WEAK 2 BID (PART II)
DEFENSE TO THE WEAK TWO BID
When your opponents open with a weak two, you should have some simple defense to counteract the preemptive effect of the bid. Here is a suggested defense:
Assume the opening bid is 2♥.
| East | South (you) | |
| 2♥ | 2♠ / 3♣ / 3♦ |
Strongish 5 card suit, minimum, (usually a six bagger) at the two level, six-card suit presumed at the three level with opening bid values.
| 2♥ | Double |
Takeout: same strength as needed to double a 1♥ opening bid.
| 2♥ | 2NT |
15-18 balanced. Same as a 1NT overcall of a 1♥ opening bid. With 15 HCP, a double stopper is suggested.
| 2♥ | 3♥ |
The cue bid shows a solid suit and asks partner to bid 3NT with a stopper in the opener's suit.
| 2♥ | 4♣ / 4♦ |
Leaping Michaels. A poweful two-suiter with the minor you are bidding and the unbid major. The distribution should be 5-5 or 5-6. (The six card suit the minor).
Give it a try
Assume your right hand opponent opens 2♥. What would you bid with each of the following hands?
- ♠AJ54 ♥65 ♦KJ87 ♣AJ3
- ♠K87 ♥32 ♦KQ987 ♣KJ8
- ♠54 ♥AJ108 ♦AK87 ♣654
- ♠KQ987 ♥2 ♦AKJ983 ♣3
- ♠2 ♥43 ♦KQ987 ♣AQJ98
- ♠A7 ♥87 ♦A7 ♣AKQJ976
- ♠987 ♥AJ9 ♦AKJ8 ♣K98
- ♠8 ♥AJ87 ♦KQ87 ♣KJ65
Solutions
- Double — You would have doubled a 1♥ opening, so double a 2♥ opening.
- Pass — You tend to have a six-card suit to overcall at the three level.
- Pass — And hope partner reopens with a double.
- 4♦ — Leaping Michaels. A powerful diamond/spade two suiter.
- 3♦ — 2NT is natural and the cue bid asks for a stopper. Partner will expect 6 diamonds unless, but if you bid clubs later, partner will play your for 5-5. (See #2)
- 3♥ — 3♥ shows a solid suit and asks partner to bid 3NT with a stopper in their suit.
- 2NT — Shows 16-18 balanced with at least one stopper in their suit.
- Pass — There is no sane bid at this point to describe this hand.
THE 2C OPENING BID
When you play weak twos, your only forcing opening bid is an artificial 2♣ bid. You show your "real" suit or your strong notrump hand (22-24 HCP) at your next opportunity.
One popular method for responding to 2♣ is to use 2♦ as a waiting response, which means next to nothing. A 2♦ response denies a long, strong suit, but does not deny a strong hand.
Say you hold:
♠AJ43 ♥K764 ♦J10 ♣J76
Respond 2♦. You will catch up later.
A positive suit response to a 2♣ opening shows at least five cards in the suit, typically, but not necessarily, headed by three of the top five honors or two of the top four honors with 7+ HCP. A positive response should show at least one ace or two kings.
These hands qualify for a positive response of 2♥ if partner opens 2♣ (unless you play that the response absolutely promises two of the top three honors.)
- ♠A3 ♥QJ1054 ♦J98 ♣987
- ♠2 ♥KJ873 ♦KJ932 ♣97
- ♠K4 ♥A97643 ♦32 ♣874
Here are a few common sequences that begin with 2♣-2♦. Assume you are the responder.
| Opener | Responder (you) | |
| ♠AKJ986 | ♠3 | |
| ♥A104 | ♥QJ763 | |
| ♦AKJ | ♦986 | |
| ♣2 | ♣K976 |
| Opener | Responder (you) | |
| 2♣ | 2♦ | |
| 2♠ | 3♥ | |
| 4♥ | Pass |
Opener knows that you do not have a strong heart suit or a particularly good hand. Had you a stronger hand, you would have responded 2♥ directly. In this sequence you show five or six hearts with 4-6 HCP.
| Opener | Responder (you) | |
| ♠AKJ10987 | ♠2 | |
| ♥AK3 | ♥J9875 | |
| ♦A4 | ♦10876 | |
| ♣2 | ♣1076 |
| Opener | Responder (you) | |
| 2♣ | 2♦ | |
| 2♠ | ? |
At this point you have to bid something. The 2♦ response has not shown a weak hand and if you bid 3♥, partner will play you for more than this!
When you have been dealt a miserable hand (0-3 HCP), your first obligation after your obligatory 2♦ response is to let partner in on this terrible secret. You do this by by bidding “cheaper minor” called a 'double negative'. After partner rebids 2♥ or 2♠, bid 3♣. This 3♣ bid does not show clubs, in fact it shows nothing. It means you have a nothing hand. Had partner rebid 3♣ over your 2♦ response, 3♦ is your double negative. If partner rebids 3♦ over 2♦, there is no double negative. Good luck.
In the preceding example, you rebid 3♣ and opener, knowing you have garbage, closes the proceedings with 4♠.
Note: Some play that a 2♦ response to a 2♣ opening is a game force and an immediate response of 2♥ is the double negative. If the responder really has hearts, the response to 2♣ is 2NT.
A 2♣ opening is a game force unless the bidding proceeds:
| Opener | Responder (you) | |
| 2♣ | 2♦ | |
| 2NT | Pass |
Even though opener shows 22-24 HCP, responder is allowed to pass. You can imagine what kind of hand responder must have to pass 2NT.
♠983 ♥87 ♦10874 ♣J432
This hand looks like a good candidate to pass 2NT.
| Opener | Responder (you) | |
| 2♣ | 2♦ | |
| 2♥ | 3♣ (double negative) | |
| 3♥ | Pass |
Notice that opener must rebid the original major for responder to be able to pass. If opener bids a new suit, responder cannot pass. Also, it really takes a horrible hand for responder to pass in this sequence-no possibility of producing as little as one trick for partner; maybe:
♠874 ♥32 ♦743 ♣6432
NOTRUMP REBIDS BY THE 2C OPENER
When playing weak twos, a 2♣ opening followed by a 2NT rebid shows 22-24 HCP. An opening bid of 2NT shows 20-21 HCP.
| Opener | Responder (you) | |
| 2♣ | 2♦ | |
| 2NT | ? |
At this point, 3♣ by you is Stayman, and if you play transfers, they are "on" as well. Basically, you respond the same way that you would after an opening bid of 2NT. The only difference is that your partner has 22-24 high card points as opposed to 20-21 for a 2NT opening bid.
When using weak twos, the 3 NT opening shows 25-26 HCP. A 2&clubs opening following by 3NT shows 27-28 HCP. Don't hold your breath.
Here is run down of the most common responses to a 2♣ opening:
| Opener | Responder | Meaning |
| 2♣ | 2♦ | Waiting (artificial) |
| 2♥ / 2♠ / 3♣/3♦ | Positive - at least 6-7 HCP& with a respectable five or six card suit. | |
| 2NT | A response to be avoided because it wrong the play if partner has a balanced hand. | |
| 3♥ / 3♠ | 6 or 7 card ONE loser suit (KQJxxx, AQJxxx, AKJxxx) |
EXAMPLE HAND:
Dlr: South
Vul: Both
| North | ||
| ♠K1032 | ||
| ♥J42 | ||
| ♦J983 | ||
| ♣64 | ||
| West | East | |
| ♠Q98 | ♠76 | |
| ♥K853 | ♥A109 | |
| ♦105 | ♦764 | |
| ♣QJ102 | ♣98753 | |
| South | ||
| ♠AJ54 | ||
| ♥Q76 | ||
| ♦AKQ2 | ||
| ♣AK |
| South | West | North | East |
| 2♣ | Pass | 2♦ | Pass |
| 2NT | Pass | 3♣* | East |
| 3♠ | Pass | 4♠ |
* Stayman
Opening Lead: ♣Q
Declarer wins the opening lead, plays the ace-king of spades leaving the queen at large, cashes a second club, and begins to run diamonds. If West trumps in, West must break hearts or give South a ruff and a sluff. Either way South loses two more tricks. If West stubbornly refuses to trump a diamond, South exits with a trump and West must either lead a heart or give South a ruff and sluff. Notice that South shuns the trump finesse, using the queen of spades as a throw-in card to force a heart play.
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