Drury: Bergen/2Way vs Reverse (standard)

[ArcLight]

Using 2 Way (or Bergen) Drury gives responder a way to show opener how many trumps he has[ 3 vs. 4], at the cost of giving up the 2♦ response, which can be substituted higher up.

 

It seems like Bergen/2 Way Drury is better than Reverse Drury.

 

1) Which is used by the experts, and why?

 

2) Do you see any problems with Bergen/2 Way Drury?

[inquiry]

Two way drury allows the application of the law of total tricks with accuracy on the length of your fit. Thus, if you show four spades, partner knows to compete to the three level with five, and he could try four level with six. As a trade off against this, with four, and your partner fails to compete to the three level in a competitive auction, you know you are "protected" by the law to bid 3 yourself.. and if your partner goes to the three level opposite a normal drury in a competitive auction, you know you can go to four in highly competitive auction.

 

So the importance of three versus four card raise is a little muddled in my mind...as you can generally work it out yourself. Having said that, I currently play two way bergen drury... but i doubt that it is really necessary. MAybe 2D should have some alternative meaning... I just haven't thought much about it...

 

Ben

[MickyB]

Presumably two way drury is to cope with 4 card major openings?

[mr1303]

Alternatively use Lawrence Drury, which combines the best of both worlds.

 

After P P 1M P 2C

 

2D is used as an asking bid. Responses are:

 

2H = any minimum

2S = max with 3 trumps

2NT = max with 4+ trumps

 

Maybe slightly better when 1H is opened, to have 2H = 3 trumps any range, 2S = 4 trumps min, 2NT = 4 trumps max, as this allows the pair to stop in 2H when responder has only 3 trumps. Responder can further ask with 2S as to range (2NT = min, 3C max) after a 2H response

[EricK]

Since the player who bids Drury has had a chance to open with a weak 2 (except in ♣) is there any benefit in playing FNJ instead of Drury?

 

So 2♣/2♦/2♥ would show 5 cards in the suit, 3 or 4 card support for partner, and a maximum pass. You may have to bid a semi-forcing NT on balanced hands with 3 card support (but if partner passes are you badly off) and you lose the differentiation between 3 and 4 card support (but that may help the opposition as much as partner) but you gain more description of your hand (so that eg opener can "bid-em-up" if there is a double fit despite having opened light).

 

Eric

[Free]

Erick, not everyone wastes his entire 2-level opening for weak openings in just ♦, ♥ or ♠. There are much better uses for such openings...

[EricK]

Erick, not everyone wastes his entire 2-level opening for weak openings in just ♦, ♥ or ♠. There are much better uses for such openings...

Fair enough.

 

Although most will have had some way to bid a weak 2 in ♥ (either as 2♥ or multi 2♦). And even so, it still might be better to use FNJ instead of Drury!

 

Eric

[han]

I play 2-way drury, but I bid 2C with some 4-card raises like Kxxx xx AJxx xxx (over 1S). I think that such a hand is not good enough for the big 2D raise, but I still don't want to bid just 2H. I made this up myself, but perhaps this is very common. Any comments?

 

One thing I like about 2-way Drury is that I know that partner is not going to bid a natural 2m. For instance, I have no problem opening 1H in third seat with xxxx AKJx x Qxxx, while I'd be more uncomfortable if partner could bid 2D on 5 diamonds.

 

As I often open a 4-card major in third seat, I don't buy Ben's argument that you can just raise to the 3-level yourself with 4-card support when not playing 2-way. If you can show your four-card support immediately, you don't have to raise later, and can even be comfortable defending below 3 of your suit when partner thinks that this is right.

[EricK]

My other issue with Drury is that the times you can use it will be the times you tend not to need it, and the times you need it you will tend not to be able to use it!

 

If partner has opened light, RHO will have a stronger hand on average and is more likely to overcall, but now you have lost your Drury mechanism. But if partner has a full opening or better, RHO is weaker and less likely to overcall, so now you have your full Drury mechanism but are less likely to need it!

 

Eric

[Chamaco]

When, about 2 years ago, I started to play with my face-2-face pard (OSH here on BBF), Drury was the first convention we agreed upon.

 

For better or worse, we agreed to play Bergen raises anyway even by passed hands, and keep Drury only for good 3 card raises (or low ODR 4 card raises): this because we thought that in any case Bergen would be protected by LOTT even when 3rd seat opener is light (very few times did we open with a 4 bagger in 3rd seat).

 

Having said that, Drury never came up.

If he ever comes up in the next few weeks I doubt we will remember the subtle details we had agreed upon.

So I guess best strategy is to just keep it simple, so that the rare times it occurs, we do not screw up.