Weak Two Opening or Weak Two Overcall

Two-level preemptive bids, very common in competitive bridge, are called "Weak Twos". After Five Card Majors, they are the most common feature of advanced bidding systems. Because 2 Clubs is the strong opening of almost all systems, it's not used as a weak bid.

6 Card Suit. A weak two bid is made with six cards in a suit and a hand from 5 to 10 HCP and no outside four card major. They are quite effective in a competitive auction, as they consume 1 or 2 levels of bidding for the opponents, but also tell your partner the composition of your hand without getting too high.

The hand that would open a weak two is the same hand that would make a weak jump overcall. As in any situation, the vulnerability is an important consideration as regards the quality of the bid suit, but not the points in the hand.

North

ª AJ109xx
© x
¨ Kxx
§ xxx

What? A weak Two Spades bid, vulnerable or not; opening or overcall

ª xx
© QJ10876
¨ KQ
§ xxx  

Two Hearts ? Not vulnerable, yes. Vulnerable, no, as opener.  Overcall opponents' 1§ or 1¨ opener with 2©. Pass opponents 1ª, but come later over 1NT.

ª x
© KQxxxx
¨ Kxx
§ Jxx

First, 2nd or 4th hand, pass.   Bid 1© as third hand -- 3rd hand should open weak major suited hands.

---

N    E    S    W

-    P    P    2©         West has 6 Hearts and less than 10 HCP. What does North do now ?
?

North	West
ª Axx	ª xx
© xx	© KQJxxx
¨ AKxx	¨ Qx
§ Kxxx	§ xxx

Used Several Places. Weak Two's decline in preemptive value in the lower ranked suits - Hearts and especially Diamonds. Consequently, our Two Over One system uses the Two Diamond and Two Heart opening bids for other distributions. If you choose not to use these other bids - the Mini-Roman 2 Diamonds and the Flannery Two Heart openers - by all means use Weak Two Diamonds and Hearts. In all cases, use them as weak jump overcalls, too -- it's the same hand, except someone in front of you bid. For example, [1§ - 2© ] or [1¨ - 2ª ].

Getting Started With Weak Two's. Unless opponents have good bidding tools to deal with this bid, they will often miss their suit or get too high. If you want to adopt the Two Over One system slowly, start with Five Card Majors, the Negative Double and Weak Two's, including Weak Jump Overcalls and Weak Jump Shifts.