#4 East West Vulnerable
West North East South
2♣ Pass
East
♠ 8 6 5 4
♥ 9 4 2
♦ 4 3 2
♣ 9 3 2
As East, how do you respond to a 2C opening bid with this bust hand? One method is to respond 2H immediately to show less than two queens. Another is to show HCP, or controls.
The one most experts play is 2D, denying a strong independent suit (4 of the top 6 honors), but showing either a positive or negative hand. If partner bids 2H or 2S, East rebids 3C to show a bust hand. If partner bids 3C or 3D, then bid the next step up to show a bust hand. The theory behind this use is to stay out of partner’s way and once it is know whether the opener has a balanced hand or distributional hand, the responder can better evaluate his hand. For example, a void is huge in a suit control but not so valuable in a notrump contract.
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What’s Your Bid? 2-4
2 responses to “What’s Your Bid? 2-4”
Thought 2NT would show bust hand on second bid and take up less bidding space. Probably partnership agreement, but what do the experts use to show a worthless hand?
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Hi Penny, your partnership may choose to use 2NT or 3C to show the bust hand. 2NT does save room and allow for the 3C bid to be natural. However, a while back someone wrote a book and it became “fad” to rebid 3C to show the bust hand. There is no strong theoretical difference between the two bids. Just a matter of remembering which you are playing. I play both methods depending on what my partner likes to play…
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