[the hog]

I have been looking at the hands from yesterday's match. One thing that I found very interesting is that the 2 bids used by Paul and Sartaj were quite effective. I would actually not have thought this to be the case and have always played other "more interesting" 2 bids.

For the record, they play
2D = Weak 2 in H or S, 6 card suit. Can be undisciplined. 6-9

2H/S = weak 2, 5 card suit. 7-10 HCP. Often 2 suited, even 5/5. Can be 5332 if 9-10

I personally thought it was redundant having 2 types of weak 2. Open 2 and make them guess. The rationale behind the above is based on lott.
Of course having 2 types of weak 2s means something else loses out
Wonder what others think about this?

Ron

[Antoine Fourrière]

I completely agree that you cannot treat a five-carder without another five-card suit as a six-carder. One looks nearly like a psychic, while the other begs for a raise.

I believe that most systems use 2C and 2D for hands which do not occur often enough (cases in point: the six-card 2C Moscito opening, the Precision 2D, the Flannery 2D, the awful French strong-but-not-a-game-force 2C, also the Majeure d'Abord 2C and 2D, which not only are strong but deny four spades - as they should since 1C shows four spades in that system and is forcing).

But while I am always amazed when I read the World Championshio books by the number of five-and-five two-suiters which are not opened, particularly by the Open teams, I feel strongly that a five-and-five is kind of a bona fide preempt, and that opening it with a Muiderberg or an Ekren is insufficient.

In other terms, if I were to play Paul Marston's two-bids, I would open these hands 2D and not 2H or 2S.

Which is why I have touted in another thread - "two possibilities or seven possibilities" - a constructive weak 2C opening which may be either a six-card major or a five-card major with another five-card suit.

[csdenmark]

Hi Ron

The 2-level openings are described in the book I know you are familiar to: "The Polish Club" by Greg Matula, page 171-173.

Acc. to this book those openings was introduced due to the ban of Wilkosz convention.

Those openings are the ones which are used in Polish Club - Balicki/Zmudzinski and in lighter strength by Kwiecien/Pszczola too. Those openings are repeated in their defenses as well.

[hrothgar]

Marston advocates an extremely undisciplined 2M opening with hands ranging from a 5532 10 count to extremely weak 5-5 hand patterns. This opening is extremely different from the Polish style 2M openings that Claus has referenced. [The Polish 2M openings always promise 5-5 shape]

There were a number of 2M openings during the MOSCITO match.

Sartaj opened 2S holding

KQJ32
732
4
JT86

Sartaj opened 2S holding

AJT73
J95
95
KJ2

Note that I have never been a big fan of this opening. [I positively loath 5332 hands]. However, these openings worked well on Friday.