Conventions

Home

M J Bridge

Bidding

Hands

Theory

Beginner and above

Context  -  opening two of a suit.

Natural strong twos


Three options are offered on the following pages:-


game-forcing


one-round force


and


not forcing


I should point out immediately that not a single one of these receives my seal of approval.


The first game-forcing option is the one previously referred to as ‘from the bronze-age’ although ‘stone-age’ might be more accurate.

The bids will only be used rarely - such hands can easily be covered with just one bid - and there are no bids left to show other hand-types.


The one-round force is the traditional Acol strong two.

It is considerably superior to the game-forcing version above in as much as it will appear with much greater frequency, but once again such hands can be covered with one bid and there are no bids left to show other hand-types.


The non-forcing version will usually be based on a limited point-range.  This is both its strength and its weakness.  On hands which are adequately described by a combined point-count this method can be extremely accurate and will occasionally allow you to stop at a safe level.  Against this, many strong unbalanced hands have a playing strength which is considerably greater than the point-count might suggest.  You will be left with no way of showing such hands, and you may also find yourself without the available bids to show other hand-types.  It is not for me.


My recommendation up to a good intermediate level is that you should play some combination of natural weak bids and artificial strong bids.


Three weak and one strong’ is an excellent example of such a system which is appropriate from a beginner stage and will continue to serve you well to a more than respectable level.

Responder’s continuations

This page last revised 10th June 2017