The opening bid of 2C by Paul Bowyer

The opening bid of 2♣ is used to show a very powerful hand and tells partner that game is in sight, even if responder has garbage.

An opening 2♣ bid has the following properties:

1) It is artificial (that is there is probably no intention to play the hand in Clubs)

2) It is game-forcing. With one notable exception the auction must progress to game. The one exception occurs when opener rebids 2NT.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ A J 9
♥ A K J
♦ Q J 10 6
♣ A Q J

Q: 1 - You are South, dealer.
What is your opening bid?

South	West	North	East
?

A: 2♣. This is the most common type of 2♣ opening bid - a flat 23 points. You are too strong to open 2NT and it would be quite wrong to open 3NT. You open 2♣ (obliging partner to respond) and then rebid 2NT. Partner can take it from there.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ A Q 6 4
♥ A K Q
♦ A 10
♣ A Q J 3

Q: 2 - You are South, dealer.
What is your opening bid?

South	West	North	East
?	-	-

A: 2♣. This is another 2♣ opening bid - stronger than Hand 1 but still the same opening bid. Here you would open 2♣ and rebid 3NT over partner's forced response to show 25-26 points (or thereabouts).

There is no such thing as having a hand "too good" to open 2♣

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ A
♥ A K Q J 8 7 3
♦ A 10 9 6
♣ A

Q: 3 - You are South, dealer.
What is your opening bid?

South	West	North	East
?	-	-

A: 2♣. This is a different type of 2♣ opening bid. "Only" 22 points but with ten tricks in Hearts almost guaranteed.

Why not just open 4♥, then? Well, opening 2♣ allows you to explore slam possibilities. Partner doesn't need much for a small slam or even a grand slam to be laydown.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ 4
♥ A K 10
♦ Q 10 5
♣ A K Q J 10 8

Q: 4 - You are South, dealer.
What is your opening bid?

South	West	North	East
?	-	-

A: 1♣. Some players like to open 2♣ on this sort of hand, thinking that a rebid of 3♣ will tell partner what they have. Sorry, but that's poor bridge - partner will carry on to a game even with tram-tickets.

If partner Passes out 1♣ you are unlikely to be missing either 5♣ or 3NT.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ 6 5 3
♥ 9 7 6 3
♦ 5 4 2
♣ 9 4 2

Q: 5 - You are South, responding to partner's 2♣ opening bid.
What is your response?

South	West	North	East
-	-	2♣	pass
?

A: 2♦. With bad hands (and do they get any worse than this house of horrors?) you must still make the (negative) response of 2♦.

You might also bid 2♦ on better hands than this, waiting to see what opener has but partner has no right to expect much more.

Whatever else YOU MUST NOT PASS! North has no wish to play this hand in 2♣!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 6

Your Hand
♠ 6 5 3
♥ 9 7 6 3
♦ 5 4 2
♣ 9 4 2

Q: 6 - You are South, responding to partner's 2♣ opening bid.
You have responded 2♦ and partner has clarified his hand a little. What is your next bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	2♣	pass
2♦	pass	2 No-trumps	pass
?

A: Pass. This is the one time that you may Pass out a hand below game level following a 2♣ opening bid. Partner has around 23 points and is not going to be enamored with your contribution to proceedings. In point of fact, even 2NT may fail...

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 7

Your Hand
♠ J 7 6
♥ Q 8 3
♦ 10 8 6 5 2
♣ 8 4

Q: 7 - You are South, responding to partner's 2♣ opening bid.
You have responded 2♦ and partner has clarified his hand a little. What is your next bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	2♣
2♦	pass	2 No-trumps	pass
?

A: 3NT. A Queen and a Jack may not look much but they represent plenty of values opposite a very strong balanced hand.

If partner has 23 points (give or take) then 3 points gives the partnership enough for game.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 8

Your Hand
♠ J 10 8 6 5 3
♥ 8 6
♦ 2
♣ 10 9 7 3

Q: 8 - You are South, responding to partner's 2♣ opening bid.
You have responded 2♦ and partner has clarified his hand a little. What is your next bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	2♣
2♦	pass	3 No-trumps	pass
?

A: 4♠. Partner has a balanced hand of around 25 points but this hand may be useless to him in No-trumps. It will, though, produce more tricks if played in Spades so you should correct to a better contract.

Partner has made a limit bid - you are boss of the auction.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 9

Your Hand
♠ J 7 4
♥ 8 6
♦ 9 7 5 3
♣ 10 9 6 3

Q: 9 - You are South, responding to partner's 2♣ opening bid.
You have responded 2♦ and partner has clarified his hand a little. What is your next bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	2♣
2♦	pass	2♥	pass
?

A: 2NT. Yes, thank you for this lovely hand. Well, you can't Pass - you have to bid SOMETHING. You must keep bidding until game is reached. You can't support Hearts, can't bid 2♠ and bidding one of your pathetic minors is sure to mislead.

Just find the cheapest bid you can that keeps the bidding alive; 2NT fits that bill.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 10

Your Hand
♠ Q 8 6 4 3
♥ 8 6
♦ 9 7
♣ 7 6 5 2

Q: 10 - You are South, responding to partner's 2♣ opening bid.
You have responded 2♦ and partner has clarified his hand a little. What is your next bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	2♣
2♦	pass	2♥	pass
2♠	pass	3♥	pass
?

A: 4♥. Lovely... Still, there is no alternative and the doubleton Diamond may be useful. You can't Pass (that would be a dereliction of duty) and you can't (or shouldn't) bid your Spades again with a mouldy suit like ♠Q 8 6 4 3. One thing's for sure, partner's Hearts are better than your Spades...

4♥ is, in point of fact, just about the weakest bid you can make at this stage.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Overall Results

Your results: out of Average:

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
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