Home | Bridge questions | A weak two: to open it or not to open it
A weak two: to open it or not to open it
Saturday, 13 March 2010 07:00

Dear Ed & Peter,

Do you open a weak two if you have a 4 card major, a void and only one honor in the suit bid?

Thanks,
Lynn Axelrod

 Reply Ed Hoogenkamp (South)

Dear Lynn,

The answer can be short: no.
That would be too short though. Therefore I will explain: opening a weak two on a hand like that will guide partner into taking wrong decisions:
1. Whether to save against their game in the other major or not. Having little defence and a fit in your six card suit, partner will be inclined to save — only to find out their game would have been defeated thanks to your four cards in their suit.
Furthermore, in view of your poor suit, there is the danger of going down a lot (doubled).
2. What to lead. Partner will lead your suit if they buy the contract. If that suit is poor, the lead may easily cost a trick. Furthermore, partner may have a better suit to lead — you talked him out of that lead...

There is a situation though, in which almost anything goes: not vulnerable against vulnerable in third position. I can imagine myself opening a weak two on the hand you describe....
I'm not proud of it though. And it still might go very wrong if partner faces a tough decision. He knows you bid third in hand, but still: in his opinion you may have a 'genuine' weak two... So a phantom save or a disastrous lead in your suit may still be possible. 

Un saludo desde Barcelona 


Reply Peter van der Linden (North)

Dear Lynn,

Ed's answer is in fact a co-production of the two of us, since we completely agree. A rare thing indeed...
I will illustrate our point with some examples:

S/EWJ 9 3 2 
 10
8 6 5
K Q 10 6 4
A Qwindroos7
A 7 6 2
K J 8 5
10 9 3
K Q J 7 4
A J 9 5
8 7 3
 K 10 8 6 5 4  
Q 9 4 3
A 2
2

WestNorthEastSouth

2?

Some West players will double, some will overcall with 2NT, some will even pass, but that will not prevent EW from somehow get to 4 in the end — if North would let them! But of course North will save with 4, either directly or over EW's 4 bid.
West has a natural diamond lead and South will end up down two, doubled: −300.

If South passes, the auction will be either:

WestNorthEastSouth

pass
1NT
pass
2pass1
2pass
4pass
pass
pass
  

1 It probably pays to be silent now that East is interested in a major suit contract (and if EW turn out not to have a major fit, the contract will be notrumps probably; South knows the distribution in East's major suit to be unfavourable, so he is not keen on saving)

...or something like:

WestNorthEastSouth

pass
1NT
pass
221
332  4pass
pass
pass
  

1 As I said: not my choice, but not an unreasonable bid
2 North knows from the EW bidding (and by South's failure to open 2) that South has four hearts; he therefore merely suggests saving (note that EW too may wonder what South's bidding means; they can come up with the right answer and West may settle for the ice cold 3NT).
4 doesn't stand a chance — unless declarer takes a winning view in hearts. He may do so in view of South's bidding (passing first, overcalling spades later, meaning 6-4 in the majors is very well possible...). However it is highly unlikely declarer will handle the heart suit successfully if South has kept quiet — another reason to do so.

True, it is possible to construct hands where the weak two opening on South's hand will turn out well. We think however, that it will more often turn out wrong.
To conclude with, let's have a look at the spade suit only. Suppose you have opened a weak two in spades and West ends up declaring a contract:

 J 2
 
A 10 8
windroosQ 5
 K 9 7 6 4 3
 

I think partner (North) is going to lead the J (he should, anyway, if NS open sound weak two's, unlike South has done here!). And I don't think you are going to be happy with that lead...
The same applies here:

 A 5
 
K J 2
windroos8 3
 Q 10 9 7 6 4  

North's A lead will make South think again about opening 2 on a suit like this.

En hils fra Orkanger
 

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