[hylins]

Using Multi-2♦, a hand with 5-5 in Majors and 7-10 HCPS has several approaches to do the weak preempt bidding.
They are:
1) bid 2♦
2) bid 2NT
3) bid 2♠ to show a 5-card ♠ suit and a 2nd 5-card suit

However, each one of them has problems such as: too many meanings in one 2♦ bid, need to find a new bid for 20-21 balanced NT hand,
a response of 3♥ for the 2nd suit can be too high without 5-3 fit when the responder has 2 minor suits.

A new and better approach has been found to solve the problem. That is to use 2♥ to show a 5-card ♥ suit and a 2nd 5-card suit.
The advantage of this approach is finding 5-3 ♠ fit (Responder 5, Opener 3) becomes possible at 3-level if there is one.


In the case,

a) when the responder has 3+ cards ♠, 2♠ will be bidding.

The opener will continue bidding as below:

2♥ 2♠ (3+ cards ♠. Ask for the 2nd 5-card suit and more)

2N 3-card ♠ (3550 or 3505, just in case the responder has 5-card ♠)
3♣ 5-card ♣
3♦ 5-card ♦
3♥ 5-card ♠, Max
3♠ 5-card ♠, min


b) when the responder has less than 3 cards ♠, 2N will be bidding.

The opener will continue bidding as below:

2♥ 2N (less than 3 cards ♠, Ask for the 2nd 5-card suit)

3♣ 5-card ♣
3♦ 5-card ♦
3♥ 5-card ♠



PS: The simplest version of my modified Multi-2♦ is

2♦: One 6-card ♥ or ♠ suit, or 20-21 NT
2♥: 55 in ♥ + Any suit (♠ or ♦ or ♣)
2♠: 55 in ♠ + minor suit (♦ or ♣)
2NT : 55 in minors (♦ + ♣)

[awm]

1. What does opener bid with 5♠+5♥ after 2♥-2NT?
2. What does responder do with a pattern like 2-2-4-5 or 2-1-5-5? Obviously if opener has a minor you want to play there (maybe even in game) but if opener has both majors you want to play in two of the right major? Is this even possible?

I know plenty of people who play 2♥ as "hearts and another" but their 2♠ bid is "to play if opener has both majors" and very non-forcing, which seems quite different from what you propose.

[mw64ahw]

Canape overcalls (not takeout shape) work well for me aka The Overcall Structure. I've also modified this to include Weak2s. e.g. Over 1♦
2♦ Weak2 Major
2♥ 45xx or x4x5 c.f. Frelling 2♥
2♠ 4xx5
2N some preempt

[hylins]

awm, on 2026-January-27, 03:38, said:

1. What does opener bid with 5♠+5♥ after 2♥-2NT?
2. What does responder do with a pattern like 2-2-4-5 or 2-1-5-5? Obviously if opener has a minor you want to play there (maybe even in game) but if opener has both majors you want to play in two of the right major? Is this even possible?

I know plenty of people who play 2♥ as "hearts and another" but their 2♠ bid is "to play if opener has both majors" and very non-forcing, which seems quite different from what you propose.

1. 3♥ to show 55 Majors, Responder picks better Major or any appropriate bid.
2. One should PASS if not having enough strength to bid or search for a game. Therefore, any bidding after partner's prempt bidding is F!, the old fashing way.

[hylins]

mw64ahw, on 2026-January-27, 05:02, said:

Canape overcalls (not takeout shape) work well for me aka The Overcall Structure. I've also modified this to include Weak2s. e.g. Over 1♦
2♦ Weak2 Major
2♥ 45xx or x4x5 c.f. Frelling 2♥
2♠ 4xx5
2N some preempt

Personal preference is bidding with 55, not the aggresive 45.

[mw64ahw]

hylins, on 2026-January-27, 06:38, said:

Personal preference is bidding with 55, not the aggresive 45.

As an opening preempt/overcall an 'Ekren' style 2♥ overcall can be on as little as 44M with well defined follow-ups after 2N. Shape is much dependent on vulnerability though.

You could play a conservative Frelling approach for opening preempts. I.e
2♦ (5x)5x
2♥ 55xx, x5x5
2♠ 5xx5, 6xxx
You lose the weak 2♥

[awm]

hylins, on 2026-January-27, 06:33, said:

1. 3♥ to show 55 Majors, Responder picks better Major or any appropriate bid.
2. One should PASS if not having enough strength to bid or search for a game. Therefore, any bidding after partner's prempt bidding is F!, the old fashing way.

You will often have one of the following though:

1. A hand where you have about half the values and can make a game if there is a fit, but where you don't want to get too high otherwise. For example:

♠KQxxx ♥Kx ♦Axxx ♣xx

If partner has five spades and five hearts, you can make game pretty easily (say ♠JTxxx ♥Axxxx ♦x ♣Qx). But if partner has hearts and a minor, you'd much rather play 2♥ than three of anything. A similar thing is possible (but less likely) in a minor suit.

2. A hand where you are quite short in hearts and have enough points that the opponents probably cannot make a game. For example:

♠KQx ♥x ♦KJxx ♣Kxxxx

It would be rather silly to play 2♥ in a 5-1 fit when you have an eight or nine-card fit somewhere else. The points are pretty evenly divided and there's no big major fit, so the goal on these hands is to try to get a plus score; this is a lot more likely if you play in a strain where you have the majority of the trumps.

[mw64ahw]

hylins, on 2026-January-27, 01:58, said:

However, each one of them has problems such as: too many meanings in 2♦, need to find a new bid for 20-21 balanced NT hand...

You can put 20-21 through 2♣ using reverse 'birthright' with 2N becoming a ♣ preempt or 55 in the Majors. You can then use 3♦/3♥ to show relative strength in the Majors. 3♣ becomes 55 in the minors.

[hylins]

mw64ahw, on 2026-January-27, 06:47, said:

As an opening preempt/overcall an 'Ekren' style 2♥ overcall can be on as little as 44M with well defined follow-ups after 2N. Shape is much dependent on vulnerability though.

You could play a conservative Frelling approach for opening preempts. I.e
2♦ (5x)5x
2♥ 55xx, x5x5
2♠ 5xx5, 6xxx
You lose the weak 2♥

I don't lose any bid. As a matter of fact, the simplest vesrion of my modfified Multi-2♦ is

2♦: One 6-card ♥ or ♠ suit, or 20-21 NT
2♥: 55 in ♥ + Any suit (♠ or ♦ or ♣)
2♠: 55 in ♠ + minor suit (♦ or ♣)
2NT : 55 in minors (♦ + ♣)

The only hand sacrificed is the weak 6-card ♦ hand.
To get around, one can choose to bid PASS with 7-8 HCPs or strecth to bid 3♦ with 9-10 HCPs.

[mw64ahw]

hylins, on 2026-January-27, 17:51, said:

I don't lose any bid. As a matter of fact, the simplest vesrion of my modfified Multi-2♦ is

2♦: One 6-card ♥ or ♠ suit, or 20-21 NT
2♥: 55 in ♥ + Any suit (♠ or ♦ or ♣)
2♠: 55 in ♠ + minor suit (♦ or ♣)
2NT : 55 in minors (♦ + ♣)

The only hand sacrificed is the weak 6-card ♦ hand.
To get around, one can choose to bid PASS with 7-8 HCPs or strecth to bid 3♦ with 9-10 HCPs.

You can put a Weak 2♦ through 2♣

[hylins]

awm, on 2026-January-27, 07:00, said:

You will often have one of the following though:

1. A hand where you have about half the values and can make a game if there is a fit, but where you don't want to get too high otherwise. For example:

♠KQxxx ♥Kx ♦Axxx ♣xx

If partner has five spades and five hearts, you can make game pretty easily (say ♠JTxxx ♥Axxxx ♦x ♣Qx). But if partner has hearts and a minor, you'd much rather play 2♥ than three of anything. A similar thing is possible (but less likely) in a minor suit.

2. A hand where you are quite short in hearts and have enough points that the opponents probably cannot make a game. For example:

♠KQx ♥x ♦KJxx ♣Kxxxx

It would be rather silly to play 2♥ in a 5-1 fit when you have an eight or nine-card fit somewhere else. The points are pretty evenly divided and there's no big major fit, so the goal on these hands is to try to get a plus score; this is a lot more likely if you play in a strain where you have the majority of the trumps.

Please note that opening 2♥ is for 55 in ♥ + Any suit (♠ or ♦ or ♣)

One thing I did not state clearly in the original posting is that the advantage of bidding a weak 55 Majors hand in 2♥,
It allows finding possible 5-3 or 3-5 ♠ fit at 3-level if there is any.
Actually, the 2♠ bid in my approach is very similar to the one in the normal weak 6-card ♥ opens 2♥ case.
In that case, the responder bids 2♠ to ask for a 5-3 ♠ fit. The opener will raise 3♠ if he has 3-card ♠.

1) For your example of ♠KQxxx ♥Kx ♦Axxx ♣xx, you knew that there is only 5-2 fit in ♥ and the openner has a 2nd unknown 5-card suit.

A. First of all, if 2♠ is non-forcing, the things to know are:

a) There is no way to find the 5-5 or even 5-3 fit in ♠.
b) Moreover, partner can have singleton or void in ♠. Why play a 5-1 or 5-0 fit 2♠ contract instead of the known 5-2 fit 2♥ contract?

B. If you start asking the 2nd suit which will be ♣ 33% of time. When it happens, the things to know are:

a) What will your next bid be then?
b) What contract do you plan to play?
c) How do you know partner does not have 3-card ♠ when his 2nd suit is in minor? He can have 3505 or 3550.
d) My 2♠ approach provides an oppotunity to check if the opener has 3 or more ♠ cards first.


2) For the case of ♠KQx ♥x ♦KJxx ♣Kxxxx,

A. You know a 5-3 fit contract can be found once start asking instead of playing the 5-1 one. Common sense says not to PASS even if HCPs is not enough for a GAME.
B. MY question to this is what if the responder has 0 HCPS with the same holding shape of ♠xxx ♥x ♦xxxx ♣xxxxx, should he bid to further premmpt or not?
C. Using my approach to start asking for the 2nd 5-card suit, one will bid 2♠. An 8-card fit will be automatically found just like any other approach..

[hylins]

mw64ahw, on 2026-January-27, 18:59, said:

You can put a Weak 2♦ through 2♣

You meant through the strong opening 2♣ bid?
Please show me how. Thanks,

[mw64ahw]

hylins, on 2026-January-28, 01:52, said:

You meant through the strong opening 2♣ bid?
Please show me how. Thanks,

Playing reverse 'birthright'
After 2♣-2♦
Pass Weak2♦
2♥ ♥ or balanced 20-21
.. Pass 5♥ bust
.. 2♠ relay (breaks of relay show a bust hand)
.... 2N balanced 20-21
...... Pass to play otherwise GF
.... Higher bids show 5+♥
2♠ 5+♠ strong
2N balanced 22-24
3♣ 5+♣
Higher bids show 5+♦ or (4441) if putting primary ♦ through a multi-2♦/2N

2♣ - 2♥ asks partner to show shape/strength opposite a Weak 2♦ (may have side suits) otherwise slam going.

[AL78]

Isn't this along the lines of Tartan Two's?

https://www.acblunit...mon/tartan2.htm

2♣ is either rockcrusher or a weak two in diamonds. 2♦ is whatever flavour of multi you like.

[hylins]

AL78, on 2026-January-28, 03:12, said:

Isn't this along the lines of Tartan Two's?

https://www.acblunit...mon/tartan2.htm

2♣ is either rockcrusher or a weak two in diamonds. 2♦ is whatever flavour of multi you like.

In my approach, 55 ♥ + ♠ is included in 2♥ bidding.

While in Tartan Two's, 55 ♥ + ♠ is included in 2♠ bidding.

That is the key difference.
The responses to the 2♥ opening are different too.