The Weak Two Bid
A long time ago, when you and I first learned what a weak two was, we embraced the idea of opening with a weak hand so long as we held a 6-card suit, regardless of it's strength. Eventually we quit doing that. Too many people were finding it profitable to double. Most of us today will have at least one of the top three honors and are careful about the vulnerability.
The other thing about weak two bids is that we found that an opening bid of two diamonds simply gave too much information to the opponents about the size and shape of the hand without being very preemptive, so most players have quit using the bid, preferring to have that bid show a different hand.
Although I am not likely to change your views of what a weak two bid in a major is supposed to look like, perhaps I can get you to consider this: Your partner will appreciate a constructive bid that has some potential much more than a very weak hand with only 6 points and a weak suit. Your opponents, however, will enjoy it immensely!
First, make an agreement that a weak two will have 8-10 HCP with at least one of the top three honors. Now your partner can easily evaluate his hand opposite yours.
Second, dump the Ogust convention. The rebids are simply not very helpful because they are too vague. Keep the 2NT bid to ask for a feature and agree that a response of 3
is an artificial asking bid. Opener
uses step rebids to show the number of the top three honors he has in the trump suit.
Opener's Rebids after a 3
Response
- 3
One of the top three
- 3
Two of the top three
- 3
All three of the top honors
If the opener has all three of the top honors he can only have one more jack in the hand at most. Still, responder might make a matchpoint decision to play in 3NT instead of the major suit contract. If you use the Ogust convention you would bid 3NT, and the hand would be played from the wrong side. The lead should come up to your partner's hand, not yours. Unlike Ogust, this agreement is very accurate.
2NT For a Feature
If responder is an unpassed hand the 2NT bid asks opener if he has an outside ace or king. Responder is trying to determine if he can play in a 3NT contract and if he will have an entry to the dummy after the long major is established.
However, if responder is a passed hand it is not likely that he would want to play 3NT. Most likely he is simply trying to determine if game in the major is possible. For that reason The opener should consider not only outside aces or kings in his rebid, but also voids and singletons.