1.2 Which Suit to Open?

Now that we know how much we need to open the bidding, let’s look at our choice of denomination. If you have a balanced hand with limited ranges, you will bid notrump first:

1NT	15-17 HCP, balanced hand
2NT	20-21 HCP, balanced hand
3NT	24-25 HCP, balanced hand

It follows from this that if you have a balanced hand, and open with a suit, your point count is outside of these ranges. Therefore, you will have 12-14 HCP or 18-19 HCP!

It is almost always right to open the bidding in your longest suit. That’s easy enough to see, but which suit you choose when you have two or more suits of equal length takes a bit more explanation.

Let us look at balanced hands first as they are the simplest.

Choice of Suits to Open with a Balanced Hand

Major Suit Openings show five cards (remember 5-3-3-2 is balanced).

1♦ Opening shows four, unless you are specifically 4-4 in the majors with 3 diamonds and 2 clubs. We will use the notation 4=4=3=2 to indicate this specific distribution, whereas 4-4-3-2 would include any hand with this general pattern.

1♣ Opening shows four, unless you are 4-3-3-3 with a 4-card major, or 4=4=2=3.

If you are 4-4 in the minors, you will usually open 1♣ if you anticipate being able to rebid 1NT (you have a balanced hand, both majors stopped) with 12-14 HCP or 2NT (any balanced hand) with 18-19 HCP, otherwise, open 1♦ so you have the option of rebidding 2♣.

With the balanced hand the traditional way is to open 1♦, the modern style is to open 1♣. It doesn’t matter which you do, and it doesn’t even matter a lot that your partner knows.

Choice of Suits to Open with an Unbalanced Hand

Open your longest suit with unequal length. Even if you have a five-card major, it is correct to open 1m if you have a six-card minor as well. Six-five hands need to describe their shape accurately. However, if you have 4 diamonds and 5 clubs, consider opening 1♦ to allow yourself a rebid with a semi-balanced or unbalanced hand.

With 4-4-4-1 hands, open your minor, if you have both minors, open 1♦.

With 5-5-x-x or 6-6-x-x hands, open your higher ranking suit.