Comments: I found this hand a problem as an opening bid at either 5-card standard or Acol.

And Peter's Response:

Hi Michael,

Clearly you are properly thinking about your rebid when choosing the opening bid, otherwise there is no problem.

This hand pattern and the similar one of 1-4-4-4 with a singleton spade present similar difficulties.

After the opening bid, whatever it might be, if partner responds anything other than 1S, the rebid will be straight-forward e.g. 1C: 1H, 3H etc.

When partner responds 1S it is, I believe, an abomination to rebid 1NT with a void or singleton in partner's suit.

Thus we need to open a minor suit and have another bid in mind after partner's 1S response.

I would suggest, holding 1-4-4-4, open 1D and rebid 2C with a modest opening bid and rebid 2H with sufficient values to reverse. You need to hold 18 plus to have reversing values with a three-suited hand short in partner's suit.

With 0-4-4-5 shape, either open 1C, rebidding 2C with modest values or, open 1D and rebid 2C. The choice should perhaps be determined by the strength of the club suit.

With a big hand open 1C planning to reverse into a red suit.

A similar problem exists opening a 4-4-4-1 shape with a singleton club. After your 1D opening, should partner respond 2C it is usually best is to rebid 2D with a modest hand.

Bidding NTs early in an auction ought to describe a balanced hand pattern. Partner of the NT bidder can then judge accurately where to place the contract.

There is nothing quite so galling as bidding a six-card suit aggressively after partner has rebid NTs, on the basis that the suit can be established, only to find that the hand collapses when the fit is 6-1, not 6-2 or 6-3 as expected. When the opponents have six cards in your main suit, they break favourably (3-3) only a little over a third of the time, with 5 cards outstanding, 3-2 can be expected more than two thirds of the time, and with 4 cards, either 2-2 or 3-1 will happen nine times out of ten.