Sunday, October 01, 2006 11:38 PM
Hand Evaluation - 2/1 Understandings
PITBULLS:
My
partners & I have an understanding that weak
5-5’s in spades & clubs are opened 1♣ . This treatment effects
our 2/1 understandings. This is
due to the low ranking club suit
being bid at the 3 level
after a 2/1, you show
extra. We also treat 5-4-3-1 hands as “semi-balanced” so we can
bid NT with a stiff in partners suit. This leads to an understanding that any bid at the 3 level after a 2/1 shows extra . Extra
in HCP or extra
length with a 5-5 or better.
I
hate the
default understanding that you rebid a 5 card major with difficult hands after
a 2/1. No , no & no as that bid shows a 6 card suit. The default understanding
is that you will rebid 2NT with difficult to bid hands which includes the
5-4-3-1 hand types. ♠AJxxx ♥x ♦Qxx
♣AJ109 is
a 2NT rebid after 1♠-P-2♥-P . If your hand were stronger , ♠AJxxx ♥x ♦AQx ♣AJ109 this would be a 3NT
rebid after 2♥.
What if you had a good hand in
clubs & spades with nothing in diamonds ? Enter the 3♣ bid at the 3 level
to show extra . ♠AJxxx ♥x ♦Jxx ♣AKQx
is a 3♣ bid after a 2♥
response by partner.
The only time we will rebid a 5 card suit on these auctions , is if our
hand is too weak to go to the 3 level & I do not have a stopper in the 3rd
suit. Luckily this means that most of my HCP’s are in my major suit so I am actually promoting
my 5 card suit to a 6 card suit. ♠AKJxx ♥x ♦xxx ♣KJxx These 12 HCP’s are not strong enough to
bid 3♣ so the very rare 2♠ bid.
1♠-P-2♥-P
3♦ also shows extra
HCP or extra diamond
length by virtue of the 3 level.
You manufacture a 2NT bid which is always the either/or bid of a minimum or the
18-19 HCP . Rebidding a 5 card major is a very rare bid that we avoid
at almost all costs.
Susan
Culham had a hand tonight that shows this theory in action. ♠AKQ109 ♥Kx ♦xxxx ♣xx
1♠-P-2♥-P
?
She can not bid 2NT with two suits wide open & she can not bid
diamonds at the 3 level as this shows distribution or extra HCP’s . She
compromises with 2♠ & I bid 3♥.
She carries onto 4♥
& since I control both minors
I bid 4NT & +1430 in hearts results.
Over
a 2/1 is the only time
we buy into the “standard” bidding of 6-4’s.
If by bidding the 4 card suit , we are forced to the 3 level with a minimum
hand , I will rebid the 6 card
major first. If I have a strong hand , I will show it by bidding by 4 card suit
at the 3 level & bid my 6 card major later.
This is the so called standard way of showing 6-4’s
♠AKxxxx ♥x ♦AKQx
♣xx 1♠-P-2♥-P 3♦ to show the extra HCP’s.
A
reverse by opener does not necessarily show extra in a 2/1 auction , however it
may. A 1♦-P-2♣ auction has special sequences designed by Kokish so this particular 2/1
is well defined. 2/1 understandings
are simply partnership agreement but very
important understandings nevertheless
.