[mikl_plkcc]

How is your style of 2C strong opening?

[Phil]

My general rules are:

1. 22+ HCP as balanced
2. Nine tricks for a major, 10 tricks for a minor
3. I generally ignore HCP, although I probably have some internal mechanism for quick tricks that I am not aware of.

Normally, I don't post in threads of this genre this but there was an interesting poll choice:

"2♦ positive, all others not GF"

I do not want to threadjack, but has anyone actually played this, and what is there experience?

[mattias]

Phil, on 2012-April-12, 09:03, said:

My general rules are:

1. 22+ HCP as balanced
2. Nine tricks for a major, 10 tricks for a minor
3. I generally ignore HCP, although I probably have some internal mechanism for quick tricks that I am not aware of.

Normally, I don't post in threads of this genre this but there was an interesting poll choice:

"2♦ positive, all others not GF"

I do not want to threadjack, but has anyone actually played this, and what is there experience?

It is quite common in Sweden to include 20-21 balanced in 2♣ and play 2NT as 22-24. In this case 2 of a major or 3 of a minor are usually played as a signoff vs the "weak" balanced hand.

[Phil]

mattias, on 2012-April-12, 10:10, said:

It is quite common in Sweden to include 20-21 balanced in 2♣ and play 2NT as 22-24. In this case 2 of a major or 3 of a minor are usually played as a signoff vs the "weak" balanced hand.

I like this approach.

I am trying to get my partners to switch to 2♣-2[x] - 2N as 20-21 and a 2N opening as 22-23, so that we can play GF Jacoby Transfers.

[Quartic]

With my regular partner I play that 2♣ shows a strong 2 in a major, or 23+ balanced or any GF hand.

For our responses, we have 2♦ as a semi +ve relay, and both 2♥ and 2♠ as negatives. 2♥ showing a complete bust or a trick for ♠ only, and 2♠ showing a trick for ♥ only. Based on Chris Ryall's methods, but not playing the 3-suited bit.

[Phil]

mattias, on 2012-April-12, 10:10, said:

It is quite common in Sweden to include 20-21 balanced in 2♣ and play 2NT as 22-24. In this case 2 of a major or 3 of a minor are usually played as a signoff vs the "weak" balanced hand.

What are the specific responses?

Is 2♥ hearts or is it a generic negative?

[gwnn]

Phil, on 2012-April-12, 11:24, said:

What are the specific responses?

Is 2♥ hearts or is it a generic negative?

According to the post you just quoted, 2M and 3m are all natural and super-weak. It is hard to imagine a more wasteful response structure, 4 responses catering to 0-2 (3) hcp hands. ugh

[FrancesHinden]

Your final question didn't include

"all responses game forcing opposite an unbalanced hand" which is what we play
(we've just started playing a new scheme of artificial responses which doesn't fit into the forum name, but the principle of 2C being game forcing as an opening hasn't changed)

[Phil]

gwnn, on 2012-April-12, 11:46, said:

According to the post you just quoted, 2M and 3m are all natural and super-weak. It is hard to imagine a more wasteful response structure, 4 responses catering to 0-2 (3) hcp hands. ugh

It seems that there should be a way to show a weak hand without any suit.

[karlson]

(continuing the threadjack)

Phil, on 2012-April-12, 14:16, said:

It seems that there should be a way to show a weak hand without any suit.

It's quite possible to play a combination of transfers and kokish

2♦ either waiting or 5+♥
2♥ 5+♠
higher something smart

Over 2♦, 2♥ shows 20-21 balanced or strong with hearts, responder can pass with hearts, relay with 2♠ with the waiting hands, or bid something higher to show a GF with hearts.

In theory occasionally you get caught and play in 2♥ with a GF heart hand opposite a weak 5♥ hand. The people I know that play this claim this hasn't happened once yet. I keep hoping it does when I play against them, but I don't like my chances!

[manudude03]

The first question is a little misleading. There are unbalanced hands with 17HCP I'd happily open 2C on (AKQJxxx AKx xx x), but there are also unbalanced hands with 21HCP I wouldn't open 2C on (KQx AKQx Axxxx K as a recent example).

[jallerton]

mattias, on 2012-April-12, 10:10, said:

It is quite common in Sweden to include 20-21 balanced in 2♣ and play 2NT as 22-24. In this case 2 of a major or 3 of a minor are usually played as a signoff vs the "weak" balanced hand.

I know a very good player (originally from Sweden) who strongly advocates this method. The 2M responses show a 4- or 5-card suit (he responded 2♠ to 2♣ holding ♠5432 against me once!). His reasoning is that he believes that there is usually at least a 4-3 major suit fit and that a 4-3 fit will often make more tricks than NT (as the weak hand is often worth no tricks in NT).