Strong Twos in standard american

[rienzi]

That's about it... Agreements and style matter.

 

That said, the groupiest group of people I played with consistently played 2♣ as all 22+ or any 'distributional within a trick-ish of game in your best suit'.

 

I am not an expert. The trouble with rules like 22 or 22 points for a 2C opening bid is that you will pick up a hand with lengthy distribution in one or two suits. You love it and immediately start to think "Grand Slam". The trouble is that it only has sixteen points, or perhaps a couple more. I recently read a hand with nine solid Clubs and a bit on the outside. The player opened 2C and rebid his suits. When the cavalry was sent for he argued that he hand nine winners etc. I don't recall the ruling. I see this type of hand relatively quite often, perhaps once every five hundred deals (:).

 

I doubt if there is a satisfactory answer to your question. If you have a regular partner try to get an agreement with him/her and defend your position

 

 

 

Welcome to the club

[gwnn]

I'd open both that hand and one with ♣Jxx[/cl] 2♣, and I like to play that anything other than

2♣-2♦; 2NT-pass is game forcing (keeps bidding clearer). Sometimes we'll get too high, but that's how it goes. Partner could have the ♠10 and the ♦Q (with a lucky lead) or lots of different combinations of cards.

We can count our tricks and partner can count their cover cards all we want, but it's not an exact science.

 

With a similar but weaker hand, one could bid:

1♠-1NT

4♥ showing a very strong 1-suiter with short hearts (auto-splinter), if you play that. The logic being that a strong hand with spades and hearts can jump to 3♥ (jump) instead.

[pilowsky]

I open 4♠ or 4♥ with this type of hand and if my partner has values they can reply 4NT (0314 for me). I keep a log of these hands and check them with the GIB double-dummy. Almost all the time (8/10) it works; occasionally you miss a slam sometimes you go off: depends on how tired you are, who you are playing with, or how much Acol you were drinking :)

[Vampyr]

A strong artificial 2C is not necessarily game forcing either, independent of system,

 

Well, not independent of system. For instance I think it might be game forcing in one version of Benji.

[pescetom]

Well, not independent of system. For instance I think it might be game forcing in one version of Benji.

Certainly any system where 2C can show a balanced hand of 23 or less. I thought that included Benji, maybe not.

[pescetom]

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[Vampyr]

Certainly any system where 2C can show a balanced hand of 23 or less. I thought that included Benji, maybe not.

 

I was not very familiar with Benji, but yes, the strongest bid can still have a non-GF balanced range. I’m sure there is some kind of homegrown system out there though.