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The two over one bidding system |
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I have been asked to write a page or two on two-over-one. The concept behind this sheet is for a player who is familiar with Standard American to be able to pick up 2/1 quickly. I have intentionally kept this article very short. |
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2/1 is very similar to Standard American but there are two major differences: - |
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(a) |
A new-suit two-level response to a 1♥/♠ opening is forcing to game. |
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(b) |
The response of 1NT to a 1♥/♠ opening is forcing. |
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1. |
A new suit at the two level |
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| ♠ |
2 |
Suppose you have this hand and partner opens 1♠ . You play weak jump shifts and so respond 2♥ and partner bids 2♠. What now? Playing Standard you would probably jump to 4♥, but there may well be slam if partner has the ♥Q. In 2/1 it's simple – take it slowly with a bid of 3♥. The auction is absolutely game forcing. |
| ♥ |
AKJ9542 |
| ♦ |
K72 |
| ♣ |
A6 |
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| ♠ |
AK96543 |
And playing 2/1 makes life much easier for opener. You hold this hand and open 1♠ and partner responds 2♥. What do you do now? 3♠? 4♠? Playing 2/1 it's very easy, take it slowly with 2♠. This is just one of the great advantages of 2/1 – there is no need to leap about to set up a game force.
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| ♥ |
A4 |
| ♦ |
10 |
| ♣ |
AJ8 |
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So what do you do with a hand of 10-11 points where you would have responded at the two level? The answer is the forcing 1NT. Over a ♥/♠ opening a 1NT bid is forcing; it may be virtually any shape and anything from 5 to a poor 12 points. |
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| ♠ |
7 |
Partner opens 1♠. Playing Standard you would bid 2♦ and hopefully arrive somewhere sensible. Playing 2/1 you do not have the values for a game force and so you bid a forcing 1NT. If partner then bids 2♣, 2♥ or 2♠ you can bid 3♦ to show this hand type exactly. |
| ♥ |
542 |
| ♦ |
KQJ752 |
| ♣ |
A72 |
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| ♠ |
J3 |
Partner opens 1♠ and you respond 1NT. If partner bids 2♣ you bid 2♦ - to play; if partner bids 2♦ you pass; if partner bids 2♥ you bid 2♠ and play in the 5-2 fit; if partner bids 2♠ you pass and play in the 6-2 fit.
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| ♥ |
54 |
| ♦ |
KJ9752 |
| ♣ |
J52 |
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3. |
Responding to partner's forcing No Trump |
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Opener must respond. With a six card suit he can rebid it. With 54xx he can bid 2♥. A 5-card major is not usually rebidable and opener my sometimes have to bid a three card minor. |
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There is just one really awkward shape – 4522. After a forcing NoTrump opener cannot reverse into 2♠ without full reversing values so this one is a problem. If the 5 card suit is very good then rebid it, otherwise bid 2♣. Flannery solves the problem but it really is a bit excessive to use the 2♦ opening just to solve this one rare problem. |
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If opener has a big hand with game potential then he can jump/reverse whatever as normal. |
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4. |
The Constructive Raise |
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| ♠ |
Q65 |
Partner opens 1♠. Playing Standard you would bid 2♠ and pray that partner does not make a game try. Playing 'Constructive Raises' in the 2/1 system you show this poor raise by bidding 1NT and then 2♠ over partner's 2♣/♦/♥ response.
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| ♥ |
J42 |
| ♦ |
K752 |
| ♣ |
742 |
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| ♠ |
KJ65 |
Partner opens 1♠. This time you have a decent raise and the way to show that is to bid 2♠ immediately. |
| ♥ |
Q42 |
| ♦ |
K752 |
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| ♣ |
742 |
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5. |
A reverse by opener after a two-over-one response |
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| ♠ |
AQ653 |
What do you open with this hand? Playing Standard a 1♠ opening has its problems as you do not have the values for a 3♣ high reverse over 2♦/♥.
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| ♥ |
82 |
| ♦ |
2 |
But playing 2/1 there is no problem. A 2♦/♥ response is game forcing and it's best to play that a subsequent reverse by opener does not show extras. |
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AK742 |
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AQ65 |
Here you open 1♥ and get a 2♣ or 2♦ response. Without agreement to the contrary a 2♠ bid would show 16+ points. Playing 2/1 it simply shows the shape and does not promise extra values. |
| ♥ |
AQ982 |
| ♦ |
2 |
| ♣ |
742 |
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6. |
The 11-12 point 2NT invitational bid |
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| ♠ |
53 |
Partner opens 1♠ and you have a classic 2NT response; but most players play Jacoby 2NT. In Standard you would bid 2♣ followed by 2NT but that is game forcing in 2/1.
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| ♥ |
Q82 |
| ♦ |
AK86 |
| ♣ |
K942 |
The answer is to bid a forcing 1NT and then bid 2NT over partner's response. |
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7. |
The three card limit raise |
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| ♠ |
KJ3 |
Partner opens 1♠. Playing Standard you would bid 2♣ and then 3♠ to show just three card support. |
| ♥ |
82 |
| ♦ |
K863 |
Playing 2/1 you start with a forcing 1NT and then jump to 3♠.
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A942 |
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8. |
One No trump and two-level responses by a passed hand |
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Note that 2/1 only applies if responder is not a passed hand, so 1NT is natural if you have passed. If partner opens 1 ♥/♠ in 3 rd seat or 1♠ in 4 th seat then I like to play (two-way reverse) Drury. I do not play Drury if partner opens 1 ♥ in 4 th seat as that is always a sound opener (whereas 1♠ may well be on the light side - rule of 15) but play natural methods. |
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_____________________________ |
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Here are a few 2/1 books, and there are a few two-over-one book reviews in book reviews page 12. |
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Two Over One in a Nutshell: Modern Concepts for Winning Bridge - Dee Berry |
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Two-Over-One Game Force: An Introduction - Steve Bruno |
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Two Over One Game Force Quiz Book - Max Hardy |
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One no trump forcing (Championship bridge series) - William Flannery |
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One no trump forcing (Championship bridge series) - Alan Sontag |
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Limit Raises Forcing Raises Splinter Bids & The Forcing NT |
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The books above are specific to two-over one and the forcing NoTrump. I strongly recommend "Standard Bridge bidding for the 21 st Century" and volume 2 ("Advanced Bridge bidding ...") by Max Hardy. They are general bidding books that assume two-over-one and certainly rank among the best bidding books ever written..
Borrow them from the club library or purchase them from Amazon. |
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Pattaya Bridge Club - |
www.pattayabridge.com |
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