EW Vul E Dealer	♠ Q 9 8 4 ♥ A 4 ♦ Q 8 2 ♣ J 10 7 4
♠ A K 7 6 5 ♥ K J 10 5 3 ♦ K 3 ♣ A		♠ 2 ♥ 9 8 6 2 ♦ A 7 6 5 4 ♣ 8 6 5
	♠ J 10 3 ♥ Q 7 ♦ J 10 9 ♣ K Q 9 3 2

Hi Andy,

From a teams game on BBO. I was W. At the other table, our S overcalled 2♣, W rebid 3♥ and ended in 4♥, +2. Partner suggested I could have opened 1♥ and reverse later. If I had opened 1♥, he would have bid 3♥ and I’d go to game. With four losers, I decided against 2♣ because of the 5-5 majors. Maybe 2♣ would have got us to 4♥ too. Would appreciate your advice. 

Many thanks. 

Regards, Henry

Hi Henry,

I think you can chalk this hand up as unlucky. I would also open 1♠ (though change the hand to AKxxx AKxxx Kx x and I would open 2♣), and would be left playing in 1♠ too. This is certainly a lesson hand for South, holding a doubleton heart and a 5332 shape, it is probably not the time to balance as the opponents may find a potential heart fit!

As for opening 1♥, this is what bridge players can be guilty of – resulting. Yes, 1♥ would have worked, but to say the plan is to open 1♥ and reverse into spades is a complete misdescription of the hand (i.e. you will never get to show 5-5, and if you do rebid the spades twice, that would imply a 5-6 shape) and misdescribing my hand is something I would never consider when I have an easy “1♠-followed-by-hearts-and-more-hearts” plan.