Opening at the 2 level Std : Bridge Online
In Standard, 2♥, 2♦ and 2♠ openings are weak. 2NT and 2♣ are strong. Let us start with the weak options first.
Weak 2 Openings
Weak 2 openings are aggressive bids designed to make life difficult for opponents.
You must have the security of a good 6-card suit. 2♦, 2♥ and 2♠ as opening bids are always weak and preemptive. Some players also use a Weak-jump-overcall. The only strong suit bid at the 2-level is 2♣.
Weak 2s
• less than an opening hand, no more than 12 TP
• good 6-card suit
Suit quality is very important. A good rule of thumb is that you should have 2 of the top 4 honors. Intermediate cards are also important. AJ10975 is better than KQ5432. Having opened a weak 2, you should not bid again unless partner makes a forcing bid. Partner has enough information to know what to do.
| ♠ KJT986 | ||
| ♥ 4 | ||
| ♦ Q32 | ||
| ♣ 432 |
| South | West | North | East | |
| 2♠ |
This is the perfect hand to open 2♠. You hope to make it difficult for your opponents to find their likely heart fit.
| ♠ KJT986 | ||
| ♥ 4 | ||
| ♦ AK2 | ||
| ♣ Q32 |
This is too good for a weak 2♠. Open it 1♠.
Responder's choices to a Weak 2 Opening
• raise the suit
• bid game with 4-card support
• bid game with 16+ HCP and 2 or more trumps
• raise the suit with 3 trumps.
A raise to the 3-level shows 3 trumps and no interest in game. Neither of you will bid again. It's hard for your opponents to start bidding at this level.
| ♠ K86 | ||
| ♥ Q84 | ||
| ♦ Q432 | ||
| ♣ 432 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2♥ | P | 3♥ |
A prefect raise which you make purely to be a nuisance.
Responder should bid game even with a weak hand. You are safe with a 10-card fit and it may be a good sacrifice.
| ♠ K86 | ||
| ♥ Q842 | ||
| ♦ Q8432 | ||
| ♣ 3 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2♥ | P | 4♥ |
You have too many hearts to defend. With 10 trumps, you won't come to much trouble most of the time.
| ♠ KJ6 | ||
| ♥ Q82 | ||
| ♦ AK432 | ||
| ♣ A4 |
HCP are as useful as trumps. This should be plenty for game, which you expect to make.
How does opener know how strong the response is? It doesn't matter! Opener won't know whether responder is bidding on strength and trumps combined, or merely trumps, but won't bid again anyway.
To bid 3NT in response to a weak 2 opening you need a strong hand with good cards in all the outside suits. It is far more common to bid 4♥ or 4♠.
If partner opens a weak 2, you'll occasionally want to bid your own suit. This is rare because partner is single suited.
| ♠ KQJ98 | ||
| ♥ T | ||
| ♦ AK95 | ||
| ♣ KT6 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2♥ | P | ? |
You show at least a 5-card suit, hoping that partner has 3. If responder bids a new suit, it is forcing to game and shows at least 16 HCP.
2NT is an artificial response to a weak 2 opening. It is forcing and asks partner for more information.
Strong Openings
2NT
• 20-22 HCP
• balanced
2NT shows 20-22 HCP and a balanced hand. It is a limit bid and therefore quite specific about its shape and its points.
| ♠ AK2 | ||
| ♥ KQJ2 | ||
| ♦ KJ3 | ||
| ♣ A93 |
| South | West | North | East | |
| 2NT |
This hand is ideal for a 2NT opening.
| ♠ AK2 | ||
| ♥ KQJ | ||
| ♦ KJ543 | ||
| ♣ A9 |
Having a 5-card minor does not make your hand unbalanced; the best opening is still 2NT.
Responses to 2NT
• 0-3 = pass
• 4+ = bid game
| ♠ J65 | ||
| ♥ QJ2 | ||
| ♦ 982 | ||
| ♣ Q765 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2NT | P | ? |
If partner opens 2NT, you only need 4 TP to bid to game. With a balanced hand, bid 3NT.
| ♠ J65 | ||
| ♥ QJ9872 | ||
| ♦ 9 | ||
| ♣ Q76 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2NT | P | 4♥ |
With a 6-card major, it will be safer to play in a suit contract. 2NT promises at least two hearts because it is balanced, so you know you have a fit. Bid 4♥.
| ♠ 732 | ||
| ♥ Q8 | ||
| ♦ KJ6542 | ||
| ♣ 76 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2NT | P | ? |
With a 6-card minor you could bid 5♦ or 5♣ but 3NT is probably the best contract. 9 tricks will be easier than 11.
| ♠ 876 | ||
| ♥ K75 | ||
| ♦ 86543 | ||
| ♣ 54 |
With 3 TP you haven't got enough to do anything and you should pass. 2NT is not a forcing bid. It is a limit bid and those bids are not forcing.
| ♠ Q76 | ||
| ♥ KJ754 | ||
| ♦ 854 | ||
| ♣ 32 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2NT | P | 3♥ |
Now you don't know whether 3NT or 4♥ is the best contract.
| ♠ AK2 | ||
| ♥ A982 | ||
| ♦ A3 | ||
| ♣ AJ84 | ||
| ♠ | ♠ | |
| ♥ | ♥ | |
| ♦ | ♦ | |
| ♣ | ♣ | |
| ♠ Q76 | ||
| ♥ KJ754 | ||
| ♦ 854 | ||
| ♣ 32 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2NT | P | 3♥ | P | |
| 4♥ |
This is similar to the problem you had over 1NT. Bidding 3♥ shows exactly five hearts and asks me to bid 4♥ with 3 or 4 hearts.
| ♠ AK2 | ||
| ♥ A9 | ||
| ♦ KQ32 | ||
| ♣ AJ84 | ||
| ♠ | ♠ | |
| ♥ | ♥ | |
| ♦ | ♦ | |
| ♣ | ♣ | |
| ♠ Q76 | ||
| ♥ KJ754 | ||
| ♦ 854 | ||
| ♣ 32 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2NT | P | 3♥ | P | |
| 3NT |
I will bid 3NT if I only have 2 hearts.
| ♠ K3 | ||
| ♥ AKQ853 | ||
| ♦ 3 | ||
| ♣ Q843 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2NT | P | ? |
This time you have enough for slam. Briefly, a small slam (12 tricks) needs about 33 TP and a grand slam (13 tricks) needs 37 TP. You should bid 6♥ here.
Opening 2♣
• 23+
• any shape
• game forcing
| ♠ A2 | ||
| ♥ KQJ65 | ||
| ♦ KQ3 | ||
| ♣ AKQ |
| South | West | North | East | |
| 2♣ |
All strong hands, which don't fit into the definition of a 2NT opening, are opened 2♣. It is unconditionally forcing to game.
| ♠ A2 | ||
| ♥ KQJ65 | ||
| ♦ KQJ | ||
| ♣ AKQ |
An opening bid of 2♣ shows at least 23 HCP. It does not say anything about your club suit. This is a completely artificial bid.
Your message to partner is that you have a very strong hand indeed. Partner knows that you don't necessarily have a club suit. After you open 2♣, your side must keep the bidding open until game, even if responder has no TP at all.
| ♠ A2 | ||
| ♥ KQJ65 | ||
| ♦ KQ3 | ||
| ♣ AKQ |
| South | West | North | East | |
| 2♣ | P | 2♦ | P | |
| 2♥ |
The opening bid shows your strength. After partner's bid, you can start to show your shape on the second round. 2♥ promises 5 hearts.
| ♠ AK2 | ||
| ♥ QJT6 | ||
| ♦ KQ3 | ||
| ♣ AKQ |
| South | West | North | East | |
| 2♣ | P | 2♦ | P | |
| 2NT |
This is too strong to open 2NT. You must start with 2♣ before bidding notrumps. Partner is not allowed to pass, so you are safe.
Responses to 2♣
• 2♦ = 0-7
• 2NT = 8+ balanced
• 2♥/♠,3♣/♦ = 8+ and 5+ card suit
| ♠ K76432 | ||
| ♥ Q8 | ||
| ♦ 865 | ||
| ♣ 76 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2♣ | P | 2♦ |
Responder to 2♣ should make the negative bid of 2♦ with less than 8 HCP. 2♦ doesn't say anything about your diamond suit. It is purely a negative response. You are denying interest in bidding slam.
Even though you have 6 spades, you must bid 2♦ first to tell me you have a weak hand.
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2♣ | P | 2♦ | P | |
| 2♥ | P | 2♠ |
2♦ is forcing, so you won't be left you there as you may not have any diamonds. You will have a chance to show the spades with your second bid.
| ♠ Q87 | ||
| ♥ Q854 | ||
| ♦ A87 | ||
| ♣ 864 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2♣ | P | 2NT |
With 8+ TP, you have enough for a positive response. This is forcing to game or slam. With 8+ TP, and a balanced hand, bid 2NT. This suggests to partner that you might have the combined values for slam (approximately 33).
| ♠ KJT87 | ||
| ♥ A7 | ||
| ♦ 8564 | ||
| ♣ 87 |
| North | East | South | West | |
| 2♣ | P | 2♠ |
This time you have 8 HCP and a 5-card major, so bid those spades. I'll know you have 5 of them otherwise you would have bid notrumps. Remember you are forcing to game after a positive bid, so there is no hurry.