2/1 revisited

Basic Two-Over-One

The concept behind this sheet is for a player who is familiar with Standard American to be able to pick up 2/1 quickly. 2/1 is very similar to Standard American but there are two major differences: -

(a) A new-suit two-level response to a 1/ opening is forcing to game.
(b) The response of 1NT to a 1/ opening is forcing.

1. A new suit at the two level

 2 Suppose you have this hand and partner opens 1. You play weak jump shifts
 AKJ9542 and so respond 2 and partner bids 2. What now? Playing Standard you
• K72 would probably jump to 4, but there may well be slam if partner has the Q.
 A6 In 2/1 it’s simple – take it slowly with a bid of 3. The auction is absolutely game forcing.

 AK96543 And playing 2/1 makes life much easier for opener. You hold this hand and
 A4 open 1 and partner responds 2. What do you do now? 3? 4?
• 10 Playing 2/1 it’s very easy, take it slowly with 2. This is just one of the great
 AJ8 advantages of 2/1 – there is no need to leap about to set up a game force.

2. The forcing NoTrump

So what do you do with a hand of 10-11 points where you would have responded at the two level? The answer is the forcing 1NT. Over a 1/ opening a 1NT bid is forcing; it may be virtually any shape and anything from 5 to a poor 12 points.

 7 Partner opens 1. Playing Standard you would bid 2• and hopefully arrive
 542 somewhere sensible. Playing 2/1 you do not have the values for a game force
• KQJ752 and so you bid a forcing 1NT. If partner then bids 2, 2 or 2 you can bid
 A72 3• to show this hand type exactly.

 J3 Partner opens 1 and you respond 1NT. If partner bids 2 you bid 2• - to play;
 54 if partner bids 2• you pass; if partner bids 2 you bid 2 and play in the 5-2 fit;
• KJ9752 if partner bids 2 you pass and play in the 6-2 fit.
 J52

3. Responding to partner’s forcing NoTrump

Opener must respond. With a six card suit he can rebid it. With 54xx he can bid 2. A 5-card major is not usually rebidable and opener my sometimes have to bid a three card minor.
There is just one really awkward shape – 4522. After a forcing NoTrump opener cannot reverse into 2 without full reversing values so this one is a problem. If the 5 card suit is very good then rebid it, otherwise bid 2. Flannery solves the problem but it really is a bit excessive to use the 2• opening just to solve this one rare problem.
If opener has a big hand with game potential then he can jump/reverse whatever as normal.

4. The constructive raise

 Q65 Partner opens 1. Playing Standard you would bid 2 and pray that partner
 J42 does not make a game try. Playing ‘Constructive Raises’ in the 2/1 system
• K752 you show this poor raise by bidding 1NT and then 2 over partner’s 2/•/
 742 response.

 KJ65 Partner opens 1. This time you have a decent raise and the way to show that
 Q42 is to bid 2 immediately.
• K752
 742

5. A reverse by opener after a 2/1 response

 AQ653 What do you open with this hand? Playing Standard a 1 opening has its
 82 problems as you do not have the values for a 3 high reverse over 2•/.
• 2 But playing 2/1 there is no problem. A 2•/ response is game forcing and
 AK742 it’s best to play that a subsequent reverse by opener does not show extras.

 AQ65 Here you open 1 and get a 2 or 2• response. Without agreement to the
 AQ982 contrary a 2 bid would show 16+ points. Playing 2/1 it simply shows the
• 2 shape and does not promise extra values.
 742

6. The 11-12 point 2NT invitational bid

 53 Partner opens 1 and you have a classic 2NT response; but most players
 Q82 play Jacoby 2NT. In Standard you would bid 2 followed by 2NT but that
• AK86 is game forcing in 2/1.
 K942 The answer is to bid a forcing 1NT and then bid 2NT over partner’s response.

7. The 3-card limit raise

 KJ3 Partner opens 1. Playing Standard you would bid 2 and then 3 to show
 82 just three card support.
• K863 Playing 2/1 you start with a forcing 1NT and then jump to 3.
 A942

8. 1NT and two-level responses by a Passed Hand

Note that 2/1 only applies if responder is not a passed hand, so 1NT is natural if you have passed. If partner opens 1/ in 3rd seat or 1 in 4th seat then I like to play (two-way reverse) Drury. I do not play Drury if partner opens 1 in 4th seat as that is always a sound opener (whereas 1 may well be on the light side - rule of 15) but play natural methods.
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