June 2021 - 63

Special Contributor
Consults with the Doctor
Weak two-bids in the 21st century - continued
Position: Fourth seat
What about fourth seat? After three
passes, the only tactical consideration
in opening is to get a plus score. A
fourth-seat weak two-bid needs more
high cards, more playing strength and
more defense. You will often have full
values for an opening one-bid, but
opening two may be a better description
of your hand. You want to make
it more difficult for the opponents to
compete, and it's probably what you
were going to rebid anyhow.
A Q J 9 8 6 K J 7 4 J 10 7
Open 2, making it more difficult for
the opponents. A one-bid otherwise.
A Q J 9 8 3 A 10 9 7 J 10 9 -
Open 1. This has roughly the same
number of high-card points as the
first example, but you might belong in
hearts or even diamonds. 2 in fourth
seat suggests a one-suited hand.
7 A K J 9 7 5 Q 10 9 8 8 7
Pass. Yes, a 2 bid in any other seat,
but in fourth seat, you will probably be
outbid in spades. You're unlikely to go
plus.
A few years ago, Jerry Helms discussed
fourth-seat weak two-bids in
great detail in his Bridge Bulletin column,
defining them as showing " 10-13
HCP and a good six-card suit, but with
values that would not accept a Drury
game invitation. " (Drury, usually 2by
a passed hand in response to a 1 or
1 opening in third seat, shows a hand
too good for a single raise.) He showed
these examples:
K Q J 10 5 3 J 6 Q J 8 Q 3
Q 7 A Q J 8 5 2 J 10 4 3 K
These are hands lacking quick
tricks, but have good playing strength.
To describe them, he used the term
" constructively obstructive, " i.e., constructively
warning partner not to get
too excited with his good hand, and obstructively
making the opponents enter
the auction at an uncomfortable level.
Can you still reach game after partner
opens a weak-two in fourth seat? Yes,
with good hand evaluation. You know
your partner has an " opening " hand.
How would you evaluate your hand in
this auction? You hold:
A 10 5 3 Q 9 6 3 A 9 6 5 4.
RHO You LHO Partner
Pass
Pass
Pass Pass
?
2
Are you bidding or passing? You
have aces (always good), good trumps
(always good), and a singleton (always
good). It's not a matter of counting your
high cards. How can 4 not have a pretty
good play? You'd certainly want to be
in game if partner opened 2 with:
J 4 A K J 5 3 2 J 6 2 Q J.
New topic: Special auctions
Before we start discussing competitive
bidding, which will cover quite a few
columns, there are several special auctions
we need discuss.
Let's start with when the weak twobidder
calls twice, either by doubling or
by bidding a new suit.
Mike Lawrence stole some of my
thunder in his excellent article late in
2020 when he discussed the following
auction:
West North East
Pass
Pass
South
2 3 Pass
Dbl
?
What is the meaning of North's
double? It's a takeout double, similar
to a reopening double in the auction
BY DR. JAMES
MARSH STERNBERG
mmay001@aol.com
1-2-Pass-Pass, where the opening
bidder reopens with double. North's
shape almost certainly is 6=3=1=3. His
partner may have a diamond stack, but
was unsure about making a penalty
double, or he has a weak hand and his
own suit, or a variety of other hands. A
typical North hand:
A Q J 10 6 2 K 10 9 2 10 9 5.
North is saying he has a good weak
two-bid and feels that 3 undoubled
should not be the final contract. He is
prepared to play in partner's suit, play
in 3 or wants to play 3 doubled.
Perhaps South was thinking of doubling
for penalty. Now that he knows
opener has a maximum, he is happy to
do so. Mike's example of a South hand
that opts for the penalty pass is:
8 3 Q J 8 Q 10 6 5 4 K 4 3.
Another important auction is where
the preempter bids a new suit such as:
West North East
Pass
South
2 2 Pass
3
North has an extreme two-suited
hand such as:
4 A Q 10 9 8 7 - Q 10 9 8 7 5.
I had a hand similar to this playing
in a big event with Hall of Famer
Fred Hamilton. I passed in first seat,
thinking it would be easier to describe
this hand later, maybe with Michaels
or something. The bidding came back
to me in 4. Great, now what? I don't
remember which slam we were cold
for, but I do remember Freddie's comments.
I can't get past the censors if I
repeat them, but it started something
like, " How could you not open 2? "
Anyhow, you get the point. Bid what's
in front of your nose.
June 2021 | Bridge Bulletin |
63
June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2021
