Exotic styles

Banned!

Assumed fit preempts

"natural" 2

Tested defences remain hard to find. There are ideas on the generic defences page, or try this translated article from Norway

Advances

Tactics

Your worthy opponents

The archive also has page of tested defensive methods.

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Weak Two index

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We have an new myxomatosis variant, offered by Australia's Tony Rolf. Please keep them coming, and note my new email address

Standard Weak twos: 5-11 six card suit (commonly majors)

Response A 2NT.enquiry of some sort is very common. Others play 2NT asking for simple rebid(min) or a side suit feature (max). Undisciplined Responses are worth a look, and Paul Baker's simple new suit method finds those superfits

Frequency For 5-11 ... 1.5% per suit - 3.0% both majors - 4.5% majors and a weak 2

Pro points Well defined and accepted. Standard in USA (in 3 suits //)

Against Predictable and easy to defend. It pays to swing the style a little! you lose these bids for strong hands (but why are you here?)

Defence 2NT=16-18 suit=5card natural x=takeout works well. When taking out you need some method to exchange strength information. I discuss this further on my defence page along with methods for nastier preempts.

Weak 2 Diamonds

Defined 2 = 6 card suit 5-11 points (or a looser style). Common in USA. Is the 2 pre-empt really worth its own entry? I believe so. Both from my own experience and from posting in r.g.b this innocent looking pre-empt is a real tricky dicky! >Nobody wants to penalise it, and there is a much greater tendency for opponents to go wrong after you have bid it.

Why does it work? Some feel that it is opponent's need to expore possible fits in both majors - putting pressure on sequences where theuy might otherwise try to stop safely. In UK there is also an unfamiliarity factor.

So well worth considering if you have no better use for the bid. But if you don't need 2 as a strong opening look at these other juicy possibilitiesfor the opening 2 diamond.

Defence 2NT = 16-18, maximally one major (system=on), suit = 5 card and natural, x = both majors

Non Standard Weak Twos - Freestyle

Nicely termed as Abysmal Two's in Adrian Thomas's article in the WBU newsletter (spring 98) describing the bidding habits of the Principality's traditional English foe. Adrian gives requirements as roughly a five card suit of some nature, a hand with 13 cards and a dislike for placing green cards on the table. "The rules of 300 and 500 are to be replaced by 1100 and 1900". This has certainly become a common English style in recent years. CUBC made an r.g.b posting on this. It would appear that little has changed since I played there in the 70's - except now they use the Multi.2 to discriminate the rubbish from the complete rubbish!,/p>

This is an interesting point. If your partner can discriminate between 5 and 6 card two's he can use total trick theory to extend your preempt appropriately. Of course it also helps the opponents to double you. If favour of freestyle/abysmal two's you should note that five card suits are much commoner than six suiters (see EHAA below)

frequency about 6.45 for the majors. Say 9% including diamonds (without 4cM)

Licences The EBU definition used to be Natural, 5+ cards, 'rule of 22 or less', but the new Orange Book is much less restrictive. So long as you do not mix weak and strong hands and hold at least 4 cards in the suit bid, you can do this right down to level 2 (God help them!) Rule of 22 still applies and your partner must explore game if his hand justifies it opposite a decent pre-empt.

Defence We defend them just as standard weak two's, but might convert a double to penalty more often

Non Standard Weak Twos - EHAA

The American EHAA style incorporates such weak two's (in all four suits) as part of it's structure and suggests opening all 6-12 point five card suits without reference to quality. This seems similar to the style above but EHAA proponents stress the benefit of getting to your own contract fast, at the loss of calculated total trick based raises. This is a pairs system but works equally well at point-a-board (rare in UK).

A EHAA summary is available online for the interested giving both AKQJxxxxxx and xxxxx as acceptable suits!

Simple responses including 2NT are not forcing. There is a brief book on EHAA by Eric Landau and Randall Baron giving more detail. (USA bridgeurs should note that EHAA also incorporates a nippy 10-12 notrump).

Frequency Around 13% (2/2). 25% for full Monty EHAA in four suits. The less standard your method the commoner it becomes!

Pro points Basically a disruptive weapon. Psychic in some hands, although with such a wide range psyching is difficult!

Against In response it is hard to sort out the good from the bad or ugly. Some do this only in 3rd position or NV

Defence See standard methods. There is a case for playing a penalty double, in which case you may find Hackett defence useful.

Benjamin (weak major two's retaining Strong Twos)

• 2 = 8 tricks in an nspecified suit, or rebid 2NT to show 19-20 balanced
• 2 = Game force type or a 23-24 point 2NT
• 2/ = a weak two in a style of your choice!
• 2NT = 21-22 balanced
  No trump ranges vary - some divide the 20-24 range between just two 2NT's and play the third as either 3-suited or a both minors preempt

Responses Opposite GF 2 most play a 2 negative. Over the weaker 2 a 2 relay approach is better - it allows opener to show either major. These may then be treated as forcing, or otherwise.

Frequency Depends on style of your weak two as above

Pro points You achieve the "Holy Grail" of the famous S K "Skid" Simon (originator of Acol) - to play weak twos and strong twos!

Against The responses to 2 cramps the bidding of big hands, especially those holding heart suits See "reverse Benji" below.

Variant Some prefer 2 game forcing with 2as the Acol Two. This style is awkward for hearts and I'd recommend my ParadoX Advances if you play this. Alternatively some players deploy only the more effective weak 2

One can more or less sit down opposite a stranger and agree "Benji Acol" or "reverse Benji" in UK.

Albert Benjamin was a 1970's Scottish international.

Flannery 2 Diamonds or 2 Hearts

Flannery isn't really a weak two as it show opening values

Defined 2 or 2 showing (10)11-14 hp, 5+ hearts and exactly 4 spades

If you are willing to give both openings, then look at the variant played in Taiwan

Response 2NT relay with either ..

• 3/=min splinter 3=min 4522 3=46xx 3NT=4522 max 4/=max-void
• 3/=3+ in the suit (fragment)
• 3=min 4522 3=46xx 3NT=4522 max 4/=suit {Gilad Benjamini}

Frequency 4% for 4/5 or 4/6 11-14

Flannery defence {from Stu Goodgold of rec.games.bridge}

Against 2 Flannery Dbl = strong balanced 15+ 2 = 3 suited take out 2 = natural (5+) 2NT = minors

Against 2 Flannery (uncommon) Dbl = strong balanced hand 2 = natural 2NT = minors or Dbl = 3 suit take out 2 = natural 2NT = strong balanced hand

The benefits of Flannery are complex, and (as so often) more appreciated when you don't bid it

• It solves that rebid problem after 1 - 1NT (forcing or not)
• Responder safely can bid 1NT as above with 4 spades (concealing the suit)
  1 - 1 is now logically 5+ cards,and may be raised with three
• You don't have to cater for moderate 4-5 majors in the rest of your system
• Competition: after e.g 1 (3) ? .. opener will rarely have four spades and you can call accordingly

Whether all this is worth loss of 2 as strong or preemptive hand is up to you. Personally I avoid the problem by making 1 - 1 one round force, and 1NT (NF) a moderate hand with spades (a Granville/Kaplan inversion)

US player John Kelsey likes Flannery and has extended its application nicely to include many of the tricky 4441 hands. He plays 2 as

• Classic 4=5=x=x 10-13 as above
• 4-4-4-1 four spades but any other singleton 10-13
• 4-4-4-1 four spades but any other singleton 21+

The 4 card guaranteed spades suit both make "Romaflan" ACBL legal, and I imagine tame its use at the table. A nice example of what can be added into an under-stretched opening. John has system notes - write to him via x0_x0_x "at" mindspring.com

Dutch Twos - "Muiderberg"

Anton van Uitert has remainded me in an email that the Dutch play Muiderberg quite strictly as 5 card major, commonly combined with the Multi 2. This has the advantage of allowing partner to judge pre-empt extension to a "T", a cost of making opponent's penalty double more effective.

Response Either 2NT asking for the minor, or some bid 3={to play in the minor}
Variant (Johan Longueville) Over 2NT 3/ = 4 card and / show 5 in respective minors.

My own preference has been to use 2NT as Lebensohl, which works well. You need different methods should opponents bid.

Frequency 4.2% Of these 1 in 4 will have six card major; and 1 in 5 a five card minor

Defence Henk Uijterwall of r.g.b reports that normal weak two defence is used in Holland but that you need to tweak up your penalty doubles and take the money a bit more often. 'Souljah' (also Dutch) prefers to use the standard Holland Multi defence of (2=nat), x=balanced 2NT-3=transfers.

Pro points Common: You don't preempt with both majors

Against penalty doubles haven't been a problem in my experience

In London this style is known as Woo Two's after the Young Chelsea player Alan Woo. Muiderberg is a subset of Lucas Two's (ie restricted to major/minor). I took up Lucas but didn't like preempting with both majors - and so got to the same opening independently, but probably last.

A variant from Belgium is to vary the Multi 2 to include Muiderberg so called Rainbow. However this has failed to achieve licencing recognition from the authorities elsewhere who still treat Multi as an exception and insist on 'traditional' weak major inclusions.

The name Muiderberg incidentally comes from the village outside Amsterdam where its inventor Onno Janssens lived. See my own 2 spade system notes for a nice picture of Muiderberg, and lebensol based response scheme linked to ParadoX methods.

Lucas Twos

Response 2 (over 2)/2NT=to play in the other suit. New suit = to play. 'Raise' to 3 of opening suit invitational (a bit lame!)

Frequency About 13% for the UK licenced range of 6-10 and all three suits

Pro points More common than Standard method and allows preempt on 5 card suit. Popular in Holland (Dutch Twos)

Against Slightly more risky for both you and defenders, but you hit a fit 80% of the time

Defence Treat as standard. As Lucas has only 5 trumps you should be slightly more keen to extract a penalty. (CF Muiderberg))

"Sound" methods

Here a few eponymous styles, mainly from USA

"Alexander"

Response 2NT(F) to rebid own suit or bid the side suit

Frequency non-vul version (7-11) is 2.2% per suit - 6.6% for all three

Pro points Well defined and partner can expect some defence

Against Alexander mixed offensive and defensive types which seems against modern preempt theory

In my opinion this makes it a weak method, but at least partner knows what you have

Defence Treat as standard

This is a style - essentially banning 5332 openings - why the honours outside?

"Bailey"

Frequency Similar to standard weak twos

Pro points Disruptive. Partner can take out expecting two trumps opposite. Frequent but well defined

Against I think this style invites a penalty double, but this is not always so easy to accomplish. I have not played this style, but it goes against my theoretical leanings to vary my preemps. The 2-3 holding in the other major means that opponents won't run into bad breaks on their dodgy games. Against that partner is well placed for two level business doubles.

Another South Californian, William Shutts writes: Bailey's philosophy is to get in light early, scramble to safety if necessary, and bid constructively thereafter and to disclose as little as possible in game bidding. My assessment is that they are effective at pairs and in short IMP (Swiss) matches because they tend to generate small favorable swings and have good frequency compared with standard weak-2 methods. For high-level long match play I honestly believe that they break even. If your partnership personality matches Bailey's philosophy, they are definitely worth a serious look.

Defence "You should treat Bailey differently from standard weak twos", advises fellow Californian Marvin French and play a penalty double with perhaps a lower minor as takeout. A "Weiss" double shows at least 3½ defensive tricks, with "a little something" in the suit doubled. See Goldilocks below for an even sounder style.

Evan has his system notes online

Goldilocks

• 8/9 HCP, 7+ in the major and some defensive values.
• 9-13, 6+ in major. If 9 HCP and only six cards then you must hold either AKQxxx in suit, or KQxxxx in suit and an outside ace

Response There are some quite complicated available responses on the BridgeMatters Site They also list some brown sticker methods s othe site has a darker side ....

Pro points You won't get doubled much. Partner can bid confident games!

Against Low frequency. AKQxxx is rare. Many would open these 1 level

This is a style for the cautious! See also slightly looser Bailey Twos and Alexander above. In all these styles there is an inference to be drawn when partner does not open but competes later, or chooses a one bid instead.

Trent Weak Two Bids

Another sound method and semi constructive. With a long suit and no ace or king it is recommended to open 3 level or pass. Side suits are no problem but 5-4 is only koshe in 3rd hand.

The approach is one of active bidding rather than preempt and subside. Parter will explore toward game freely, and opener may reopen opponent's partscore bids with a double if shape permits.

The style is named after Paul and Sandra Trent, but has been seen amongst other US played notably Al Roth. Zia Mamood is said to like this style vulnerable particularly at rubber bridge.

Response I'd use RONF (Raise = Only Non-Forcing response)

Pro and against see the other sound styles

From a posting on rec.games.bridge - description was ascribed to Pam Granovetter

Multi coloured 2 Diamonds

• Weak two 5+ cards in hearts (compulsory option under EBU rules) in a style of your choice
• Weak two 5+ cards in spades (option) in a style of your choice
  Most people play the classic 'ambiguous major'. However EBU bizarely allowed 'hearts only'
  while forbidding 'spades only' from 2005. No, I don't know why either!
• A big NT (18+) - say 20-22 or 22-24, others use 2-point ranges split between 2, 2 and 2NT openings
• Acol two (rule of 25, 14+ points) in a minor - 'either minor' or say 'Acol two in diamonds' are legal
• Acol two (rule of 25, 14+ points) in a hearts or spades (uncommon)
• A Roman 4441 strong (16+) hand (uncommon)
• A Game forcing hand (rare)

Furthermore at least one of your strong flavours must be "reasonably frequent". It would be unacceptable to include only a 28-30 NT - this would make the opening 99.9% weak. Regulations define "strong" as rule of 23+, but my advice is to play nearer to game force, to allow clear space between weak and strong flavours in subsequent competitive auctions.

Furthermore you may not psych a Multi, and partner must explore game if his hand merits this opposite a possibible strong flavour. He may pass at his own risk with a poor hand and lots of diamonds.

Responses Vary: See Multi 2D options

Pro points Multi bundles several hand types into one bid may free 2/ for something more exotic. It requires judgement to defend, but really very easy if you have discussed the various options

Against If opponents butt in ... it is we who need judgement!

Defences Many: See Multi 2D defence

Others

The archive has further pages giving more exotic but still generally legal styles and some so called brown sticker openings legal only in top events. Personally I am particularly drawn to the recent Assumed fit 4-4 preempts often from Scandanavia. Not all of these contain the suit bid (and are then restricted). However my own choice of 2as both majors or Tiawan's Bloody Mary 2 with both red suits are considered natural internationally and cannot be excluded from your arsenal - or your opponent's!