BETTER BIDDING by BERNARD MAGEE Benjaminised Weak Twos eak Twos in the majors, as The 2♣ Bid part of the Benjaminised ♠ A K Q J 10 4 ♠ 8 6 3 Acol system of bidding, The 2♣ opening bid is used to show ♥ Q 9 2 ♥ 4 3 W N have become very popular at club level; any hand worthy of a Strong Two ♦ AK 6 W E ♦ 4 3 S they are a pre-empt at the two-level opening in any suit; in traditional Acol ♣ 2 ♣ A 10 9 7 6 3 rather than the three-level. that is defined as ‘A strong hand that Two important things to note before can make eight tricks by itself’. The we start our journey into Benjaminised same guidelines are used in Benji Acol, West East Acol are: although, if the strong suit is a minor, it 2♣ 2♦ 1.You have to agree that you shouldare be a trick stronger, because, as 2♠ 4♠ playing Weak Twos with your you will see, you have to show it at the End partner – if you do so, then you three level. need to show Strong Twos in a In response to the 2♣ opening, your Eight playing-tricks in spades, so West different way, as we shall see. partner closes his eyes and bids 2♦ (a shows a strong two by opening 2♣. East (Note, however, that this article is relay), and then you can show your suit: responds 2♦, obediently. Now West not designed to show you how to shows his spades, and East simply raises bid strong hands, although for the 2♥ 8 playing tricks in hearts this to game: he has no ambitions to go sake of completeness all two-level 2♠ 8 playing tricks in spades further, but he does have enough for two bids are described.) 3♣ 9 playing tricks in clubs tricks to add to partner’s eight. 2.The rest of your system (one-level3♦ 9 playing tricks in diamonds and three-level openings) remain the same – that is, you still open a Yes, it really is worth closing your eyes as ♠ 9 N ♠ K Q 7 6 3 ♥ A9 W E ♥ K 3 weak three with 5-9 pts and a responder, because this allows the system S seven-card suit. to work smoothly. The 2♦ response is ♦ A8 6 ♦ 9 4 3 2 not a negative bid, it is just a relay which ♣ A K Q J 7 4 3 ♣ 6 2 Benjaminised Acol allows partner to show his hand. (Acol with Weak Twos) After opener has shown his hand, then responder can bid as he would if West East The system of Weak and Strong Twos partner had opened a Strong Two. For 2♣ 2♦ described below was the invention of instance, if the auction has gone 2♣ – 3♣ 3♠ Albert Benjamin, hence the name 2♦ – 2♥ (i.e. opener has a strong two 3NT End “Benjaminised Acol” (or ‘Benji Acol’ in hearts), now responder can pretend for short). This is the system: that his partner simply opened ‘2♥ Nine playing tricks in clubs, so West uses strong’, which means that the negative the 2♣ opening and rebids 3♣ over the 2♣ ‘Acol Two’ in any suit is still 2NT. relay. Now East rebids 3♠ naturally and 2♦ 23+ points or Game Force This is quite a system, for it allows you West can bid the obvious 3NT. (equivalent to the Acol 2♣) to show your Strong Twos in the majors 2♥ 6-10 points, six-card heart suit at the same level as in standard Acol. The The 2♦ Bid 2♠ 6-10 points, six-card spade suit only disadvantage is that you have to bid to 3♦ to show strong diamonds, but this The 2♦ opening is used as your strongest is coupled with the advantage of being opening bid. It shows 23 or more points, To obtain previous able to show a strong hand with clubs. or a hand that can make game by itself. “Better Bidding” articles It is worth repeating, however, that on The bid is used in exactly the same way by Bernard Magee many strongish hands with long minors as in traditional Acol, except that in (LTC, Stayman and Transfers) it is preferable to open at the one level; Benjaminised Acol the negative response write to ♥ , Bisley, Surrey, GU21 2TH only if you have nine tricks in your own (0-7 points) is 2 . It really is as straight- including 10 first-class stamps hand, should you open with the 2♣ bid. forward as that! Here are two simple examples: Continued on next page ❿ Page 11 BETTER BIDDING continued from page 11 change-of-suit response to a three- level pre-empt. It is a very rare response and I will not discuss it Let us consider just one example: able to decide for yourself how further here. strong or weak you want to play 3.Finally, a raise of the Weak Two your suits. You should have: is weak and pre-emptive, not ♠ AK J ♠ 7 6 3 invitational (this is important): it ♥ A9 2 N ♥ K 3 TWO of the TOP FOUR HONOURS, or simply extends the pre-empt and, ♦ W E ♦ A8 6 S 9 5 3 2 THREE of the TOP SIX CARDS. as the example hands will show, ♣ A K 4 3 ♣ Q 6 5 2 this can make life very difficult for A-K-9-8-7-6 your opponents. K-Q-J-7-6-5 are excellent suits West East A-J-10-5-4-3 Responding to ♦ ♥ } 2 2 Q-J-10-5-4-3 the 2NT Enquiry 2NT 3NT End K-J-7-6-5-4 As suggested above, the 2NT response A-10-9-4-3-2 would just qualify to a Weak Two is strong and conventional; With 23 points and a balanced hand, Q-J-8-7-6-5 it usually shows 16+ points and it asks ♦ } West opens 2 as the system dictates. J-10-9-7-6-5 opener to describe his hand. The opening Partner responds with the ‘new’ negative bidder responds according to the table of 2♥. The 2NT rebid shows 23-24 Q-7-6-5-4-3 below, describing the strength of his suit not qualify points balanced as in normal Acol and J-10-7-4-3-2 } would and the number of points he holds. East can comfortably raise to 3NT. I promise that this is the last Two things to note here are that 2♦ is A-10-7-6-5-4 would be convention involved and, as you can your new strongest opening bid and K-10-8-7-6-5 } borderline imagine, it does take a little getting used secondly that 2♥ is a real negative to. Bear with it – it is worth it in the response – unlike the relay response of Note that when you are non- long run! 2♦ to 2♣. vulnerable you can be more flexible. 2♥ – 2NT Over the forcing 2NT Weak Twos 2♠ – 2NT} the responses are: Responding to SUIT QUALITY HCP ♥ ♠ ♣ Now that your 2 and 2 openings are Weak Twos 3 weak weak weak pre-emptive bids, let us start our 3♦ strong weak discussion of Weak Twos by considering The most common response to a Weak 3♥ weak strong how many points and what kind of suit Two is ‘pass’. 3♠ strong strong they show . Remember that Weak Twos are pre- emptive bids, so to respond to them you They are not quite as difficult as at first A. HIGH-CARD-POINT STRENGTH: 6-10. need a similar strength to that required might seem: with a very bad hand you The higher limit is obvious, to respond to a weak three: bid the lowest response, 3♣ and with a because with 11 points and a six- very good hand you bid the highest, card suit you have enough strength • Without support you need at least 3♠. To remember the two responses in to open. The lower range can be 16 points to make a strong between, I usually think like this: ‘the stretched down to 5 points if all the response. higher you bid the more points you points are in the long suit, with a • With support, however, you can need’ and thus 3♦ shows good suit, but little extra inner strength, i.e. sometimes respond with nothing. bad points, whilst 3♥ the higher bid, K-Q-10-9-4-3 and A-J-10-9-4-3 shows the good points, but bad suit. are worth opening even with no There are three different types of There is one other possible response to points outside (except if you are response other than pass: 2NT: 3NT, which would show specifically vulnerable against non-vulnerable A-K-Q-x-x-x in the major suit. opponents, when it pays to be less 1.The main strong option over aThis does seem a bit convoluted but optimistic!). Weak Two is 2NT, which is a what it means is that you can bid very conventional response (the ‘Ogust’ accurately over a Weak Two, which is B. STRENGTH OF SUIT: it is important convention) that will ask the why the system is so popular. Unlike to have a certain amount of opening bidder to describe his over a weak-three opening from your strength in your suit. Do not open a hand accurately. partner when you often have to guess Weak Two if your suit is horrible: 2.A change-of-suit response isvery the final contract, over a Weak Two you you are simply mis-describing unusual, and is usually made with can have an educated auction and, more your hand.