Weak Two-Bid

Eddie Kantar's Treatment

Rev:June 2, 2000

Back to Conventions Back to Bridge Home

The ideal weak two-bid features a strong six-card suit with little or no outside strength. In addition, the bid denies the ability to take six tricks (LTC is greater than seven). If you count six or more tricks (LTC is equal or less than seven) in your own hand , you have an opening one-bid. NOTE: LTC = "Losing Trick Count."

With disciplined weak two-bid openings

You show partner your strength and distribution in one bid.
Helps partner with his opening lead.
Allows partner to diagnose a fit and raise, making life miserable for your opponents.

Opener's Requirements

Requirements In 1st Or 2nd Seat

6-Card Suit:

Any suit headed by 3 or 4 honor cards.

Any suit headed by the AK.

Any suit headed by 2 of the top 4 honors.

If vulnerable, the suit should also include the 9-8 or 9-7 (QJ98xx).

Never open a weak two-bid with a suit headed by the JT.

HCP:

6 – 9 HCP (LTC = 8.5 to 7.5).

Hands with fewer than 6 HCP are usually too weak to open a weak two.

Hands with a “good” 10 or 11 HCP are too strong to open a weak two.

Exception with 5 HCP:

KQT9xx or AJT9xx, open with a weak two-bid.

Exception with 10 HCP:

If 5 or more points are in J’s or Q’s open a weak two (AJT873 J3 QJ8 J4)

Must Have Less Than 6 Tricks:

	If you count six or more tricks (LTC is 7 or less) in your own hand you have an opening one-bid.
	KQJT84 A74 5 653, open 1S not 2S (LTC = 7).
	K3 AQJT86 873 4, open 1H, not 2H (LTC = 7).

Requirements in 3rd Seat:

Same requirements as 1st or 2nd seat except the suit may be five cards, in which case it must be must be a strong suit. Convention card must state if weak two-bids in the 3rd seat may be 5-card suits.

AQJT3 Q864 32, open 2H (LTC = 7.5).

KQJT3 K3 J873 32, open 2S (LTC = 8).

Responder's Bids

Responder's Choices

To 1st and 2nd seat weak two-bids

	(1) Pass; (2) Raise. A raise to any level is non-forcing bid (RONF) and must be passed by opener.
	Response in a new suit is forcing for one round.
	2NT is forcing asking opener to further describe hand. (Some players use the 2NT bid as the Ogust convention; not recommended).

To 3rd seat weak two-bids

Partner is not supposed to mess with a 3rd seat weak-two bids unless he has 4-card support or strong 3-card support and a singleton,

Responder's Bids

There are three categories for responding hands:

Misfit: a singleton or void in opener’s suit.
Mild fit: a doubleton in opener’s suit – responder looks for quick tricks.
Strong fit: three or more cards in opener’s suit – responder looks for quick tricks or preempts.

Responder’s Quick Tricks:

½ Quick Trick

Kx(x)

1 Quick Trick

Any A, K or Q in opener’s suit

KQ(x) or KJT(x)

A doubleton with three-card support

1 ½ Quick Tricks

AQ(x)

A singleton with three-card support

2 Quick Tricks

AK(x)

A singleton with four-card support

Misfits (Singleton in opener's suit)

Misfits may be divided into hands that have a long strong suit and those that don’t (e.g. 4/4/4/1 or 5/4/3/1). Quick tricks don’t apply to misfits.

Long Strong Suit

Responder needs at least 14 HCP and a very good suit (AKJxxx minimum) to bid his suit; otherwise passes.

Responder has x AKJxxx AQxx xx. and bids 3H, a one round force.

Opener with 2 hearts and 8 or 9 HCP may bid 4H, otherwise rebids 3S.

Responder with x AKJxxx Qxxx xx is not strong enough to bid 3H and must pass.

With 4/4/4/1

Responder needs a minimum of 16 HCP to bid 2NT.

With 5/4/3/1

Responder with a strong 5-card minor and outside stoppers may bid 2NT with a little as 15 HCP.

Mild Fit (Doubleton in Opener’s Suit)

With a mild fit, a known eight-card fit exists. With no long strong suit, responder adds quick tricks to opener’s assumed tricks. If not vulnerable, opener should have four or five tricks (same as 9 or 8 LTC). If vulnerable, opener has about 5 tricks (8 LTC). If responder’s quick tricks add up to ten, game is bid otherwise pass.

If opener bids 2S:

	Responder has Kx AKxx AKxx xxx…………he raises to 4S, there are five quick tricks.
	Responder has Kx KQxx AKxx xxx…………he bids 2NT, there are four quick tricks and game is a possibility depending on opener’s rebid.
	Responder has xx AKxx Axxx xxx……..……he passes, there are only three quick tricks.

Strong Fit (Three or More Cards in Opener’s Suit)

There are two types of strong fits: (1) hands with enough quick tricks for at least a game try, a game bid, or a possibly slam and (2) weak hands.

Hands With Enough Quick Tricks (Game Possibility or Better)

	With only four quick tricks check on game possibility by bidding 2NT.
	With more than four quick tricks and depending on hand strength, bid game directly, bid 4NT for key cards, or cue-bid for controls.

Weak Hands (No Game Possibility) – Use The Law of Total tricks here (LOTT).

It is important to preempt immediately before opponents can find their fit. With three-card support there is an assured nine-card fit. This means that the opponents are likely to have an eight-card fit (or better). With four-card support there is an assured ten-card fit. This means that the opponents are likely to have a nine-card fit (or better).

If opener bids 2H (opener must always pass any raise by responder):

With three card support raise to 3H with as little as:

Ax Q54 JTxx xxxx (only two quick tricks)

QJTx Axx x xxxxx (only 2 ½ quick tricks)

With four card support raise to 4H with as little as:

Axxx xxxx x xxxx (only three quick tricks)

xx Axxx xxxxx xx (only three quick tricks)

Opener's Rebids After Responder's 2NT

Responder’s 2NT bid is always a game try and is a one-round force. 2NT usually shows 15+ HCP with no fit or four+ tricks with a fit.

Opener Rebids

With a maximum (8 or 9 HCP) show side-suit feature (an Ace or King) if one exists.
With a minimum (6 or 7 HCP) rebid three of the original suit.
With a suit headed by the AKQ or AKJ, raise to 3NT.
With a strong suit and a side-suit singleton, but no outside Ace or King to show, jump raise four of the original suit.
With 8 or 9 HCP plus a four-card minor headed by two of the top four honors, jump to the four-level in that minor.

Rebid Examples

Opener bids 2H on the following hands and responder bids 2NT. The appropriate rebids by opener are given.

54 QJT432 K54 65 ..... rebid 3H showing “dog”.
54 AJT543 K54 65 ..... rebid 3D showing side feature.
54 AKJ543 65 654 ..... raise to 3NT.
5 AKT965 J943 65 ..... rebid 4H.
54 AT9843 KQ43 6 ..... rebid 4D.

Defense To Weak Two-Bids (Eddie Kantar's Treatment)

Assume The Enemy's Opening Bid Is 2H:

Double

Takeout, like a double of a 1H opening.

2S, 3C or 3D

Natural, like an overcall of a 1H bid. However, since you are bidding a level higher, you should have a very good suit or extra playing strength.

2NT

15+ to 18, balanced, like an opening 1NT bid with a heart stopper.

3NT

Long running suit with a heart stopper, may not have the other suits stopped.

Double followed by 3NT

19 to 21, balanced.

3H - The cue-bid shows a long running suit and asks partner to bid 3NT with a heart stopper. Partner’s response are

3NT – has a heart stopper.

4C – has a weak hand, no heart stopper.

You will correct to you suit.

5C – has a strong hand, no heart stopper.

You will correct to your suit.

4D or 4S – has an independent suit, no heart stopper.

3S

A jump overcall, strong. When the bid to your right is weak, a jump by you is strong.

4C or 4D

“Leaping Michaels”. Shows a strong two-suited hand with the suit bid plus the other major, at least 5-5.

4H

The jump cue-bid shows the minors, at least 5-5, very strong.

4NT

Also shows the minors, at least 5-5, but not as strong as the jump cue-bid.