|
Weak Two Preemptive Bid - In the early days of Bridge, two level bids
were played as strong bids showing good length in the named suit.
However in time players begin using 2C as a ubiquitous call to
generally show a strong hand; the opener can belatedly make a rebid to show
a long suit (responder generally begins with 2D).
This treatment allows the opener to use other 2 level bids, especially 2H
and 2S to show a weak hand with a good 6 card suit. The
opener's hand typically shows:
|
Attribute |
Meaning |
|
Length |
6 card suit (perhaps a 5
card suit for a frisky player in 3rd seat) |
|
Suit Strength |
Two of the top three
honors, perhaps three of the top five honors (especially in first or
second seat) |
|
Outside Suit Strength |
Usually not more than one
useful outside honors (in first or second seat) |
|
Outside Suit Length |
Varies by
partnership/player - some preempt with a four card outside suit (most
not a useful honor in the suit), some only a four card minor side suit,
most agree the side suit should not be a five card suit. |
|
Voids |
Most players will preempt
with a side-suit void, although some will not preempt with a void and a
6-4-3-0 shape. |
|
Aces |
Most players freely make a
two level preempt with a side suit Ace. Conversely, almost all
players will not make a three level preempt with an outside Ace in first
or second seat (too many point to preempt with two of the top three
honors, along with an outside Ace, plus three distribution points for a
seven card preempt suit). |
For more on
preemptive bids, please refer to our newsletters
Part I,
Part II, and
Part III.
Note:
partnership agreements are needed for preempts in the fourth seat.
Since a basic tenant of preemptive bidding is to obstruct the opponents, the
rationale to preempt in the fourth seat (the player can simply pass).
A common treatment by advanced players making a two level bid in the fourth
seat shows a very good 6+ card suit with strongly invitational game values
(6-7 Losing Trick Count).
When opener shows such an invitational bid, responder may:
|
Bid |
Meaning |
|
New Suit |
Invitational, not forcing |
|
Two Notrump |
Forcing one round, asking
opener to show a feature card (Ace or King). Responder
subsequently will make a signoff bid in three or four in opener's suit -
bidding 3 Notrump is rare since responder is a passed hand but
may be conceivable when opener began with 2 Diamonds. |
|
3C |
Asking opener for
shortness. Opener bids suit with singleton or void, 3 level on
opener's suit without a short suit, or 3 Notrump with a shortness
in Clubs. |
|
Three in opener's
major suit |
Invitational, asking opener
to bid game with extras. |
In their
"Preempts from A to Z" (pg 40-41), Ron Andersen and Sabine Zenkel qualify
the following hands for fourth seat weak two bids:
A Q J 9 8 3 6
A 10 4 J 10 7 - open 2S
10 A J 10 9 8
5 A 9 5 K 10 8 - open 2H
7 9 7
A K J 10 7 5 K 10 8 5 - open 2D
|
