Partner goes off on own picking opening bid

“What do you think of my partner’s bidding?” a club player asked me. “We were playing five-card majors, but he went off on his own: He opened one heart and rebid two diamonds. I could have bid 3NT next, but if he’d held 3, KQJ94,A752,Q83,we might have gone down there after a spade lead.”

I occasionally see players open in a four-card suit when they have a lowerranking five-carder. Some would open one diamond withA4,65,Q1043,A K 10 8 7, intending to bid two clubs after a major-suit response. They believe it is mandatory to show both suits, and the hand is too weak to “reverse.”

That approach is misguided. If your opening values are minimum, open one club and rebid 1NT or perhaps two clubs. You limit your strength promptly and avoid distorting your pattern. (After a one-diamond opening, you might wind up at a 4-2 fit.)

In today’s deal, opening one heart is risky. Your partner will expect a five-card or longer suit.

I asked whether South had made four hearts. It turned out that he had won the spade opening lead (East unblocked his king) and tried a trump finesse with the jack. West won and continued spades, and South ruffed the third spade and took the A-K of trumps hopefully. When East discarded, West was in control and got another trump and two more spades for down two.

South misplayed. After he takes the first spade, he should cash the A-K of trumps. When East-West follow low, South starts the diamonds. He loses two trumps and a spade but keeps control and finishes with 10 winners.