Treasure Mine - Systems & Style - Chapter 3 - 2H with less than 8 - Part IV of IV

(The recent world championship gives us a treasure trove that can be examined to study systems and style implications for success. For this final chapter of the study we will look at when 2H was opened with less than 8.)

In the semi-finals there were two less-than-8 hands that opened 2H. First was in the second segment, board 19:


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In England-Germany, the Germans opened the South hand 2H, 4-4+ majors, 5-9 (not vulnerable). 2NT asks, and then North placed them in 4H. West led a club, and continued them when in with the spade king, and that was 450.


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In the Closed Room South passed, but 4H was easily bid after the overcall. East led a diamond, and that was 420, 1 IMP to Germany.

In Italy-Norway, Helgemo used Drury (promises a fit) with 5 points - the South hand has excellent playing value (singleton club, possible source of tricks in spades) and using Drury here shows an expert's judgement.

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East led a spade, declarer hopped up spade ace, dropping the king, and made 7.

In the Closed room, 1H was 13/14+, or 11-13 with 4-5+ in the majors, forcing. 2NT showed a fit and 5+ points and game was quickly reached:

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East led a club, but West switched to diamonds when in with the spade king, just making four, and 3 IMPs to Norway.

In segment 4, the Hacketts five card weak twos were featured:

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2H was 5+Hs, 3-10, and 3H was to play with at least one of the A/K/Q. With diamonds splitting, 6D was cold.

In the Open Room West passed, and NS never bid diamonds:

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4S made five, 12 IMPs to Germany.

In Italy-Norway, the Viking West tried a 2D Multi that showed exactly 5 in a major - not vulnerable versus vulnerable it was 2-8, can be flat or with a 4+ minor:

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North doubled the 2D Multi with 18, South bid 3NT under pressure with no heart stopper, and North let that go - perhaps South would double with a heart stopper, and 3NT denies one. 3NT made five.

In the Closed Room, NS had a free run to 4S:

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That made five for a push.

In the final the second board of the match was the only 2H bid with less than 8 - can you guess which pair did it?

It was Fantoni-Nunes - they play their 2H opening as 10-13, but in 3rd seat it has a maximum of 12 (or bad 13), and "could be weaker" than 10.

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North opposite a passed hand, and facing a 2H opening that could be 10-12, decided to downgrade the singleton heart king, and passed the 2H opening. South with a flat hand, passed out the hand. Declarer ducked the opening club lead, later got a club ruff and was down one for -50.

In the Open Room, the Italian South opened the 11 count where a Hackett had passed:

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East's double was a form of Snapdragon - see the recent write-up at:

http://www.doublesqueeze.com/2008/10/snapdragon-doubles-and-redoubles.html

East led the spade king against five clubs, and the contract needed some luck - declarer ducked the spade lead, and East switched to hearts. Declarer won the heart king, and played the club nine around to the ace. Declarer later guessed diamonds and that was 600 and 11 IMPs.

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Chapter 3 Analysis

2H openings with less than 8 points can produce random swings, based on the layout of the cards, but they do not generate net plus IMPs. For a discussion of why, see the section "Light or Heavy Weak Twos" in:

http://www.bridgematters.com/6mia.pdf

The bids are not that frequent. Openings like the Viking 2-8 point Multi are a waste of a bid. If you open 1H/S like Meckwell (can be very light if shapely), using 2H as a bad weak two is almost a waste of a bid - the question is what should the 2H opening be to produce net plus IMPs?