Defense to Weak Two Bids

There are several different actions that you or your partner can take when an opponent opens a Weak Two bid.  Do you have your agreements in place?
Pass Over a Weak Two Bid

First, Never Preempt Over a Preempt.
If you bid over a preemptive call your partner will expect better than an average opening hand and bid accordingly, so it's just bad bridge to overcall with a weak hand when an opponent has also announced a weak hand.  Don't bid just because you have 11 points.   Pass is an excellent option.

It's different in fourth seat after two passes.  Now you can bid or double with a little bit less, but be sure you have a good reason to enter the auction after your partner has passed.

Pass can be a winning bid at times.

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Partner Doubles a Weak Two Bid

Consider these three hands and what you might bid if your partner were to double an opponent's opening bid of 2


          652                   652                   652
          AJT86                   J3                   J3
          AQ7                   AQ7                   Q74
          J3                   AJT86                   JT862


Okay, okay, I didn't give you enough information on the first one.  It depends on the vulnerability, right?  You either pass and smile or bid 3NT.  It isn't a tough problem, but the next two hands might keep you awake at night.

The second hand looks like you probably can make a game in clubs or maybe in diamonds if partner has five diamonds.  You know she has at least four spades, and if she has a heart stopper the hand might play well in 3NT.
How do you make a forcing 3 bid?

But look at that third hand.  What an awful rag.  You don't want to go any higher than the three level unless you get dragged there.
How do you make a non-forcing 3 bid?

You can't bid 3 on both hands and expect partner to figure it out.  Ah, Lebensohl to the rescue.

This is the agreement:
  • Any response at the two level is non-forcing.
  • Any response at the three level is forcing.
  • Responding 2NT asks partner to bid three clubs.

After using the relay bid of 2NT, the next bid at the three level is no longer forcing.  That's it.  The 2NT bid is conventional and needs to be alerted.

If you make an immediate response of 3 with the second hand you are announcing good cards and partner cannot pass.

Bid 2NT with the third hand.  It requests partner to respond 3 and you can safely pass.

(NOTE:   Partner might not want to hear you pass if she bids 3 and could bid another suit instead.  Your 2NT call isn't a demand that she bid 3)

If you switch the club suit for diamonds in that last hand, then you can bid 3 after partner makes the required 3 call.  She should pass.

If you bid 2NT and then rebid 3NT, you are promising a stopper in the opponent's suit.

If you simply jump to 3NT you are describing a balanced hand with enough points to be in game, but you do not have any help in the opponent's suit.  By inference, your four card suit is not the other major, right?  Partner will have to make the final decision.

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Suit Overcall

Because you are bidding at a higher level, you should have a decent hand and a pretty good suit - don't bid just because it's your turn, and good players will tell you to never overcall with a preemptive holding.  "Don't Preempt a Preempt."

A double implies you have support for three suits and there's a method called Leaping Michaels described below to show two-suited hands, so if you bid a suit you most likely don't need much in the way of support.  You should also have a very good 13+ or 14 points at the minimum. 

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Cue Bidding the Opponent's Weak Two Bid

There are two popular methods on how to play a cue bid, so you and your partner will have to decide which one you prefer.  Regardless of which one you choose, there will be times when you will wish you were playing the other method.  It would surely be nice to be able to use both of them.

Both Minors

One method is use the cue bid to describe a hand with both minors asking partner to choose one.  The hand below would be a good example.


                                                   T 6
                                                   8
                                                   A Q T 9 4
                                                   K Q J 4 2

NOTE:  Over a weak 2 bid a cue bid shows both majors.

Western Cue Bid

The second method is ask partner to bid 3NT if she has a stopper in the opponent's suit.  You should have a solid suit with some outside strength.

This hand would qualify for a Western Cue Bid if your RHO opened 2

                                                   A 8
                                                   7
                                                   A K Q T 9 6 4
                                                   K J T

Which one?

In terms of frequency, you will have both minors much more often then you will hold a long and solid suit with outside strength, but both methods are popular.


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Jump Overcalls - A Two-Suited Major/Minor

What do you do when you have a two-suited hand?
If you use a cue bid to show both minors, you need a method to show the other major and a minor as well.  Leaping Michaels is the way to do it.

A jump bid in a minor shows that suit and the other major.

If the two suits are not of equal length, the minor should be longer.

With a little modification you can use Leaping Michaels over an opponent's weak two diamond bid as well.

A jump to the three level in one of the majors shows that major and clubs.

(Over an opponent's 2 bid, a cue bid shows both majors.)

NOTE:   You must have a very good hand to use this bid, and sometimes the major is only a four card suit.

What would you do with this hand over a weak 2 or 2 bid?

                                                   A K J 3
                                                   8 5
                                                   A Q
                                                   K J T 4 2

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Notrump Overcalls

Notrump bids are not "Unusual" to show minors over a preempt... Cuebid the opponent's suit if you have both minors.

It's generally accepted that notrump overcalls are natural after a preemptive call by the opponents.  If you bid 2NT you promise 15 - 17 point and a stopper in the enemy suit, and if you jump to 3NT you have an even better hand. (Although you don't have to, it's probably good bridge to have two stoppers when you only have 15 points.)

The problem that occurs is your partner's response... is it forcing?  Is it a good hand or does your partner simply want to play in a suit?  Suppose your RHO opens 2 and your partner bids 3 or 3      ----      Now what?

Here's a workable solution to this problem:  use Transfers to All Four Suits

Oh, and a cue bid is Stayman.

How do you use these transfers, you ask?
  • 3    Transfers to diamonds
  • 3    Transfers to hearts*
  • 3    Transfers to spades*
  • 3    Transfers to clubs
Keep in mind though, that what sounds like a transfer into the opponent's bid suit is actually a transfer through that suit to the one above it.  Also, if your partner transfers you into clubs by bidding 3 you can decline by bidding 3NT.

Some examples might help...

Your LHO opens 2 and your partner overcalls 2NT.

          652                   A52                   A52
          93                   93                   93
          Q76542                   KQ7654                   AK7654
          J3                   J3                   A3

With the first hand you want to transfer your partner into diamonds and then pass, right?

With the second hand you could transfer into diamonds and then rebid 3NT, giving partner a choice of contracts.

The last hand might have a diamond slam... bid 3 to transfer into diamonds and then raise your partners acceptance, showing a good 6-card suit and an invitation to slam.

Another example...

Again, your LHO opens 2 and your partner overcalls 2NT.

          J97652                   AJ9752                   AKJ975
          5                   5                   5
          Q76                   KQ7                   KQ7
          J83                   J83                   A83

How do you transfer to spades when the opponent's have bid hearts?  You can't use a call of 3 because that's Stayman and asks about a 4-card suit in spades.  The bid is 3 which transfers through the heart suit to spades.

With the first hand bid 3 and pass your partner's spade response.

If you have the second hand, bid 3 to transfer to spades, and then raise to game.  If you only had five spades you could rebid 3NT.

Ah, look at the third hand... Do you have slam interest in spades?  Transfer by bidding 3 and then do something that forces your partner - maybe cuebid the A?

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