Weak two bids

[NickRW]

And if partner does NOT have 3-card support, then he is 2254 or more unbalanced and you still have a 7-card fit in one or both of his suits.

Yeah - well - I share some of your enthusiasm for two suited openings - but saying that we have at least two 7 card fits elsewhere is hardly rocket science - any two bridge hands always have at least one 8+ card fit or two (maybe 3) 7 card fits regardless of what your openings show. The real question is how to best find our fit(s) while (particularly if we are weak) preventing opps from finding theirs - and how much does that method gain versus how would we have gained had we used the bid in some other sensible fashion.

 

Personally I think (and it is think) that downgrading the standard 2H/2S into the multi, giving up standard 2D altogether and reusing the bids freed up is a worthwhile trade - but, even if it is worth it, there are pluses and minuses - so it isn't a simple matter.

 

Nick

[PrecisionL]

It's really not as simple as that.

 

And I bet the odds of finding a seven, eight, nine card fit in my suit when I am 6322 are better than the odds of finding a seven, eight, nine card fit in one of my suits when I am 4432.

True, but isn't frequency of the opening also a criteria for choosing 2-bids @ pairs.

 

Probability of 2 card support (or better) for 6-card suit = 76.3 %.

 

Prob of 3-card support (or better) = 42.7 %.

 

Prob of 4-card support or better = 15.0 %.

 

Prob of 5-card support (or better) = 3.0 %.

 

Perhaps a better comparison (hard to calculate) is the 8+ card fit for either of the 4-4 suits.

 

Larry

[bill1157]

In BBO ACBL tourneys and club games we play five card suit weak 2s - then sit back and enjoy the great results. In a NABC Pairs 4 or 6 session pairs event, if playing the same methods you might as well wear a Santa suit for all the free gifts you will hand out.

You may recall that in 2006 at the world championships Karen McCallum and Matt Grannovetter played 5 card suit weak 2 bids in the mixed pairs (some pretty awful suits too) and won, largely because of these bids. So perhaps 5 card suit weak 2 bids work well at the club and world championships, but badly at NABC's?

 

Bill

[glen]

I agree, the mixed pairs is a different kettle of fish. That said, the Hacketts were playing five card weak twos in the worlds.

[bill1157]

I agree, the mixed pairs is a different kettle of fish. That said, the Hacketts were playing five card weak twos in the worlds.

I very much like weak 2's with a good 5 card suit (important to have some shape, not 5-3-3-2 and probably not 5-4-2-2) with those restrictions, it greatly increases the frequency of opening the weak 2 which is a real plus.

Maybe the mixed pairs is a different deal...

[glen]

I should clarify - if you play EHAA "anything goes" 5 card seat weak twos in a very strong event, the results are often not pretty. If you play them as 5 card weak twos, but must be at least 8 points and have some shape, you'll do fine: responder now has an idea of the playing and defending value of your hand, and you will not be giving out too many 200s to your take-every-last-trick opponents.

 

Likewise a Bailey weak two, even though not too shapely, at least puts responder in good position to judge what to do next - see:

Bailey Weak Twos (Evan Bailey's Bridge Site)

[bill1157]

I should clarify - if you play EHAA "anything goes" 5 card seat weak twos in a very strong event, the results are often not pretty. If you play them as 5 card weak twos, but must be at least 8 points and have some shape, you'll do fine: responder now has an idea of the playing and defending value of your hand, and you will not be giving out too many 200s to your take-every-last-trick opponents.

 

Likewise a Bailey weak two, even though not too shapely, at least puts responder in good position to judge what to do next - see:

Bailey Weak Twos (Evan Bailey's Bridge Site)

I like the idea (i think from EHAA) of playing 10-13 1nt opening. that way the 5-3-3-2 and 5-4-2-2 can be opened 1nt rather thatn with a weak 2.