Chapter 26

Two-Suited Bids and Defense Against Them

My guidlines are:

• Do not bid 2NT without 5-5 in the minors.
• The unusual notrump has a minimum strength (I vote for 10 by an unpassed hand), which can be a function of vulnerability, and there is no hole in the middle.
• If diamonds are longer than clubs, then overcall diamonds.
• If clubs are equal or one-card longer than diamonds, then bid 2NT (or 4NT).
• If the difference in length is two, bid the long suit, and if partner passes, a later notrump bid shows this pattern. 

• If third seat bids a suit shown by us, then a double is lead directing.
• Cue-bid is a good invite or better.
• (Evan says) jump to four is a poor invite (everyone else says preemptive).

Top & bottom shows the top unbid suit and bottom unbid suit.  The minimum strength is about an opening bid.  The normal requirements are 4 cards in the top unbid suit, 5 or 6 in the bottom unbid suit, and not enough length in the third unbid suit to double.  The numbers could be 5 in the top suit with 6 or 7 in the bottom suit, or possibly a weak 5 in the top with a strong 5 in the bottom.  If the opening bid is a minor, then I have up to three hearts.  If the opening is a major, then the difference in club-diamond length is at least three.  Because top & bottom can be done with nine cards in two suits, their chances for penalty increase relative to a 10-card Michaels bid.  I used to reject hands with three cards in the third unbid suit.  Examining computer deals suggests that this is an unnecessary restriction.

The 5-4 hands short in the third unbid suit are hard to bid without top & bottom.  With the major-minor 5-5 hand, I overcall the major, and may bid the minor later.  Top & bottom will occasionally steal the top suit from the opponents, and the defense proposed here, and the defense everyone plays, allows us to steal the suit.  Playing top & bottom I notice when this happens.  Defending you may never see it.

My unusual notrump over a minor opening look like top & bottom using the two lowest unbid suits - usually 4 hearts and 5 or 6 cards in the unbid minor.

For these defenses to apply, the two-suited bid must be made immediately over a 1 , 1 , or 1 opening and must be at the two-level.  The defense does not apply:

• After a big 1 opening. 
  • We use point showing doubles and natural bids. 
• After responder has bid. 
  • Doubles are support doubles. 

The two-suit overcalls are the unusual notrump, Michaels, and top & bottom.  Except for Michaels over a major, their bid shows two specific suits, and so there are only two suits we are interested in playing.

Here is the (current) defense when their two suits are known:

• Establish the suits shown by their notrump or cue-bid.
• Bid in those suits are:  Higher for higher, and lower for lower.
• A bid of either of our suits is nonforcing, and shows less than a game invite.  Though everyone thinks you must have six cards to bid the other suit, there is no law against only five, and, in fact, that might be right.
• A bid in either of their suits is invite or better in our corresponding suit.
• Double is negative and starts at about 9 points.  The double may be our sides last bid in the auction.  It is a way to involve both of us when responder has some values in a hand that lacks direction.  It does not say we own the auction.  Over a major opening you probably should have two cards in partner's suit and four or five in the other.  Over a 1 opening I expect two or three diamonds and four or five in the unclaimed suit.
• Pass and then double does not invite partner to the party.  Nailing the opponents is a low priority in the proposed defense.  (Pass, and then bidding one of their "suits", probably should be to play that suit.  The clues are fourth seat chose the other suit, and opener is relatively short in that suit.) 
• 2NT and 3NT are natural.  Our experience in defending against two-suited bids is that 3NT is ugly.
• I decree that a jump in one of their suits is a splinter. 

The above defense is natural and I think easy to remember, i.e.  higher for higher, lower for lower, and negative doubles.  It caters to the most common problems posed by a large number of hands produced on my computer.

When only one of their suits is known (the Michaels over a major case, or, if for some reason, they think the unusual notrump includes opener's minor), the modification is:

• Known for known.
• New suits are game forces.