Bidding Over a Weak Two

Today, we’ll look at a hand where a weak two spade opening bid makes it difficult for the opposing side to find their best contract. Well, that’s part of the reason for bidding a weak two, isn’t it?

Edie picks up this nice hand. She has 16 HCP and 5-3-3-2 distribution. She intends to open 1NT, but Norm, sitting to Edie’s left, thwarts her plan by opening 2 spades.

Edie
♠ A2
♥ K42
♦ KJ3
♣ AJ962

Edie could bid 2NT over 2 spades, but she is worried about the weak spade holding, now. Still, with 16 points (17 with distribution) she would like to bid. She chooses to bid 3 clubs. Making an overcall at the 3 level requires a strong hand. She has that.

Sally is next and considers competing with 3 spades, but decides to pass, hoping that her partner’s opening bid will keep the opponents from finding their best contract.

Sally
♠ 864
♥ JT
♦ AQ952
♣ 843

Walt is delighted to hear about his partner’s strong hand and 5-card club suit. His void is more valuable with his extra length in his partner’s suit. He counts his points as 7 in high cards, 5 for the void with extra trump support and one for the doubleton. That’s 13 points, and he expects his partner to better than an opening hand to be able to make an overcall at the 3 level. He wants to be in game, for certain. He thinks that slam might be possible. After all, his partner might have 20 points. On the other hand, how does he find it? Blackwood is no use. If Edie responds with 5 diamonds, showing just one ace, they are committed to going to slam—off 3 aces.

Walt
♠ J3
♥ Q98763
♦ -
♣ KQT75

Walt just silently curses Norm’s weak 2 bid, and bids 5 clubs. Norm has said all he is allowed to say with his opening bid, so he passes. Edie decides that she has already shown the full strength of her hand with her 3-level overcall and passes, also. Sally passes.

Sally is on lead.

Sally
♠ 864
♥ JT
♦ AQ952
♣ 843

There is hardly anything to think about. She leads the 8 of spades as a “top of nothing” lead to her partner’s suit.

Edie makes a plan for the hand.

	Dummy ♠ J3 ♥ Q98763 ♦ - ♣ KQT75
	Edie ♠ A2 ♥ K42 ♦ KJ3 ♣ AJ962

She sees no losers in clubs even if they break 3-0. There is a loser in spades and at least one in hearts. From the point of view of her hand, she would like to ruff three diamonds in dummy. The AJ9 of clubs in her hand will be able to pull the trumps, so she can use the big trumps in dummy to do the ruffing before pulling trumps. She will need transportation to her hand. That shouldn’t be a problem. She can get there with the A of spades and two rounds of trump.

She still needs to hold heart losers to one. She can try a heart finesse through the opponent of her choice. If that fails, there is the possibility of a 2-2 heart break. If that also fails, there might be a chance for a second finesse toward the Q98 in hearts. We’ll see how that works out. Let’s play.

Edie plays small from dummy, Norm plays “third hand high” with the Q. Edie takes the A in her hand and immediately starts to ruff diamonds. She leads the 3. Sally plays small. Edie ruffs with the K. Norm follows with the 4.

Edie returns to her hand by leading the 5 of clubs to the A. Norm discards the 6 of diamonds. Sally follows with the 3. The 3-0 break is no problem.

Edie continues by ruffing a second diamond with the Q and returns a small club to the J. Edie still has a diamond to ruff and another trump to pull. Then, she needs to tackle the hearts.

	Dummy ♠ J ♥ Q98763 ♦ - ♣ T
	Edie ♠ 2 ♥ K42 ♦ K ♣ 962

Edie stops to worry a little. She still needs to ruff the diamond in dummy but won’t be able to immediately pull the last trump. Her plan is to lead a small heart toward the K, hoping that Norm jumps up with the A. That would solve her heart loser problem, but might Sally have started with a doubleton spade or singleton heart and be poised to ruff Norm’s return? Norm probably started with exactly 6 spades. That leaves 3 for Sally. They might have started 7-2, but probably not. How about a singleton heart? That’s a distinct possibility. If Sally started with a singleton heart, and Norm has the A, and Norm returns a heart after taking the A, Sally will win a trick with her last trump. Well, hardly any hand is sure thing. There isn’t any way to avoid this risk after the 3-0 trump break.

Edie continues with her plan. She plays the K of diamonds, Sally covers with the A, and dummy ruffs with the ten. Now, Edie leads a small heart toward the K. Norm jumps up with the A, cashes his K of spades, and returns a heart. Edie plays the K, and Sally follows suit. Thanks, Sally.

Now, Edie pulls the last trump with the 9, and leads the 4 of hearts to the Q. All the opposing hearts are gone, but Edie is left with nothing but trumps in her hand. She claims the rest.