When I learned this game, a 2-of-a-major opening showed a strong suit in a strong hand. Since then, the dominant trend in systems has been to bid more and more often, to obstruct the opponents. So strong twos became weak twos, and then weak 5/4s.



In this popular modern development, an opening bid of 2H or 2S shows 5 of that suit, with 4-plus of a minor (the retreat in case of a misfit). Since these hands occur significantly more often than 6-card suits, the bid is a more effective weapon. This hand came up in the recent Auckland Regional Teams event:

First, notice that no hand in this deal contains as many as 12 High Card Points…..

At the first table (my partner and I were North/South)

The play was not difficult; I lost a heart trick and a diamond trick and made the rest.

At the other table our youthful team-mates sat East/West.

After a spade lead, West drew trumps and cashed out his heart tricks, never in danger of going down. So, our team score was +650 for 4S, and +600 for 5C, +1250 in total, and a gain of 15 IMPs, a match-winning score at teams-of-four bridge.

 This second deal happened a while back, and illustrates the escape mechanism:

South opened 2H, and West passed happily. North looked at the vulnerability, took a deep breath, and bid 6C. Any club bid after one of these 2H opening bids is an offer to play in either minor, so after East doubled, South duly converted to 6D. West doubled, North passed, and East, thoroughly puzzled, also passed. South found that they had to lose 3 Aces but nothing else, so that was 500 to East/West. A good score you might think, except that an easy contract of 4S would bring in 680, and in fact it is impossible to beat 6S, which would score 1430.