Glenfield Technical Library

 

The Opening Bid of Two No Trumps

 

Last Updated on 17th August 2008

 

 

 

Most pairs use this bid to show a strong balanced hand; usually with 20-22 points.

Board 21

Dealer N

NS Vul

North

 

ª Q4

© AJ2

¨ K97

§ AKQ63

 

This deal comes from the Buckby Cup on 26th February 2003.  North opened two no trumps.  South bid three clubs, Baron, and North showed that his only suit with four cards or more was clubs by rebidding three no trumps. 

 

It is, however, becoming increasingly popular to play the opening bid of two no trumps as Unusual; showing at least five cards in each minor.

 

West

 

ª K762

© T63

¨ Q86

§ 982

 

East

 

ª AJ53

© Q97

¨ J54

§ T54

 

South

 

ª T98

© K854

¨ AT32

§ J7

 

 

 

I still use the old-fashioned method of 20-22 points but I don’t like to open two no trumps unless I also have at least 6 playing tricks. 

Board 1

Dealer N

Love All

North

 

ª JT5

© T5

¨ 98432

§ 874

 

Because we play Crowhurst we can play a jump rebid of two no trumps as showing 19-21 points and, for the upper range, less than six playing tricks.   In other words, if we are unlikely to make two no trumps when partner has a hand that is too weak for a change of suit response to a one level opening bid, we don’t open two no trumps.   This approach gained most of the match points on this deal from Glenfield Bridge Club on 16th April 2003.

 

This South hand therefore was opened one club, intending to rebid two no trumps if North made a change of suit response.  The objective of opening one club rather than one heart is to avoid forcing North into a one no trump response and having the hand played the opposite way round to the field. 

 

In the event, North passed and one club was the final contract.  West led a spade, which ran to the ten queen and ace.  South then cashed the ace and king of hearts and ruffed the six.  The six of diamonds was thrown on the jack of spades and a diamond was led from dummy.  East won the ace and switched to a trump.   South played low so West won the jack of clubs, cashed the ace and led another. 

 

This was a pretty good score.  The board was played nine times.  On seven occasions South opened two no trumps and played there.  The number of tricks made varied from 4 to 8.  The best North South effort came from Cynthia & Dave McCloughlin who made the contract; while top score for East West went to Bill Youngs and Derick Symonds who took the contract four down.

 

Irene Robinson & Renee Berrington were the only other pair not to stop short of two no trumps.  I do not know whether that is because East elected to open one spade or whether South initially opened one club or one heart and West protected with one spade.  In any event,  East finished in two spades, was doubled, and went one down giving North South a second top.

West

 

ª 754

© J942

¨ J5

§ AQJ6

 

East

 

ª Q9832

© Q73

¨ AQ7

§ 93

 

South

 

ª AK

© AK86

¨ KT6

§ KT52

 

 

 

 

There are a number of conventions used to look for a suit fit after a strong two no trump opening. 

 

North

 

ª KJ652

© T954

¨ 87

§ T9

Board 15

Dealer S

NS Vul

Baron or Stayman can be used to look for a four-four fit.  A variation of Stayman, called five card Stayman, can be used to find either a four card or five card major in opener’s hand.

 

On this hand, from Glenfield Bridge Club on 13th July 2005, the match points went to the pairs who chose not to locate their 4-4 heart fit.  Our style is to play in a 4-4 major in preference to no trumps unless both hands have 4-3-3-3 distribution, so I opened two no trumps, Peter bid three clubs, Baron, I bid three hearts and Peter went to game.  I bemoaned my luck when West led the eight of spades, East won the ace and delivered a spade ruff.  I still had two trump tricks to lose for one down.

 

That should have been a fairly normal score.  However, the other North/South scores were 2NT just made, 4S just made, 3NT just made, 5NT-1, and 4H-2, which occurred twice.

 

 

West

 

ª 8

© KQ83

¨ 9654

§ 8654

 

East

 

ª A743

© 6

¨ JT32

§ KQ72

 

South

 

ª QT9

© AJ72

¨ AKQ

§ AJ3

 

 

 

 

Board 18

Dealer E

NS Vul

North

 

ª A7

© Q3

¨ AQ97

§ K9854

 

Peter Neville and Tim Glover also use Baron after they have overcalled two no trumps in defence to a weak two, Lucas two or multi-coloured two diamonds.

 

They produced this comical auction to reach six clubs in the Porter match between Leicestershire and Gloucestershire on 13th November 2005 after Tim forgot their methods.

 

East opened two hearts, Tim overcalled two no trumps and Peter sought a minor fit by bidding three clubs.  Tim, taking this as natural, but unsure whether it was forcing, was reluctant to pass and bid three no trumps.  Peter took that as a four-card suit and bid six clubs.

 

 

West

 

ª J853

© T7

¨ T6542

§ JT

 

East

 

ª T62

© K98652

¨ K3

§ 63

 

South

 

ª KQ94

© AJ4

¨ J8

§ AQ72

 

 

 

When you open a strong two no trumps, you are, perhaps, hoping for a slam yourself.   You certainly don’t expect opponents to have a slam available.  Look at this deal from the LCBA Green Point Swiss Pairs on 8th March 2003.

Board 10

Dealer E

Game All

North

 

ª 6

© J94

¨ AQT6432

§ 86

 

South opened two no trumps,  West bid three clubs,  North bid four no trumps, intended as Blackwood, South took it as quantitative and bid six no trumps.   West had no trouble either doubling or cashing two aces.  Interestingly, East/West can make six spades.  Clubs are ruffed in dummy twice to provide the entries to finesse twice against South’s king of spades.   After that, West’s clubs are good.  Perhaps North/South knew this all along and bid six no trumps as an advance sacrifice.

West

 

ª AQJ4

© 7

¨

§ AT975432

 

East

 

ª 98753

© T8652

¨ J98

§ -

 

South

 

ª KT2

© AKQ3

¨ K75

§ KQJ

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                      

Tim’s Statistics Imps

Partner

We Open 2NT

IMPs

Imps/Bd

PorterNottinghamshire 5 Leicestershire 15

Peter Neville

1

3

3.00

MarkhamDerbyshire 0 Leicestershire 20

Peter Neville

1

0

0.00

PorterLincolnshire 0 Leicestershire 20

Peter Neville

2

1

0.50

 

 

 

 

 

Total for 2006

 

4

4

1.00

 

 

 

 

 

Glenfield A 4 County A 8

Peter Neville

1

0

0.00

PorterLeicestershire 5 Oxfordshire 15

Peter Neville

1

-6

-6.00

 

 

 

 

 

Total for 2007

 

2

-6

-3.00

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

6

-2

-0.33

 

 

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Last Updated

17th August 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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6.1 Bidding

Strategy

Acol

Psychic Bidding

 Precision

 Blue Club

 

 

6.1.1 Hand Evaluation

Defensive Tricks

Losing Trick Count

Playing Tricks

Point Count

Total Number of Tricks

Passing

 

6.1.2 Opening Bids

One Club

One Diamond

One Heart

One Spade

One No Trump

Pre-empts

 

 

Two Clubs

Two Diamonds

Two Hearts

Two Spades

Two No Trumps

 

 

6.1.3 Responding to an Opening Bid

Simple change of suit

Opener’s Rebid

Responder’s Rebid

Preference

Opener’s Second Rebid

Jump in a new suit

Responding in no trumps

 

Limit Raise

Inverted Minors

 

 

 

 

 

6.1.3.1 Responding to 1NT

Transfers

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.1.3.2 Responding to 2NT

Transfers

Baron

 

 

 

 

 

6.1.4 Conventions

Stayman

Fourth Suit Forcing

Reverse

Crowhurst

 

 

 

6.1.4.1 Conventional Opening Bids

Lucas Twos

Multi Two Diamonds

Weak Twos

 

 

 

 

6.1.4.2 Competitive Conventions

Jump Overcall

Lebensohl

Unassuming Cue Bid

Unusual No Trump

Continuing after opponent’s take out double

Take out Double

Cue Bid

 

Fishbein

Defence to 1NT

Halmic

1NT Overcall

Redouble

Simple Overcall

 

6.1.4.3 Slam Conventions

Blackwood

Gerber

Roman Key Card Blackwood

Splinter

Jump to 5 of a suit

Grand Slam Force

Acol Four No Trump Opening

 

Asking Bids

DOPI and ROPI

 

 

 

 

 

6.1.5 Doubles

Optional

Penalty

 Lead Directional

 

 

 

 

6.1.6 The Protective Position

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.2 Declarer Play

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.2.1 General Technique

End Play

Squeeze

Finesse

Lose tricks early

Pin

Avoidance

Restricted Choice

6.2.2 Trump Management

Ruffing

Ruffing Losers before drawing trumps

Trump Coup

Ruffing Finesse

Loser on Loser

Coping with bad splits

Cross Ruff

 

Dummy Reversal

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.3 Defence

Second Player

Signals

Third Player

Play the cards you are known to have

 

 

 

6.3.1 Defensive Tactics

Forcing Defence

Passive Defence

Merrimac Coup

 

 

 

 

6.3.2 Opening Leads

Fourth Highest

Third and Fifth

MUD

Top of Nothing

 

 

 

6.3.3 Plays in Third Hand

Finesse Against Dummy

Finesse Against Partner

 

 

 

 

 

6.3.4 Entry Management

Unblocking

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.4 Probability

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.5 Glossary of Terms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 Through the Pack