WEAK TWO-BIDS. To open a two-bid with distribution requires 9-11 HCP all other allowed distributions require only 8-10 HCP.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "WEAK TWO-BIDS. To open a two-bid with distribution requires 9-11 HCP all other allowed distributions require only 8-10 HCP."

Harold Joseph
5 years ago
Views:

1 WEAK TWO-BIDS The purpses f the weak tw-bid are: t describe the hand in a single bid, t make the bidding difficult fr the ppsitin, and t avid the need fr light penings in any psitin. Over a tw-bid the ppnents must find their best cntract in a limited and unfamiliar auctin. The purpses f bidding are t find yur best cntract and t hinder the ppnents in finding theirs. These are the requirements fr a Bailey Tw-Bid: Five r six cards (as weak as Q-x-x-x-x) in the bid suit. Tw r three cards in each unbid majr. One t fur cards in each unbid minr. N mre than nine cards in the tw lngest suits HCP if nine cards are held in the tw lngest suits, and 9-11 HCP if eight cards are held in the tw lngest suits. These requirements allw nly five distributins: , , , , and These distributins are shwn in the five examples f weak tw-bids: Kxx xx Jx Jxx Axx Qxxxx KQJ10xx KQ10xx AJxxx Q10xxxx Axx Axx Qxxx Kxxx KJx xx xx xx x x The suit can be weak as in the first example, r strng as in the secnd example. The remaining examples shw mre typical suits. The five t the queen rule is tricky. Is six small better than Q-x-x-x-x? This rule was chsen s partner culd cnfidently lead frm a king high suit. The pint cunt rule culd be stated: T pen a tw-bid with distributin requires 9-11 HCP all ther allwed distributins require nly 8-10 HCP. The pint cunt rules f Chapter 2 are used. Because f flaws, 8-10 may smetimes include 11 HCP and 9-11 may smetimes include 12 HCP. There is n gap between a tw-bid and a ne-bid. The requirements are chsen s that weak tw-bids arise frequently (1.3 times per sessin) and s that partner can intelligently decide between passing, imprving the cntract, inviting game, cmpeting, bidding game, and dubling the ppnents. Majr suit length is mre restricted than minr suit length because respnder is mre apt t want t imprve t a majr, and because the ppnents are mre apt t cmpete in a majr. Knwing that pener has tw r three cards in the majrs, respnder can judge the ffense (r defense) at a majr suit cntract.

2 We reserve the right nt t pen a hand that qualifies as a weak tw-bid. Nt vulnerable, I pen everything that qualifies. Vulnerable, I am using judgment which means that tw-bids are made apprximately n the fllwing: hands with a six-card suit, hands with a strng five-card suit, hands at the tp f the pint cunt range; r I d nt chse t be cnservative at the current scre situatin (behind in a team match r sft results in a pair game), r the ppnents are harmless. We d it n mst hands that qualify. Yu ask abut deviating in third seat? I hate that questin. Yu shuld nt deviate until yu master the fundamentals. The nly deviatin I believe in is a side fur-card majr in third and furth seat. In third seat, I might pen J-10-x-x-x r x-x-x-x-x-x. I wuld nt be t bthered with 8 pints in a hand. Yu culd fllw me frever and I wn't ever have a seven-card suit, 10 cards in tw suits, a vid, r a singletn in an unbid majr. Furth seat weak tw-bids are reasnable. One wuld expect length in the majrs and a near maximum cunt. Weak tw-bids have a suit cunt f (15) suit pints. Thus, ver tw-f-a-majr, respnder shuld invite game with 12 suit pints and bid game with 14 suit pints. The ntrump cunt f a weak tw-bid is A cmputer study cnvinced me that it is right t pund int game with 15 ntrump pints. The respnses are: Suit takeuts are nn-frcing but cntract imprving. Nn-cmpetitive raises are invitatinal. Jump takeuts frce game. Over 2, 2 NT is t play. Over a majr, 2 NT is frcing. Opener shws his lngest minr. If respnder rebids, then a game frce is created, and respnder is uncertain as t the final cntract. The nly exceptin is a cmpetitive raise f the minr suit respnse. The reduble is undefined. Over weak tw-bids (and three-bids), 4 NT is always Blackwd. Respnder is captain. Opener has described his hand and leaves future decisins t partner. Cntrast this with ther tw-bids where respnder's actins are restricted t keep the partnership ut f truble. Frm the requirements fr the weak tw-bid and by lking at his hand, respnder shuld be able t evaluate the ffense f bth partnerships. He has the freedm t place the cntract. It is up t him t see that the best result is achieved frm the bid. Bth partners must favr the use f weak tw-bids. If ne partner is ppsed, he will nt use the best judgment ver his partner's tw-bid, and he will fail t pen tw-bids when his partner culd use gd judgment. Evaluatin f respnder's supprt: Three r mre cards is gd supprt. Dn't raise withut three-card supprt. Tw cards is tlerable supprt. Dn't raise. There may be a better spt. With ne-card supprt, there may be a better spt. Withut a five-card majr r a lng minr, yu accept partner's suit. With a vid, crrect.

3 Here are sme generalizatins (exceptins exist) t direct respnder's actins: Take advantage f the infrmatin abut suit lengths and high-card strength in bth the bidding and defensive play. Be careful abut taking saves. If yu have been playing standard weak-tws, whatever that is, yu will nw find partner better defensively and prer ffensively. The tw-bid suggests a part-scre deal. Let the ppnents play their part-scre cntracts undubled. When they vercall they tend t reach either average r inferir cntracts. When they try t steal a game, hwever, it may advisable t duble, fr this helps the weak tw-bidder n defense. Takeut a 2 bid with a five-card majr. The majr is either a seven-card r an eightcard fit. Dn't takeut t the three-level unless yu have a singletn r vid in partner's suit. Fifteen HCP will prbably prduce game. Jump t game if yu are certain where yu want t play. A jump t three-f-a-majr shws a five-card suit and asks partner t bid either 3 NT r 4-f-the-majr. N strength is shwn by suit takeuts. Dn't respnd with 2 NT ver 2 unless there is a reasnable hpe f making 2 NT. Three-card supprt and HCP is enugh fr a cmpetitive raise. Opener shuld nt bid again (and will nt want t) except when respnder has made a strength shwing bid, e.g. 2 NT r a bid after an ppnent's vercall. Respnder shuld rarely psyche in respnse, r take a premature save. Examples KQJ10x Qxx xx xxx?. This is nt a weak tw-bid. With yu need 9 HCP. xx QJ109xx KQJx x?. Yu have 10 cards in tw suits. Offensively, yu can take seven tricks at hearts. If yu pen and the ppnents cmpete, yu will want t bid 3. If yu pen, partner will misjudge bth the ffense and defense. He will crrect t inferir cntracts, miss 4, etc. AQxxxx Kxxx Kxx?

4 Bid ver. Takeuts are nn-frcing and yu will play which yu knw t be a better cntract than.if takeuts were frcing yur chices wuld be t pass, r t bid and then 3. may be the last makeable cntract fr either side. Yu have t be able t find and then play yur best cntract ver yur wn preempts. KQxxx x xxx AKxx? Bid ver. It is wrthwhile t predict the auctin at ther tables. Here, if partner passed, we wuld pen the bidding, and it culd g: 1 1 NT , 4 We guess that mst f the time this deal will play in a spade part-scre. We dn't believe in "ging with the field," but it is nice t knw what they are ding. If the ppnents enter any f these "ther table" auctins, they are apt t be dubled. Qxxx Kxx Ax Jxxx 2,,? yur partner's tw-bid. T raise preemptively makes the unwarranted assumptin that the ppnents are ging t bid. If yu pass, yur hand remains an unknwn quantity, and fr this and fr the ability t invite game, we give up the preemptive raise. Over the pass, the ppnents can nly guess abut yur cunt and distributin. If the ppnents bid, raise spades r hearts t the three-level. This is a minimum cmpetitive raise f hearts. If the ppnents bid 3 (they can have nly seven spades), yu expect t set them. A part-scre duble n this hand, thugh, will lse mre matchpints than it gains. I wuld duble 3 NT because this duble helps partner n defense by annuncing that the ppnents have misfired.

5 K109xx xx QJx KQx? Yes, it was partner wh pened.. A cnverse f a Gren rule is: "A passed hand ppsite a passed hand will nt prduce game." Neither d yu need t bid 4 as a save. If game makes in an experienced field yu will get a zer because ne partner will pen 1 and the ther will bid 4. If yu think 4 shuld make mre ften than nt, then run a simulatin. Rarely will partner's weak tw have a 50% r better play fr game. K10xx Kx AKxx Jxx?. This is a maximum pass. With ne mre pint yu wuld drive t game ver. Because yu have an pening bid, feel free t duble the ppnents when they cme int the auctin. QJx KQxx AJxx xx? With a full pening bid, this part-scre shuld belng t yu. It is all right t let the ppnents vercall push yu t the three-level. With n interventin, this hand qualifies as a spade raise (yur 12 suit pints plus partner's 11 suit pints equals 23 suit pints) - a pass f may wrk ut. If partner had pened, raise t 3. If partner had pened 2, pass, r raise t 3 t invite 3 NT. Q10xxxx x KQx Axx,2? Bid ver r 2. The crrectin prmises nthing and partner is expected t pass. If 2 is vercalled with, yur bid f is still nn-frcing, but may be raised. If they cmpete with 3, I wuld bid 3. Qxx x Axx KJ10xxx,?

6 A maximum pass f. A clear cut bid ver. T imprve the cntract t the three-level, yu wuld like t have a six-card suit. KQxx QJx AQJx xx 2,? With 15 pints bid 3 NT ver 2. A secnd chice wuld be t raise 2 t 3 t invite 3 NT. Furteen suit pints is enugh t bid 4 ver. AKJ10x Qx KQxx xx 2? In principle yu jump shift t 3 t frce t game and t find five-three majr fits. This five-card spade suit is adequate t play a 5-2 spade fit, s jump directly t 4. AQxxx KQJxx Qx K 2? Science allws the jump shift t 3. With three spades and tw hearts, partner bids 3 as a check back fr spades, and usually this allws the strnger hand t play 3 NT. With five spades we then raise t 4. We have just dummy reversed the hand. 10xxxx Qxxx Jxxx 2? Frtunately, when yu pick up a rag like this, partner des nt pen 2. Yur actin depends n the ppnents and the vulnerability. Suppsedly yu bid ver 2. If the ppnents frget t duble 2, we might let partner btain experience in a 5-0 trump fit.

7 What Can G Wrng? The types f hands respnder may have fr the 2 NT frcing respnse are: Five-five r lnger, r even fur-five in the minrs, and scrambling t a better cntract. Tw-card supprt fr partner in a game ging hand. Five cards in the ther majr and a game frce. Chice between game and slam in sme suit. A minr-suit game frce, where game in pener's majr is a pssibility. Opener's respnse t 2 NT is t chse a minr, and that caters t: x xx AJxxx K10xxx? Bid 2 NT ver. Partner will pick his lngest minr. Over a nt vulnerable, it is prbably right t bid 2 NT as this frces the ppnents t find spades at the three-level. Vulnerable, and ver a pening, it may be right t pass, i.e. yu surrender and allw the ppnents t easily find their spade fit rather than g fr 200 at a minr. x AKxxx K10xx 3 Jx AKxxx K10x 3 Partner raises with three hearts, bids 3 with six spades, r bids 3 NT. AKxxx x K10xx 3

8 Partner raises with three spades, r bids 3 NT. Yu culd als jump directly t 3. Then, with n spade fit, partner plays 3 NT. The difference between the tw respnses is wh declares 3 NT. AKxxx Jx K10x 3 This auctin is frcing and shws exactly tw hearts. If partner is n the ball, he will bid 3 with three spades, and we will find ur 5-3 spade game. If he is slppy, he may rebid 3 NT with three spades, and we will miss ur spade fit. K10x Jx AKxxx? Respnder can bid either 3 NT r 3. The delayed 3 NT bid shws uncertainty abut which game t play, and the nly ther strain that has been mentined is hearts. Kxxx AK AQxxx Kx 4 Here the uncertainty is between game and slam. I cannt recall a minr-suit game frce initiated with a 2 NT respnse. Here is a pssibility: Kxx N AQx Axxxx W E Kx Qxxx S x x KQJxxxx 3 3 (r 4 ) Once respnder bid 3 (r 4 ) a game frce was created. A crllary t the 2 NT respnse is that a jump t 3 NT sets the cntract, and pener can rebid his suit nly if it is playable ppsite a vid.

One who logically dares, interferes and pre-empts wins

One who logically dares, interferes and pre-empts wins One wh lgically dares, interferes and pre-empts wins 3X Frcing Pass pening 3X Frcing Pass is a ne level aggressive and pre-emptive pening cnventin that cmpliments Hexagn a 2/3 level pening cnventin. They