Marvin French's Two bids

The following system notes were sent into the Weak Two Archive by Marvin French.

Two Clubs

Similar to standard 2C methods

Two Diamonds

An opening of 2D is a three-way bid:
Responses

Responder assumes that partner has a weak two bid in hearts, and bids according to his method of responding to weak two bids. If he would have passed a weak two bid opening in hearts, he now bids 2H. One drawback of this convention is that responder cannot raise hearts preemptively, because opener may not have a weak two bid. Other than that, responder makes his normal response to a weak two bid if he has too much to bid 2H.

If the right hand opponent (RHO) bids or doubles, responder usually assumes the opening was based on a weak two bid and bids, doubles, redoubles, or passes accordingly (but 2H over a double is a forcing positive response in hearts). Even if RHO bids spades, however, responder cannot raise hearts preemptively. Opener could have a notrump hand, or even a strong two bid in spades if RHO is lying to create confusion.

Rebids by Opener

With a 21-22 HCP notrump hand, opener rebids in notrump. In the unlikely event that responder has made a positive response to a weak two bid type opening (i.e., has bid 2S, 2NT, 3C, or 3D), opener must :

With a weak two bid in hearts, opener passes a 2H response. After any other response, opener rebids in accordance with the usual weak two bid bidding sequences. He must not otherwise bid again, not even in a competitive way with an extra good weak two bid:

2Diamond Pass 2Heart Pass
3Club*

* spades and clubs. By bidding over 2H, Opener shows a strong 2 bid in spades and now shows a second suit.

RHO enters the auction

2Diamond Pass 2Heart 3Club
?

Rebids by Responder

If opener verifies a weak two bid, responder proceeds in accordance with the usual bidding sequences for weak two bids.

If opener shows a 21-22 HCP notrump hand by bidding 2NT, the bidding proceeds in accordance with normal bidding following an opening of 2NT, except that a major suit response to Stayman shows a five-card suit:

2Diamond Pass 2Heart Pass
2NT Pass 3Club Pass
?

We can't play that 3D shows diamonds and 3NT shows clubs, because we must leave room for responder to show a five-card major.

If opener has had to jump in notrump to show a notrump hand because of partner's positive response, the partnership is committed to slam.

If opener shows a strong two bid sort of hand, the bidding proceeds naturally, with a minimum notrump or minor suit rebid by responder showing a second negative, usually 5 HCP or less:

2Diamond Pass 2Heart Pass
3Club Pass 3Diamond* Pass

* second negative

2Diamond Pass 2Heart Pass
2Spade Pass 2NT*

* second negative

A minimum bid in a major suit is natural, however:

2Diamond Pass 2Heart Pass
3Diamond Pass 3Heart*

* natural

Opener has spades and diamonds. Responder could have bid 3NT as a second negative with nothing worth showing.

There is no danger of opener's passing any notrump bid, because all these sequences show an unbalanced hand. Responder may therefore sometimes bid notrump with substantial values when he has no good suit to bid. If so, he must reveal these values later in the bidding (which may not be easy).

Responder must continue bidding until game is reached, no matter how weak his hand. One reason is that opener may have a 6-4 hand in an auction like this:

2Diamond Pass 2Heart Pass
2Spade Pass 2NT* Pass
3Club Pass

* second negative

Opener rebids spades with game in hand, holding SAKQJ84 HA7 D4 CAKQ2, because he wants a chance to show this 6-4 holding. If responder has S6 H5432 D8743 C10843 and unilaterally passes 2S (or 3C), she will miss a good club slam.

Another reason for making this opening game-forcing is that opener has an unbalanced hand. Responder cannot know if an outside king is worth anything or not. Since he can't evaluate such a hand, the opening might as well be game-forcing.

Two Hearts

An opening bid of 2H is a three-way bid:

The strong two bid in hearts may be based on a balanced hand if 1) opener wants to be in game for sure, and 2) opener has one or more tenaces on the side and wants to make sure of playing the hand. A 25-30 HCP notrump hand opens with 2C, 21-22 with 2NT.

Responses

Responder assumes that partner has a weak two bid in spades, and proceeds accordingly. If she would have passed a weak two bid opening in spades, she now bids 2S. One drawback of this convention is that responder cannot make a preemptive spade raise, because opener may not have a weak two bid hand.

If the right hand opponent (RHO) bids or doubles, responder usually assumes the opening was based on a weak two bid and bids, doubles, redoubles, or passes accordingly (but 2S over a double is a positive response in spades). Even if RHO bids hearts, however, responder cannot raise spades preemptively. Opener could have a notrump hand, or even a strong two bid in hearts if RHO is lying to create confusion.

Rebids by Opener

With a 23-24 HCP notrump hand, opener usually makes a minimum rebid in notrump. In the unlikely event that responder has made a positive response to a weak two bid type opening (i.e., has bid 2S, 2NT, 3C, or 3D), opener must jump to 4NT in order to show the 23-24 HCP notrump type hand. A 3NT rebid after a three-level suit response shows a weak two bid with support for responder's suit. A 3NT rebid over a 2NT response shows a weak two bid sort of hand with a solid heart suit.

With a weak two bid in spades, opener passes a 2S response. After any other response, opener rebids in accordance with standard weak two bid sequences. For example:

2Heart Pass 3Diamond Pass
3Spade Pass 3NT* Pass

* offers a choice

The 3S rebid confirms a weak two bid in spades, whereupon responder offers opener a choice between a contract of 3NT or 4S. If opener had diamond support, by the way, he would have bid 3NT instead of 3S. With a 23-24 HCP hand (unlikely, when responder has the good hand that 3D indicates), he would jump to 4NT over the 3D response. Finally, with a strong two bid in hearts he would have gone to the four-level on the second round (i.e., 4H, 4D, 4C).

With a strong two bid in hearts, opener rebids in hearts to show a one-suited hand, or shows a second suit:

2Heart Pass 2Spade Pass
3Club*

* hearts and clubs (Opener has already shown a heart suit, so now shows a second suit.)

Rebids by Responder

If opener shows a 23-24 HCP notrump hand by bidding 2NT, the bidding proceeds in accordance with normal notrump bidding sequences. If opener has had to rebid 4NT to show such a hand because of partner's positive response, the partnership is committed to slam.

If opener shows a strong two bid sort of hand, the bidding proceeds naturally, with a minimum minor suit rebid (or 3NT, whichever is cheaper) by responder showing a second negative, 5 HCP or less.

2Heart Pass 2Spade Pass
3Club Pass 3Diamond* Pass
3Spade** Pass

* second negative, ** natural

2Heart Pass 2Spade Pass
3Diamond Pass 3NT* Pass

* second negative

There is no danger of 3NT being passed, since opener is unbalanced.

Two Spades

The popular Gambling 3NT opening shows a solid seven-card minor with little outside strength. Besides being rather restrictive as to suit quality, the notrump contract is played from the wrong side. Not only is the lead through dummy's strength, but the exposure of that hand lets the opponents put up a double dummy defense. If responder can't support a 3NT contract, the bidding ends up at the dangerous four level.

Marvin 2S shows the same sort of hand, or (nine times as frequent) a semi-solid (KQJ or AQJ) seven-card minor with one ace or king outside. The hand must contain at least one ace, so responder can count on seven playing tricks. Besides a solid minor, opener could have:

A third-seat bidder might cheat with an eight-card suit or regard an AKJ10 suit as solid.

Responder bids 3C to sign off, whereupon opener will pass with clubs, or rebid 3D with diamonds. If responder would raise clubs but not diamonds, she responds 3D. If she would raise diamonds but not clubs, she bids 3C. If she would raise either equally (or diamonds higher than clubs), she raises by bidding 4C or more. Opener can correct if responder bids the wrong suit.

A response of 3H or 3S is forcing. Opener bids 3NT to show Qx, xxx, or better support, so responder (perhaps fishing for a notrump contract) need not have a real suit (e.g., respond 3H with SA7532 HJ76 DA87 CK2). Although this response must be alerted (That is an asking bid, not a telling bid.), its ambiguous nature can make it useful as a lead inhibitor, or as a complete psych when an opposing game is feared.

A 2NT response asks for clarification. Opener bids 3NT with a solid minor, or indicates where the outside high card is located when the minor is only semi-solid:

2S - 2NT?

Opener's rebid will usually give responder the information she needs to place the contract. These bids are designed so that opener's LHO cannot double to direct a lead through the high card (perhaps an unguarded king).

A 4C response asks opener to show a short suit:

2S - 4C?

A 4D response asks for a major suit preference (Ripstra), and 4NT is Blackwood (5C or 5D with one ace--must have one--5H with two).

A game response is a sign-off, but a jump to 5C may be corrected to 5D. Jump to 5C with SQ9 HAKQ DA764 C6542.

When the Opponents Intervene

If the 2S opening gets doubled, presumably showing a spade suit, responder may choose to make a forcing pass. She would pass, for instance, with S972 HQJ543 DA2 CA53, giving opener a chance to bid notrump if he has spades stopped.

2Spade Dbl Pass Pass
?

Suppose there is an overcall and responder cue bids:

2Spade 3Club 4Club Pass
?

Similarly:

2Spade 3Diamond 4Diamond Pass
?

When the cue bid is in a major, opener has less room to show his hand and responder may have to guess opener's minor:

2Spade 3Heart 4Heart Pass
?

2Spade 3Spade 4Spade Pass
?

The bidding here is so crowded that opener can show an outside high card in spades only.

Summarizing the advantages of Marvin 2S over Gambling 3NT

With a normal weak two bid in spades, you can use the Marvin 2H opening, which shows a strong two bid in hearts or a weak two bid in spades.

The complete text of Marvin 2S comprises three single-spaced pages. It includes procedures for coping with competitive action by the opponents.

Marvin 2S was published in Popular Bridge magazine, August 1980, included in an article entitled Two-Way Bids. It was also published in The Contract Bridge Forum, February 1992, within an article entitled Multiplex Bids.