2 and 2 Suiters

Courtesy of Bob Crosby)

One of the dumbest practices I see in Bridge is opening a one bid with a monster two suiter where you need virtually nothing from partner to make game. The rule for opening 2 is will game be missed if partner does not have a response? If the answer is yes then open 2. The practitioners of this awful practice say they could get pre-empted out of their two suits or there will not be enough room to get them in. Nonsense. People pre-empt when you open these hands at the one level so if you bid later does it show the demand two bid that you have? If you open 2 and get pre-empted, at least partner knows that you have a huge hand.

Subash Gupta introduced me to a very cleaver use of relays to get your two suits described at the lowest possible level in order to find your fit and investigate slam. These relays only occur after a 2 - 2 auction and they involve the concept of an "anchor suit". The relays put responder in a "straight jacket" until opener describes his two suits. The relay rule is whenever opener bids a major you must relay to the next level. Relay to 2 if 2 bid by the opener and relay to 2NT if 2 bid by opener. Pretty simple!

The 2 structure has a disadvantage over the forcing 1 because of lack of bidding room. I do not like responder giving controls because that even robs you of further bidding room to find your fit or describe the 2 opener. Relays conserve bidding room because responder can not get in the way of the 2 opener describing her hand. There are other ways to show controls later on in the auction so what is the hurry?

The first relay involves hearts as the anchor suit,

2	Pass	2	Pass
2	Pass	2	Pass
?

2 demands responder bid 2 and then any bid by opener shows a two suiter with hearts as the anchor suit and the other suit bid. If hearts are rebid then opener has a one suiter. The two suiter with hearts is fully described by the 3 level! Hearts is the longer of the two suits or equal length.

The next relay involves spades as the anchor suit.

2	Pass	2	Pass
2	Pass	2NT	Pass
?

2 demands responder bid 2NT and then any bid by opener shows a two suiter with spades as the anchor suit and the other suit bid. If spades are rebid then opener has a one suiter. The two suiter with spades is fully described by the 3 level! Spades is the longer of the two suits or equal length.

The next relay involves NT a la Kokish to describe the balanced hands.

• 2 - 2 - 2NT shows 22-24
• 2 - 2 - 3NT shows 25-27 (with no 4/5 card major) [why jump to 3NT and prevent responder from showing a 5 card major?]
• 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2NT shows 25-27 with a 4/5 card major.
• 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 3NT shows 28-29 - 4 clubs is Puppet Stayman
• 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 4NT shows 30-31 - play Baron over this or higher
• 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 5NT shows 32-33

With the permutations of the two suits and three relays to choose from you select the relay that shows the longer suit in case of 6-5. A 6-5 in the majors can be shown by choosing the correct relay to start with. It does not guarantee a 6-5 in all cases and all suit combinations but it is more likely as opener deliberately chose to use that relay method. With the heart suit you can guarantee the 6-5. A 5-5 in hearts and spades would be shown by the heart relay. Choosing the spade relay shows 6 spades and 5 hearts. Choosing the club relay with hearts would show a 6-5 as you would use the heart relay with equal length in those two suits. Choosing the club relay with spades guarantees the 6-5 or otherwise choose the spade relay with the blacks.

When playing the 2NT relays there is no relay for clubs or diamonds. Just 2 - 2 - 3/3 exists for the minors.

Maybe a 2 suiter with a major and a longer minor should be opened with the minor preparing to reverse.

Anyway, this treatment is an effort to keep one bids as one bids and not miss games and slams. Depending on the opponents to balance you to your slam is risky at best. These indiscretions really hurt in IMPS where getting to slam or game is the goal. Match point players seem to be the ones who open rock two suiters at the one level. I just cringe.

2 openers have two main ways to show negative hands without controls. One is a jump to the 3 level in diamonds, hearts and spades and an immediate club raise. These bids all show 6 card suits or longer with no controls. The other is a direct 2 response which shows no controls but could hold up to 12 HCP. There are no further understandings after 2, as slam is usually out of the question.

The correct game is still an issue after a 2 response to a 2 opener. Since we open strong 2 suiters with a 2 opener, we need a way to find the best fit after a 2 response. When the 2 opener holds the boss suit and any two suiter with spades as the anchor suit, there is no problem. Two suiters with diamonds are opened with a strong 2 so no problem there either.

The fact that partner has bid 2 interferes with opener showing heart two suiters. I think a relay should be introduced in this one auction only.

2	Pass	2	Pass
3*	Pass	3	Pass
?

* forced relay to 3

I think responder should be forced to bid 3 on this auction with any hand type. This allows the 2 opener to describe her hand further. 3NT shows a balanced hand with hearts. 4 and 4 show a two suiter and 4 shows a 5-6 with enough strength for a 5 level preference. Spade two suiters with hearts would of course be shown via spades as the anchor suit. 4 would show the heart one suiter that is better than a Namyats type hand.

Partner opens 2 with Ax AKQ10x x AKJ10x and partner bids 2. Responder holds Q10x Jxx xx Qxxxx and must bid 3. Partner now bids 4 so now you can bid 4 or 5 to end the auction or 4 to say your hand is useful for clubs. Partner leaps to 6 with that encouragement and you are in the correct slam.

What if the opponents interfere in the sandwich position by bidding directly or raising his partner and you have a two suiter as your 2 opener? Since our relay system is off in competition, we need another fix. Rodwell has come up with an idea that he uses with his precision 1 openers that are two suiters. The “double pass inversion” he calls it. As usual, from Meckwell it is quite logical. A double by the 2 should show the NT hands or 3 suiters. A bid obviously shows the one suited hands and NT is left as natural based on playability. What about the pass by opener? This is the inversion which commands partner to double. Partner may only break this relay only with an exceptional hand. This action is used as a relay as now when the 2 bidder bids a suit, he shows a two suiter DONT style. Who would have thought of a pass as a relay to a double? This “pass and pull” concept applies at all levels except the slam level where normal pass and pull understandings apply. In fact with this “pass and pull” understanding and the rank order of suits you can identify your two suiter exactly.

AKQxx AKQxxx x x

2	3	Pass	4
Pass*	Pass	Dbl	Pass
4**

The pass is a relay to a double and now the 4 bid shows a two suiter.

Partner has xxxx x xx AJ10xxx and bids 4. 4NT brings one Ace and 6 is attained.

AKQxx Ax x AKQJx

2	3	Pass	4
Pass*	Pass	Dbl	Pass
4

Must be a black two suiter as we bypassed hearts.

x Ax AKJ10x AKQxx

2	2	Pass	3
Pass*	Pass	Dbl	Pass
4

Must be the minors as spades were not mentioned.

A double shows a NT hand or the other 3 suits. What if you (2 opener) have a penalty double of their suit? Simple, you pass and partner is forced to double and all pass. This may expose a psyche or very bad bidders.

AKQJ x Kx AK109xx

2	Pass	2	3
Pass*	Pass	Dbl	Pass
Pass

Jump cue bids or splinters should not exist in competitive auctions over 2 as the psychers are out in full force. Generally when you bid their suit as a jump it is natural. Why double and allow them to describe their escape suit? A pass works just fine as a penalty double. A double and then bidding their suit can be a cue bid with this understanding.

We have been discussing what opener’s bids, doubles and passes mean. What about responder with interference from the opponents? What is a direct double or by responder when they interfere? I think showing controls when we do not have a suit established is silly. Not so with interference though. Since they are jamming you, knowing how many controls responder has is very valuable information.

Tom and I play that a double or redouble is the 1st step showing one control or 4. The pass shows zero or 3 controls and a suit bid is 2 controls. BJ and I play a double as penalty then bidding shows controls with step responses. Zero is the 1st step and then 1, 2, 3, 4 up the line.

Here is a hand from Victoria where Tom and I reached 6NT. Tom opened 2 with AKQ AKQJ AK9x xx and my RHO doubled.

I held xxxx xxx Jxxx AK so playing Tom’s system, I pass showing zero or 3 controls.

Tom bids 2 which is an impossible bid in our system as diamonds are taken out of the 2 structure. I leap to 3NT to show the 3 controls with my balanced hand. Tom bids 6NT and we have 12 tricks for +1440.

Counter defenses are needed when they enter your 2 auction. Forcing passes come with the territory of interference and 2 openers. Pass and pull at the slam level is the strongest auction available. The normal forcing pass “pecking order” of course applies.

Discuss with partner.