calls PASS & Partner bids as below:-
4 16+HCP
4+ card spade support, balanced, game+ values & max 1 of AKQ
SWISS
4 16+HCP
4+ card spade support, balanced, game+ values & min 2 of AKQ SWISS
2N
16+HCP
Balanced 2+ card spades. Partners bid up-the-line,opener can rebid spades showing 6+ cards.
BARON
3|4S

Distributional raises 4+ card support
Limit bids
2H
10+HCP
5+ card suit, 10+ HCP
Forcing
2mi
9+HCP
4+ card mi, 10+ HCP
Forcing
3mi

6+ card suit
BREAK-OUT
1N
6-9HCP
denies 3 card spades, shows 2 card

2S

3 card spade fit or Hx. H=A|K|Q
non-forcing
2CDH

good 4|5 card followed by 4S
DGR
3N

Natural to play - requires 15+ HCP


If opener rebids 2|3 this shows 6+ cards.

2-level 5+ card suit Intervention by LHO

This alters the responses significantly:-

2NT.          This response showing support  at least  to the 3-level. This convention is Trustcott - also known as Jacoby.
Double.      When ones armoury includes Trustcott a Double now shows interest in the 2 unbid suits - also often useful.
New suit:    Natural. Shows a 5+ Card suit. May also be a 4+ card and a precursor of a DGR sequence with a rebid of 4.
Other bids:  Limit raises, Swiss, & 3N to play,