This month we'll focus on the strong 2
opening, but first a word about "General Approach."
Opening Bids and General System
Personally, I think a strong-club system (such as Precision) is best. Good hands (16 or 17 ) start with 1. That means all other openings are fewer than 16 HCP. This makes bidding so much easier. Any time you open, say 1
, partner knows you are limited to 11-15 HCP. This avoids the need for ugly topics such as reverses. If I were to teach beginners, I would forgo "Standard American" and teach Precision.
Is it hard to make the switch? Not too hard. Probably 5-6 hours of reading and work would be enough to get started. If anyone cares, by my estimate, 4 of the top 5 American pairs from 2000-2007 used a strong club system. {Precision Today, by Brent Manley and David Berkowitz is a good starting point.}
Anyway, I suspect most readers will stick with what is familiar to them. Nothing wrong with that
While a weak notrump (12-14) is popular in many countries, I know that most of my readers prefer 15-17. Also, "2-over-1 Game Forcing" is becoming more and more popular--and for good reason. "2/1" is a much easier system than "standard." I'd teach beginners that 1
-2 shows 13 and enough for game (as opposed to the 10 in the "book.") Eventually, I think, everyone will play 2/1 GF. (Of course, some of my inexperienced students can be found bidding 2-over-1 with 7 or 8 points--a definite no-no.)
Okay. So, for most of you the general approach will be "Standard American, 2/1 GF, 15-17 notrump openings." Fine. What about the 2 opener?
2 OPENER (What do you need?)
We'll get to 2
, 2 and 2 openings in a later installment of this series. For now, let's presume that 2 (artificial) is the only suit bid to depict a strong hand. (In the old days, all 2-level openings were strong, but sanity has since prevailed.)
What do I mean by "strong?" If your strong hand is balanced, I can tell you an exact point range. Presuming a 2NT opener is 20-21, then when 2 is opened with a balanced hand it shows 22 HCP.
What if unbalanced? This is a pet peeve of mine. After an opening 2, an opponent asks: "How many points?" Poor question. It has no good answer. (And why ask in the first place--does it matter to you? Will you interfere or not interfere depending on the answer? By the way, if you do interfere, make sure you and your partner know what double shows--typically clubs.)
Anyway, if balanced, the answer (if you are silly enough to ask what 2 shows) is easy: more than a 2NT opener. But what about unbalanced hands? Who is to say which (if any) of these hands are worth 2:
A K Q J 10 9 8
A Q J 2
5
4
| A K J 9 6 5 4 2
--
A K 4 2
5
| K Q J 10 9 8 7
--
K Q J
K J 10
|
The HCP for each hand are 17, 15, and 16, respectively. Depending on which experts you asked, you'd get votes for opening 2 with A,B,C, none, or all. There is no right answer! That is why it is silly to ask your opponent: "How many points does 2 show?"
What should your HCP requirements be for a 2 opener? Again, with a balanced hand, there is no decisionA
A Q 10 7
K Q J 9
A Q J 3
(other than maybe to treat some 4x1's such as: as balanced by opening 2 and rebidding 2NT). With unbalanced hands such as A,B,C above, it is a matter of personal preference. Some people count losers or quick tricks. Others insist on having a certain number of aces or HCP. I tend to open 2 more than most people, fearing that my one-level opening could be followed by three passes. I'd probably open 2 with A) and B), maybe with C as well. That doesn't make it right; many experts would open 1 with all three hands. All of those hands are much too strong for a 4 opening.
Another consideration is: "How hard will it be to show my hand if I open 2?"
For example, consider this hand:
A Q J 2
3 2
A
A K Q 10 8 7
If you open 2, your next call will be 3. It might be hard to find a 4-4 spade fit. Meanwhile, if you open 1 (and survive, i.e., it doesn't go 1--P--P--P), you will get to jump in spades next, getting the hand "off your chest." For such awkward hands, I tend to risk a one-level opening.
So, you've opened 2. What next? We'll explore the follow-ups next month
Larry's Audio Tour of the Convention Card
For descriptions of most conventions mentioned in this article, see the ACBL page on Commonly Used Conventions.