[patroclo]

I wish to know, if it is, the best use of 2 d open:weak, Flannery, multicolor, other
Thanks
Gigi

[flytoox]

The one i like most is multi 2d, shows either weak two major, or balanced 22-3 hcp hand, or 16+ 4441 hand.

[inquiry]

What I like now is multi 2Diamonds,that includes one of the following three types of hands.

Weak two either major
Strong balanced hand 22.5-24 hcp
Acol 2 bid in either minor (9 tricks or so, with a suit
that can play in slam opposite a singleton).

The reason I like this combination is that it helps with the fact that I play 2/1 GF. Now I can open 2C with an "acol" bid in 2 of a major, and havign partner use 2H and 2S as immediate "double neg" I can pass if he bids my major (8.5 tricks with good suit). This takes the pressure off my jump rebids after 1C-1any-3C or 1M-1/2 any-3M as the top end is LESS than the acol two bids covered by 2D or 2C.

Playing other systems, or not playing the 2H/2S responses to 2C as immediate second negative, I doubt adding acol 2 of a minor to the multi 2D opening bid is worth it.

Ben

[luis]

I've been experimenting a new 2d opening that I don't know if someone played before so id doesn't have a name yet :-)
I'm playing 2d as any 5-4 hand weak.
The strength and suit quality depends on vulnerability of course.

[edit]: more info about this structure:

When not vul I play 2h as a weak 2 in a major and 2s weak preempt in a minor. 3c and 3d are then good preempts.

When vul I play 2h/2s as normal weak 2's with ogust responses. 3c and 3d are always good preempts when vul.

Luis

[Free]

I like multi the most, with following possibilities:

- weak two in either Major
- NT 23-24
- FG in any suit

An alternative is mini-multi with only the weak two in either Major. This is more difficult to defend against, because 2D isn't forcing anymore. This I like to play in a strong Club system ;D

Free

[Poky]

I play a specific kind of Multi-2D:
a) Weak-2 in H/S
One-suited acol-2 or better ih H/S

[hrothgar]

I spent a lot of time trying to find a preemptive opening structure that I was happy with. I never found anything that seemed quite right, so designed my own:

I had a number of explict design goals for the preempts. Most notably:

The Preempt Structure should be "natural". I wanted a structure in which responder is frequently able to pass the 2D opening. [This places MUCH more pressure on LHO who needs to act with many more hand types in direct seat]

The Preemptive Openings should be very frequent. "Weak 2s" are nice, however, you don't get dealt many six card suits.

The Preemptive Structure should be "safe". I wanted to ensure that we are able to scramble to a Law protected bid a sizable portion of the time.

Finally, I wanted a structure that could achieve good results competing against opponents with well designed defenses.

I eventually determined that an "assumed fit" preemptive style was the best match for my requirements:

Using this structure, a 2D opening shows

- 4+ Diamonds and 4+ Cards in either major
The opening could be based on a 4432 pattern
The opening denies a 3 suited pattern (4441 / 5440)
3 suited hands are much stronger on defense

- Opener promises at least Qxxx or xxxxx in either major

- The minimum strength is 3.2 HCP using the following point count
A = 3, K =2, Q = 1, J = .25, T = .1

- The maximum strength is a constructive opening bid

Representative 2D openings would include

Hand 1
AT65
53
JT762
3

Hand 2
76
QT72
KT97
754

Hand 3
T8752
83
AT872
8

[inquiry]

Quote

I play a specific kind of Multi-2D:
a) Weak-2 in H/S
One-suited acol-2 or better ih H/S

Hmmm. An interesting approach. How do you handle competion to separate between these two possible holdings in a competitive auction, particularly if your LHO passes, your partner tries to "get out" in your major, and RHO can work out that you must have an acol bid because a) he is weak, his partner didn't take action, and c) your partner was trying to sign off. So RHO throws in a bid, lets say a pschy double or a free bid. How do you separate between a competitive 3 of the major bid and an acol 3 of a major bid. Do you never show your suit or compete with the weak two hand after the first bid?

Or imagine...

2D-X-3H-4D
?

Is 4H/4S by you "competing" or showing the Acol 2 bid. I play weak two in MAJOR or acol 2 in minor. So when I bid a minor even in comp, it shows the acol hand, and whenever I bid the major it show the weak two hand. This is harder to disrupt, particularily with favorable vulnerability pscyhs.

[Felix]

Right now i play 2D as ekrens (weak 4-4 majors) and i find it pretty fun...i still haven't decided if it's effective though
I used to play multi, with weak 2 in major or strong bal hand, but dropped it....i don't think that a forcing preempt is such a good idea, if i had to play multi i'd rather play mini-multi, so responder could readily pass with a bad hand and some diamonds.

Felix

[Gerben47]

The best uses of the bid are Brown Stickered by the powers that be, but here goes:

a) Weak Two in Diamonds or Hearts (saves 2H for Ekren)
Wilkosz (5-5 weak, not both minors)

Some great ones which are non-brown sticker:
c) Rough Diamond - Weak two-suiter in diamonds and a major
d) Bloody Mary - Weak two-suiter in the red suits

With a) - d) the you still need to be able to handle your strong hands, though.

Under the "still good but not as good as the ones mentioned" I rate:

e) Multi (weak in major, strong in minor or NT)
f) Weak two in Diamonds (not as harmless as it looks, limits space for big hands though)
g) Weak two in Hearts or strong (helpful because it solves the NT ranges problem)

Under the "bad choices" I rate:

h) Flannery
i) Anything that denies a weak hand

For a lot of different options, visit Chris Ryall's Weak Two Archive:
http://www.cavendish...ridge/weak.two/

Gerben

[pbleighton]

In ACBL land, I play it as a straight weak two in diamonds. How weak depends on seat and vulnerablity:
1) Vul 1st seat - ok 6 card suit, 6-9 hcp
2) Vul 2nd seat - good 6 card suit, no 4 card major side suit, 6-9 hcp
3) NV 1st and 3rd seats - any 5 card suit, 3-9 hcp
4) NV 2nd seat - good 5 card suit or ok 6 card suit, no 4 card major side suit, 6-9 hcp
5) Vul 3rd seat - ok 5 card suit or any 6 card suit, 3-9 hcp

Peter

[DrTodd13]

My current favorite 2D opening is Wilkosz. At least with Wilkosz,
you will run into people that play it occasionally. Wilkosz is also
good because it prevents defenders from cuebidding and makes
defense more difficult.

My other favorite 2D opening is part of a larger system of 2 and 3
level bids called Purple 2's. In purple 2's, 2C-2S are all multi-meaning
bids showing a variety of single suited, two suited, balanced, or 4441
hands that are either near GF or weak. (Of course, balanced and 4441
hands have to be strong...only the distributional hands can be weak.)
The problem with this is that the number of people in the world that
play it (that I know of), Lisa Simpson could count on one hand. So,
if you like being an early adopter, check out the Purple 2 notes on my
website. http://www.geocities...d13/bridge.html

[Poky]

Quote

Quote

I play a specific kind of Multi-2D:
a) Weak-2 in H/S
One-suited acol-2 or better ih H/S

Hmmm. An interesting approach. How do you handle competion to separate between these two possible holdings in a competitive auction, particularly if your LHO passes, your partner tries to "get out" in your major, and RHO can work out that you must have an acol bid because a) he is weak, his partner didn't take action, and c) your partner was trying to sign off. So RHO throws in a bid, lets say a pschy double or a free bid. How do you separate between a competitive 3 of the major bid and an acol 3 of a major bid. Do you never show your suit or compete with the weak two hand after the first bid?

Or imagine...

2D-X-3H-4D
?

Is 4H/4S by you "competing" or showing the Acol 2 bid. I play weak two in MAJOR or acol 2 in minor. So when I bid a minor even in comp, it shows the acol hand, and whenever I bid the major it show the weak two hand. This is harder to disrupt, particularily with favorable vulnerability pscyhs.

The way I play after 2D-(Dbl)-3H for opener is strictly forbidden to bid further with a weak-2 hand 'cause the 3H bid by responder is preempive and can be of tactical nature, a simple pressure bid, very often risky and off-shaped - specially when non-vul. I should never punish partner for his bids.

So, in this situation, my 4H/4S bid is showing a acol-2 bid, about 4 LT, inviting partner towards slam. My Dbl would be for T/O showing a GF hand with major, 3 or less LT. Any double by the 2D-hand is for T/O.

I don't have a clear distinction between 4NT and Dbl in this situations (they are veery rare ) but I think that the Dbl should show more shontress in opp's suit (maybe exactly void? who knows!?) and 4NT some other kind of forcing hand.

If responder want to show willigness to compete in my major-suit he bids Rdbl after 2D-(Dbl), conventionally.

I think that knowing initaially the partner's pattern (always 6M) gives us a great advantage in anticipation-bidding.

[Poky]

Another way of playing it is:

a) Bidding Dbl always with a strong hand (no much difference between 3 and 4 LT, this is always a very strong one-suited hand)

Bidding the own suit (if allowed) with a maximal and competitive weak-2 bid.

With a acol-2 in minor I like to open 1C/1D cause never occured to me the bidding 1C/1D - All pass when I have a strong and unbalanbced hand. The advantage of this approach is that you are less vulnerable in bidding against preempts.

Example:

1C - (2H) - Dbl - (5H)
Dbl = T/O showing interest to compete, so, a very strong hand with long clubs but not a clear GF
Pass = even with [17-19] bal, expecting a reopening double to punish them
5NT = acol-2 but with heart-void, thus - inviting 7m, lets say [Ax - AQxx AKQJxxx]

Much harder to bid these hands when the bidding goes 2D - (2/3H) - Dbl - (5H)...
What now? If you double (supposing a acol-2 in minor) how can your partner on some difficult hands know exactly what is your suit and evaluate accurately his hand? Even harder if your 2D bid can contain some kind of balanced hands, [20-21] or [22-23] or something similar.

After the 1D opening is even easier 'cause in 1st/2nd this opening is always "unbalanced" (except 6322 and 5422 hands).

[the hog]

I wish to know, if it is, the best use of 2 d open:weak, Flannery, multicolor, other
Thanks
Gigi

This is a wonderful question!

I have played all of the following
Real multi (strong 3 suiter, 20-22, weak 2M, Acol 2 minor)
Mini multi
Weak 2 in a Major only
Flannery (Waste of a bid)
3 suiter short D 4414
3 suiter short Ds 34/43 Ms permitted, 4414 4405
Wilkosz
Ekrens
Roman
Tutti Frutti, (love the name)
Frelling 2D with Richard
Weak 2
10-14, 6+D, no 4M

I have kept results on what has given me the best results. Guess what, it is the last 2, slightly favouring a weak 2.
Yet I now play Wilkosz, and will probably push my pd to Tutti Frutti next year. Why? I get bored with a weak 2 in Ds

Why is a weak 2D effective? Good saves, lead directing, slightly pre emptive. Keep it up to strength though and don't bid it on bad 5 card suits, as you might a weak 2M. (Except in 3rd seat NV vs vul, of course).

[bglover]

I suggest you find the thread started by Yzerman regarding the use of Flannery vs. multi bids.

I won't go into all of that here again... however here is a link to a post on a different board by Chip Martel in defense of Flannery. He states his reasons for using it very well:

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=CvDH6...8&output=gplain

Some of the top partnerships in the world use Flannery and it works well in THEIR structure. It is perfect for MY structure... But since you do not state what your structure is... I suggest that if you want to make a change make the one that fits in best for your style of bidding and use that as your primary motive for switching... Weak 2, multi and flannery all have strengths and weaknesses but ultimately all can also be a net plus if the bid helps to fill a gap in your current structure of bidding.

[luis]

Quote

I wish to know, if it is, the best use of 2 d open:weak, Flannery, multicolor, other
Thanks
Gigi

This is a wonderful question!

I have played all of the following
Real multi (strong 3 suiter, 20-22, weak 2M, Acol 2 minor)
Mini multi
Weak 2 in a Major only
Flannery (Waste of a bid)
3 suiter short D 4414
3 suiter short Ds 34/43 Ms permitted, 4414 4405
Wilkosz
Ekrens
Roman
Tutti Frutti, (love the name)
Frelling 2D with Richard
Weak 2
10-14, 6+D, no 4M

I have kept results on what has given me the best results. Guess what, it is the last 2, slightly favouring a weak 2.
Yet I now play Wilkosz, and will probably push my pd to Tutti Frutti next year. Why? I get bored with a weak 2 in Ds

Why is a weak 2D effective? Good saves, lead directing, slightly pre emptive. Keep it up to strength though and don't bid it on bad 5 card suits, as you might a weak 2M. (Except in 3rd seat NV vs vul, of course).

Ron,

Can you describe Tutti Frutti please? I'm interested, please start a new thread if you want.

Luis

[Trpltrbl]

Quote

In ACBL land, I play it as a straight weak two in diamonds. How weak depends on seat and vulnerablity:
1) Vul 1st seat - ok 6 card suit, 6-9 hcp
2) Vul 2nd seat - good 6 card suit, no 4 card major side suit, 6-9 hcp
3) NV 1st and 3rd seats - any 5 card suit, 3-9 hcp
4) NV 2nd seat - good 5 card suit or ok 6 card suit, no 4 card major side suit, 6-9 hcp
5) Vul 3rd seat - ok 5 card suit or any 6 card suit, 3-9 hcp

Peter

Since I got stuck in ACBL land too I play same, but I have played pretty much all the other ways discussed here and then probably some more. I personally think it depends on the whole structure of r system. Just adding something funky for the fun of it doesn't work out most of the time. When multi was played back in ealry 80's it was very nice since people got confussed but now that it has been around everybody has defense against it, and it works against you, sometimes. Flannery is for people that forget how to respond. If y play something that comes up a lot and works out go for it. Maybe play Transfers at 2 level, showing either weak hand in next higher suit or some strong NT. And depending of the level that y play sometimes certain systems r just not allowed, so why even try them 8)
Keep it easy and try to beat opps on skill and judgement, that's what bridge is about

Mike ;D