Constructive bidding can be hard enough when it starts at the one level, but clearly gets much tougher when the bidding starts at higher levels. Since it is relatively uncommon to pick up a hand suitable for a Strong Two opening, many duplicate players prefer to increase the frequency of pre-empting by employing Weak Two bids in the majors, with a good number also playing a Weak Two bid in diamonds. These bids classically show a six-card suit and around 5-10 HCP, though many pairs will open more aggressively, especially at favourable vulnerability (nonvulnerable vs vulnerable).
How should one defend against Weak Two openings?
Once an opponent has opened a Weak Two, the next player will have three positive options: bidding a suit, bidding no-trumps, or doubling. Though he will have to bid at the two (or three) level, his strategy should essentially be similar to that employed when the opponents open at the one level (whilst the level is higher, the opening bidder has shown a different type of hand).
- With opening values, strain to overcall in a major with a decent five card suit.
- Holding a balanced hand with around 15-18 HCP (and at least one stopper in the opponent’s suit), bid 2NT.
- The most important decision, how - ever, relates to the meaning of a double. While it was once fashion able to play that a double was for penalties, it is now commonplace to employ take-out doubles (showing an opening hand with shortage in the opponent’s suit and support for the unbid suits).
Why play Take-Out Doubles?
It may seem that giving up a penalty double is something that you cannot afford to do, but you should consider a few factors which have led most experts to favour take-out doubles after an opponent’s Weak Two:
- One will wish to double a pre-empt for take-out far more often than for penalties.
- The partnership will extract bigger penalties when they hold general strength as well as good trumps. So, while either defender may wish to double for penalties with a trump holding such as K-J-9-7-5, a substantial penalty will be more likely if that player’s partner has several high cards outside of trumps.
- A take-out double may be converted to a penalty double, while the use of penalty doubles requires the defenders to replace a natural call with an artificial one if they wish to show a hand suitable for a take-out double.
How do you continue after partner has taken a positive action?
- If partner has bid a suit, then you have first to decide whether your partnership has found a fit. If you have, then the advancer (i.e. the over-caller’s partner) can either raise directly, or make a full-value raise by ‘cuebidding’ the opponent’s suit. If a fit has not yet been found, then the advancer can introduce his own (five plus card) suit. A change of suit is best treated as forcing when the op - po nents have pre-empted.
- If partner has bid 2NT, then a sensible agreement is to continue as if partner has opened 2NT.
- When partner doubles for take-out, then advancer follows standard principles, either converting the double into a penalty double (by passing), or removing the double in a descriptive way. With weak hands, the advancer bids his longest suit at the lowest level. With an invitational hand, the advancer can either jump in his longest suit, or bid 2NT, and with the values for game, he either bids game in his longest suit, tries 3NT, or alternatively cue-bids the opponent’s suit.
This last point is the one which requires the greatest discussion, since partnerships can agree how specific a meaning they attach to a cue-bid. It is common to play this bid as either asking for a stopper, or as a ‘Staymanic’ bid seeking a 4-4 fit in an unbid major.
Are there any other issues to consider when defending against Weak Twos?
One other action that may be chosen is a direct cue-bid of the opponent’s suit. The two most common meanings attached to this bid are to describe a two-suited hand (Michaels), or to show a hand with a long strong suit, asking partner to bid 3NT with a stopper in the Weak Two suit. My preference is to play that a cue-bid shows at least five cards in each major if the opponents open 2♦, but as stopper-asking if they open 2♥ or 2♠.
If you adopt this approach, then you may wish to further consider the meaning of a jump overcall. Many partnerships adopt the principle that we do not pre-empt after our opponents have pre-empted. Using this principle, then a jump in a major suit shows a good hand. How ever, jumping in a minor should be less attractive since it bypasses the most likely game contract (3NT). So, many partner ships now use a jump to 4♣or 4♦ to show a two-suited hand (Leaping Michaels). For example, after an opening bid of 2♥, a jump to 4♣ would show a good hand, at least five-five in clubs and spades, while a jump to 4♦ would show diamonds and spades.
Quiz
The dealer opens 2♥ (weak) and you are next to speak:
The dealer opens 2♥ (weak), your partner bids 2♠ , and the next player passes:
The dealer opens 2♥ (weak), your partner doubles, and the next player passes:
Answers
Hand A. 2♠. Though one would prefer a stronger spade suit to overcall at the two level, it is usually right to act with an opening hand. Holding a five-card major it is preferable to make an overcall, but if the spades and clubs were swapped, it would be better to make a take-out double.
Hand B. 4♦. With a two-suited hand, it is useful to be able to show both suits immediately. If the partnership adopts ‘Leaping Michaels’, then this hand would be suitable for a jump to 4♦, rather than making a simple overcall or a take-out double.
Hand C. 3♠. With limited room to explore, a raise to 3♠ potentially covers a wide range of hands. However, one should treat a simple raise as mildly invitational, and cuebid the opponents’ suit with a full value invitational-plus raise.
Hand D. 3♥. This time you expect to make game, and might make a slam (opposite, say, ♠ AQ7632, ♥ A3, ♦ 762, ♣ K5), so it is useful to be able to make a forcing raise. 3♥ is initially assumed to be invitational-plus, but may be the first move on a hand with slam interest.
Hand E. 3♠. With a known fit in spades, and invitational values, jump to 3♠. 2♠ would be consistent with a much weaker hand, and possibly just four cards in spades.
Hand F. Pass. Bidding 3♣ should not be attractive, as you could easily have the values for game. You could instead try 2NT to invite game, but if partner passes you may not even make 2NT, and if he raises to 3NT, you may have missed a chance to score even more points. How can you do this? The answer is simply to pass. You are likely to have four winners in your hand, and partner should provide at least two more tricks, especially if you can actually make as many as nine tricks in no-trumps.
Originally published in April 2010 English Bridge. Reprinted with permission.
