This Week in Bridge
(593) Todd Busts Over 2♣ Opening Bids
© AiB Robert S. Todd
Level: 9 of 10 robert@advinbridge.com
General
When our side opens the bidding 2♣, we need an agreement about how we handle our responses. There are a variety of ways to handle this -- 2♦ waiting, Steps, Controls, 2♥ Bust. People have strong opinions about 2♥ for showing a bust. The players who dislike it are worried about “wrong siding” a ♥ contract. The players who like it like knowing that 2♦ is game forcing, determining if we are going to game or not immediately.
I personally like the idea of setting up the GF immediately, making the auctions after a 2♦ response less ambiguous. When I have a “positive response”, I basically always bid 2♦ and leave bidding space for partner to describe their hand – even if I have other “positive bids available.” Partner’s 2♣ opening bid already ate up a lot of bidding space, so making another bid take up a lot more bidding space may make the auction even more difficult.
Let’s look at some agreements that “lean in” to this concept. This is an alternate approach that I developed with some of my partners.
A Novel Approach – Lots of Bust Bids
If we play 2♦ as a positive and game forcing response and use it for all of our good hands, then that frees up all the other bids for showing weak and distributional hands.
2♣ __?
2♦* Artificial Game Forcing – Shows at least an Ace, King, or two Queens.
Bust Bids – No Ace, No King, not 2 Queens.
2♥* 5-card ♥ or Balanced Bust (Kokish Style)
2♠* 5-card ♠
2NT Two 5-card suits (usually 5/5 minors)
3♣* 5+card ♣ (usually 6+card ♣)
3♦* 5+card ♦ (usually 6+card ♦)
3♥* Lots of ♥
When we play these immediate bust bids, the auction is still forcing to one below game. This allows the player with the weak hand to say a lot about their distribution before the auction gets too high.
Some Examples of Bust Hands
Let’s look at some ways we can bid these bust hands.
Example 1
Responder
♠ J8743
♥ 6
♦ 87432
♣ 65
Opener Responder
2♣ 2♠*
2NT 3♦
This bidding sequence shows a bad hand with length in ♠ and ♦ (could even be 5-card ♠ and a 4-card ♦ sometimes). This allows us to play the most appropriate contract for Opener’s hand.
Example 2
Responder
♠ 3
♥ T9643
♦ 65
♣ 65432
Opener Responder
2♣ 2♥*
2NT 3♣
The 2♥* bid showed a bust hand that was balanced or had long ♥. When partner bids 2NT, they are saying they want to play 2NT if we have the balanced hand. We now bid 3♣ to show that we had ♥ and ♣.
Conclusion
This is an approach that embraces good hands go slow, and they start with a 2♦ positive and game forcing response to a 2♣ opening. If that is the case, then we can use all of the other bids to describe our weak distributional hands. Being able to show these weak hands shape below 3NT is extremely useful, allowing Responder to keep many different game or partscore contracts in play. If you like playing 2♥ as a bust, give this “lots of busts” a try!