[GaryFisch]

How do you show 2 suited hands?

I can think of three or four approaches:


1a. A rather old textbook (Modern Bridge Conventions, Root and Pavlicek, 1981) suggests using 2NT to show a weak freak (6-5+, < 6 HCP) and a cue-bid of opener's suit as Michaels. Then what do you do with a bid of responder's suit?

1b. I'd think that if you're going to use this approach, it makes more sense to bid responder's suit as Michaels and to let a bid of opener's suit be natural. First, you're more likely to see this sequence with opener bidding a minor. Second, you want the two-suited bid to have some preemptive power, eg.,

1♣-Pass-1♠-2♠ shows hearts and diamonds, but

1♣-Pass-1♠-2♣ shows clubs

2. A bid of an opponent's minor is natural but opponent's major is Michaels. If both majors are bid, then bid !S for minors (or 2NT/4NT weak freak). If both minors are bid, then overcall in spades w/major 2-suiter.

3. All suit bids are natural, and 2NT shows a two-suiter (5-5+) if the bidding is at the 1-level. If the opponents have bid to the 2-level, content yourself with a simple overcall in your higher suit, unless you have a very distributional hand, where you want to bid 4NT. I prefer this approach for its simplicity although it gives up some specificity.

What do you think?

Of course, none of this applies against Precision or similar systems.

[joker_gib]

I play

Cue bid of responder = natural
Cue bid of opener = 5-5 light
2NT = 5-5 good

Alain

[barmar]

Justin obviously disagrees, but I think hands where you'd want to bid a natural 1NT are rare, so many partnerships use Sandwich 1NT to show weak 2-suiters, and takeout double to show stronger hands that may not be as distributional.

[Winstonm]

There are many ways to play this. Natural of responder's suit has merit, especially again Walsh-style-bidding opponents who would bid 1H first with something like xx, xxxx, KQxxxx, x after a 1C opening.

However, for my money, I think it is imperative in competetive auctions to find your fit immediately if you have one and to subside as soon as possible without, so I like this concept best of all.

Cue of opener's suit: 5/4 in the unbids.
Cue of responder's suit: 4/5 in the unbids.
Takeout double: 4/4 in the unbids.
1N: 5/5 in the unbids.
2N: Solid minor with 1 of the bid suits stopped.
3N: Solid minor with both bid suits stopped.

I've found I can always pass with a natural overcalling hand and either back in later or be grateful I didn't get involved when LHO makes a strong bid - except when I needed to bid this suit for lead directional purposes. Oh, well. Nothing is perfect in the game of bridge.

Winston

[mikestar]

The approch I've used is "ignore the opening bid"--so after (1♣)-P-(1♠) fro example:

X = takeout, red suits but includes club tolerance
1N/2♣/2♦/2♥ = natural
2♠ = Micheals, hearts and a minor
2NT = unusual, minors
etc.

This would not apply after (1♥)-P-(1♠) when the opponent are playing five card majors.