              |
  Weak Twos in Three Suits
This is a form of Acol and It changes the meaning of an opening bid at the 2 level as follows: 2♣ - 23+ points, or fewer points with game in your own hand. This is the same as in normal Acol. The 2♦, 2♥ and 2♠ bids are like mini pre-empts. They often cause a problem for the opponents, and they come up much more frequently than Acol Strong Twos. The Weak Bids 2♦, 2♥ and 2♠ These are a bit like a mini pre-empt, except that they show
Weak Two opening bids should be announced. Many players in Ireland weak two bids in the majors, and quite often in diamonds too. These bids are normally in the 6-10 point range and show a 6 card suit , usually of at least QTxxxx strength. The Rule of Seven helps to decide whether or not you should intervene over a two level pre-emptive opening:
This rule assumes that opener and yourself hold between 20-24 high card points, leaving a balance of 16-20 between the remaining players. Thus a baseline of 7 points for partner seems to be a safe bet. There are several conventions designed to counteract weak two openings and this article outlines the three most popular ones in use:
TREAT AS 1 LEVEL OPENINGS
EXAMPLES: over a weak 2 Heart opening:
HAND A: Double shows the tolerance to play in any of the other suits.
HACKETT CONVENTION This convention differentiates the strength of the intervening takeout bids by employing the minor suits to act as take out doubles, thus leaving double for Double = Penalties
2NT = 15-17 balanced 3 Clubs = take out: 12-16 3 Diamonds = take out: 17+ One drawback to this approach is that over a weak 2 Heart opening it is not possible to double for takeout and then play in 2 Spades. Also it is difficult to play in a minor suit at the three level unless the partner of the intervenor happens to have a reasonable holding in the artificial minor suit bid:
Whilst the Hackett convention solves the problem of
showing the intervenor’s strength at the outset, and retains the option
of making an immediate penalty double, it can take the bidding a little
too high.
An alternative solution to this problem is to reverse the strength showing process, so that it is the turn of the intervenor’s partner to differentiate any assets held. This approach leads us to the Lebensohl convention. LEBENSOHL CONVENTION This
convention allows the partner responding to a take out double of a weak
two opener to place the strength of their own hand into three
categories:
1. Weak: 0-6
2. Invitational: 8-10 3. Game forcing: 11+ 1. WEAK: 0-6
⦁ Bidding a suit at the two level is sign off: 2H/S over 2D, or 2S over 2H
⦁ If the suit is below the opening bid ( over an opening 2S the remaining 3 suits are all below) bid the artificial Lebensohl 2NT. This asks partner to bid 3C. You then pass this holding clubs, or bid 3D/H with a red suit. Your suit might be 4 cards only and your strength 0-6, but partner is aware of this playing Lebensohl. ⦁ With a very strong double (18+) partner may decline the 3C relay and bid a higher suit, but this is a rare occurrence. The following example shows how the artificial 2NT bid works in practice:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 2H X P 2NT P 3C P ? Now South has several options:
⦁ Pass = 0-7 and a club suit (could be a 4 card suit) ⦁ 3D = 0-7 and a diamond suit (could be a 4 card suit) ⦁ 3H = Cue bid asking partner to bid 3NT with a stopper ⦁ 3S = Good suit and game forcing ⦁ 3NT = To play and promising 2 secure stoppers (eg KT98) Here is a hand from a recent club duplicate:
2. INVITATIONAL: 8-10
To express hands in this range bid at the 3 level:
⦁ After partner’s double of a weak 2H opening bid 3C with : ♠ 76 ♥ 32 ♦ QJ76 ♣ AQT86
⦁ After partner’s double of a weak 2H opening bid the Lebensohl 2NT first and over the 3C relay bid 3S with:
♠ A975 ♥ 87 ♦ K65 ♣ Q654
This shows 4 spades and a more balanced hand. ⦁ After partner’s double of a weak 2H opening jump to 3S with:
♠ KQJ32 ♥ 76 ♦ K54 ♣ 542
This shows 5 spades and more shape than the previous hand. 3. GAME FORCING: 11+
There are 4 responses to partner’s take out double which show game going values, the first two employing the Lebensohl 2NT /3♣ mechanism to try to reach game in 3NT:
(1) A direct cue bid is game forcing
West
shows a good suit with a game forcing hand. When East shows at least
four spades, West employs Roman Key Card Blackwood to confirm the minor
suit aces and the King of spades (the 3 missing key cards), and 5H
(next suit up) asks for the Queen of spades. East can deny this critical
card by bidding 5S, or show the Queen of trumps without a side suit
king by jumping to 6S ( holding either minor suit king East bids six of
the minor).
(2) After using the 2NT/3♣ mechanism, the cue bid of the opening weak two suit asks partner for a secure stopper in the opponent’s suit:
(3)
A direct 3NT over partner’s double confirms game going values but
denies any secure stopper in the opponent’s suit, leaving partner to
take out into a suit contract if lacking stoppers:
East realises that a no trump contract is doomed, so bids the longest suit. West has an easy bid of raising to game. (4) After going via the 2NT/3♣ route a rebid of 3NT confirms 2 secure stoppers.
It
is important not to be talked out of a sound part score or a game
contract because the opponents open with a weak two bid. Two approaches
to making an initial intervention over weak opening bids have been
outlined. Whilst the Hackett convention has the merit of revealing the
strength of the intervening hand at the outset, it can push part score
contracts one level higher.
Treating weak two openings the same as opening one bids keeps the bidding lower, and on more familiar ground. Whichever approach is used it is critical to have a system for advancing the bidding when there is scope for game. The details of the Lebensohl convention have been outlined here. However, it is important for each partnership to fine tune any such agreements to fit into their normal bidding style. |
|
