[jgillispie]

I am going through my convention card and refining my system. I'm not sure what to do with the two bids. I currently play them as weak, but they haven't done much good.

My question is, is it better to play weak twos or use them as something else?

[neilkaz]

jgillispie, on 2013-May-11, 19:11, said:

I am going through my convention card and refining my system. I'm not sure what to do with the two bids. I currently play them as weak, but they haven't done much good.

My question is, is it better to play weak twos or use them as something else?

Please tell us the rest of your system.

[Lord Molyb]

You should make them all multi so you can define every hand with just the two-level. This leaves up space for pre-emptive bids at the one level.

[nigel_k]

I like 2♣ strong and others weak. There may be slightly better alternatives, but not much better. And most people can more profitably put effort into other areas of their system.

[fromageGB]

Assuming a basis of a 5 card majors natural system, I think it depends on what you like to have as a minimum for an opening 1♥/♠. Then primarily use the 2-bids to allow you to open majors with weaker hands. It also depends on whether - to distinguish them - you need to have strong bids spread over two different opening such as 2♣ and 2♦ or whether you can manage with all near game force bids funnelling through a 2♣ bid. The 2-bids form an integral part of the system and cannot be considered in isolation.

The other factor that has a big impact in your decision is the restrictions/regulations imposed by your regional bridge authority, and perhaps by your F2F clubs.

I am not an adherent of 2-suited 2-level openings unless the two suits are defined, so for me, as an example, it is quite easy. I am happy to have almost all strong bids start with 2♣, and I like simple methods that I (and my partners) can remember. I like a 1♥/♠ open to be "rule of 17", ie 12 hcp with a 5 card suit, 11 hcp with a 6 card suit. So 2♥/♠ is a hand I want to open somewhat preemptively which is weaker in hcp. With one partner it is 6 card, but with another it is 5 or 6, and the latter works out OK. Not so precise for accurate competitive bidding to the level, but you get your spoke in more often. You could experiment with this.

So that leaves just the 2♦ open, and you could play this as a multi (sort out the overlap with the 2M open, maybe by strength, maybe by length. Or maybe this allows the 2M open to show a 2 suiter). With one partner it is a natural weak 2, and I am happy with that, but with another it is a weak 4+4+ both majors, which I find more fun and useful.

Some people play an almost obligatory 2♦ response to a 2♣ open, which allows that to be used in place of the natural weak 2♦