Weak two bid
Encyclopedia
The Weak two bid is a common treatment used in the game of contract bridge
, where a jump bid of two of a suit signifies a weak hand with a long suit. It is a form of preemptive bid. Most often, the term refers to an opening bid; there is also a "weak jump overcall
", which denotes a similar type of hand, but bid over an opponent's opening bid.
The requirements for a weak two bid vary from pair to pair. The most common treatment is that it requires:
(Some prefer a range of 6-10 points for a "weak two" bid, as a hand with six in a suit plus 11 points may be strong enough for a bid at the one level).
What constitutes a "good" suit is a matter of partnership agreement. The American Contract Bridge League
recommends that the opener hold at least two of the top three or three of the top five cards in the suit (that is, either K-Q or Q-J-10 or better). Others recommend no more than eleven points, or at least three honors.
, and the principle was attested as early as 1910 by J.B. Elwell. It was incorporated into the Vanderbilt Club system. In early 1940s, Howard Schenken
developed the modern weak two-bid along lines similar to Vanderbilt
's.
In Charles Goren
's original bidding system
, when a player opened the bidding with two of a suit, this signified that the player held a very strong hand. (This later became known as the strong two bid
.) Later players found it more effective to reserve only the conventional two clubs opening
; to show a strong hand. That left the room for opening bids of 2, 2, or 2 to show a weak hand with a six-card suit. This became known as the weak two bid. In some systems, a bid of 2 shows a strong hand with a five-card suit, and a bid of 2 shows a hand that is similarly strong, but balanced. These alternate versions are less common.
The responses to the 2NT inquiring bid are conventional.
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
, where a jump bid of two of a suit signifies a weak hand with a long suit. It is a form of preemptive bid. Most often, the term refers to an opening bid; there is also a "weak jump overcall
Overcall
In contract bridge, an overcall is a bid made after an opening bid has been made by an opponent; the term refers only to the first such bid. A direct overcall is a bid made directly over the opening bid by right-hand opponent; an overcall in the 'last seat' is referred to as a balancing...
", which denotes a similar type of hand, but bid over an opponent's opening bid.
The requirements for a weak two bid vary from pair to pair. The most common treatment is that it requires:
- any good suit of exactly six cards (a longer suit should make a higher preemptive opening bidPreemptPreempt is a bid in contract bridge whose primary objectives are to thwart opponents ability to bid to their best contract, with some safety, and to fully describe one's hand to one's partner in a single bid. A preemptive bid is usually made by jumping, i.e. skipping one or more bidding levels...
) - no side 5-card suit or 4-card major
- a total of about 6-11 high card points.
(Some prefer a range of 6-10 points for a "weak two" bid, as a hand with six in a suit plus 11 points may be strong enough for a bid at the one level).
What constitutes a "good" suit is a matter of partnership agreement. The American Contract Bridge League
American Contract Bridge League
The American Contract Bridge League is the largest contract bridge organization in North America. It promotes the game of bridge in the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, and Canada, and is a member of the World Bridge Federation...
recommends that the opener hold at least two of the top three or three of the top five cards in the suit (that is, either K-Q or Q-J-10 or better). Others recommend no more than eleven points, or at least three honors.
History
A prototype of the weak two was used in auction bridgeAuction bridge
The card game auction bridge, the third step in the evolution of the general game of bridge, was developed from straight bridge in 1904. The precursor to contract bridge, its predecessors were whist and bridge whist....
, and the principle was attested as early as 1910 by J.B. Elwell. It was incorporated into the Vanderbilt Club system. In early 1940s, Howard Schenken
Howard Schenken
Howard Schenken was an American bridge player, writer, and long-time columnist. In his career, Schenken won three Bermuda Bowl titles, and set several North American records: he won the Life Master Pairs five times, and the Spingold and Vanderbilt Trophy twelve and ten times, respectively...
developed the modern weak two-bid along lines similar to Vanderbilt
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt was an American railroad executive, a champion yachtsman, a champion bridge player and a member of the Vanderbilt family.-Background:...
's.
In Charles Goren
Charles Goren
Charles Henry Goren was a world champion American bridge player and bestselling author who contributed significantly to the development and popularization of the game following upon the heels of Ely Culbertson in the 1940s and rising to prominence in the 1950s to the early 1960s.-Early years:Goren...
's original bidding system
Bidding system
A bidding system in contract bridge is the set of agreements and understandings assigned to calls and sequences of calls used by a partnership, and includes a full description of the meaning of each treatment and convention...
, when a player opened the bidding with two of a suit, this signified that the player held a very strong hand. (This later became known as the strong two bid
Strong two bid
In contract bridge, a strong two-bid is an opening bid of two in a suit. i.e. 2, 2, 2 or 2 . It is a natural bid, used to show a hand that is too strong to open at the one level – more than about 21 points...
.) Later players found it more effective to reserve only the conventional two clubs opening
Strong two clubs
In most natural bridge bidding systems, the opening bid of 2 is used exclusively for hands too strong for an opening bid at the one-level. Systems that incorporate a strong 2-club opening bid include modern Standard American, standard Acol, 2/1 game forcing and many others...
; to show a strong hand. That left the room for opening bids of 2, 2, or 2 to show a weak hand with a six-card suit. This became known as the weak two bid. In some systems, a bid of 2 shows a strong hand with a five-card suit, and a bid of 2 shows a hand that is similarly strong, but balanced. These alternate versions are less common.
Responses
Standard responses to a weak two opening bid are limited.- A raise of the bid suit extends the preempt, and is to play. The Weak Two bidder does not bid again.
- A bid of 2NT is an inquiring bid, and thus forcing for one round.
- A new suit at the lowest level shows a weak hand with a 7 card suit, and is to play. The Weak Two bidder does not bid again.
The responses to the 2NT inquiring bid are conventional.
- The responses of SAYCStandard AmericanStandard American is a common bidding system for the game of bridge in the United States, also widely used in the rest of the world. This system, or a slight variant, is learned first by most beginners in the U.S. and may be referred to as 'Goren'; a dominant version used in on-line computer...
are quite simple.- A bid of three of any suit other than the suit of the "weak two" bid shows a "feature" (typically either an ace or a king) in the named suit.
- A bid of three of the suit of the "weak two" bid denies a "feature" in any other suit.
What constitutes a "feature" is, of course, a subject of partnership agreement. Some partnerships consider "features" to include voids.
- The present standard form, the Ogust conventionOgust conventionOgust is a bridge convention used after a weak two bid by responder to gauge the strength of the weak two bidder's hand. This convention is named after Harold A...
uses the following responses (all alertable) to the 2NT inquiring bid.- 3 shows a "minimum" hand and a "poor" suit.
- 3 shows a "minimum" hand and a "good" suit.
- 3 shows a "maximum" hand and a "poor" suit.
- 3 shows a "maximum" hand and a "good" suit.
- 3NT shows A-K-Q of the preempt suit.
Here, the definitions of "minimum" and "maximum" hands and "poor" and "good" suits are matters of partnership agreement. - A range of seven HCP or less for a "minimum" hand and eight HCP or more for a "maximum" hand is fairly typical.
- Since "strict" preempts usually show either K-Q or better or Q-J-10 or better, partners who play "strict" preempts typically regard a "good" suit as something more (K-Q-J or better, for example). On the other hand, partners who are less strict in their preempts might define a "good" suit to have either K-Q or better or Q-J-10 or better and a "poor" suit to have anything less.
There are several variations on the Ogust convention. Ogust's original definition, for example, had the swapped responses in the red suits and did not include the 3NT response. The responses shown here, however, are now pretty much standard.