Preempt

[DavidKok]

To answer your questions: I think the 2♥ bid is legal but not good, I personally do not wish to add it to my (or your) repertoire, and if partner insists on it then I will accept that. I think it is anti-%, but not much worse than that.

 

Introducing unusual conventions works disproportionately well against weaker players, usually due to confusion. I think your opponents got you good with this Ekren bid. This is annoying but it happens. It helps to have a standard approach to treating unusual conventions by the opponents, not because a lot of conventions can be defended against the same way but because it eliminates this confusion. In your situation I'd play as if they opened a weak 2, so 2NT would be 16-19 for me (15-18 for most, I think) and stronger hands have to start with double or bid 3NT (shutout).

[Cyberyeti]

 

I still think 2♥ is a disgraceful bid. It doesn't accurately describe the hand and its main benefit because it will prevent opps from finding their best spot.

Maybe that's fair, but if it is, why not just allow 2♣ multi - "could be strong, could be weak, might have 13 cards, some night be hearts or spades".

 

It's all about agreements.

 

First in hand I pick up Jxxx, xxx, xx, Jxxx, looks like a pass to you, green v red I decided to open 2♠, perfectly in system for us (weak 2 4+ cards, 0-10). This was the first one I picked up since we agreed to play this system 15 years ago. Anyway it generated either 1400 or 1700 but not the way you expect, LHO overcalled 3♦ on a 14 count with diamonds headed by the KJ9 and partner looking at his 2N opener with ♦AQ108 knew what to do next.

 

Our 2♠ is legal (and alertable in EBUland because it can have <5 cards).

[cherdano]

"Disgraceful". Wow.

Do you also think 3-point shots from 35 feet out are disgraceful? Or goals scored after a scramble on a loose bounce in the penalty box, rather than goals following a beautiful build-up? Do you think it's disgraceful to score a boundary on a one-bounce pull short, rather than a beautiful cover drive with a perfect pose in the follow-through?

 

If you care about winning gracefully, maybe you should compete in gymnastics or figure skating rather than bridge?

[hrothgar]

 

I still think 2♥ is a disgraceful bid. It doesn't accurately describe the hand and its main benefit because it will prevent opps from finding their best spot.

Maybe that's fair, but if it is, why not just allow 2♣ multi - "could be strong, could be weak, might have 13 cards, some night be hearts or spades".

 

 

Given that you didn't even know that Ekrens preempts existed before this morning, perhaps you shouldn't be lecturing about their merits or lack there of.

 

Highly opinionated and ignorant is a bad combination.