Most players use a range of 6-10 points and promise a 6-card suit when they open a weak two bid, but there is a wide-range of treatments. Many partnerships have the understanding that opener must have two of the top five honors or some similar agreement. Like many of you, in my youth I would open 2
or 2
with
any 6-card suit regardless of honors. I now play much more conservatively, although my partnerships only require one
of the top three honors. (We also preempt with 5-card suits in 3rd seat, but usually with the top of the range.)
So don't expect your opponents to play the same way you do!
Ogust
The Ogust convention is a method of determining the quality of partner's hand after he has opened a weak two bid. There are many variations of the rebids by opener, but below is a brief explanation of one popular method.
Responder bids 2NT to ask the question, Tell me more about your hand, please!
-
These are opener's rebids:
3 | I have a poor hand with a poor suit |
3 | I have a poor hand with a good suit |
| 3 | I have a good hand with a poor suit |
| 3 | I have a good hand with a good suit |
A second problem is that the answers are not very specific and the descriptors poor and good are not well defined.
There is a better way, and you can keep the 2NT bid as a Feature-Asking response!
Better than Ogust
Responder bids 3
to ask the question, Tell me the number of honors in your suit, please.
-
These are opener's rebids:
| 3 | I have one of the top three honors |
| 3 | I have two of the top three honors |
| 3 | I have all of the top three honors |
Besides being able to retain the response of 2NT as feature asking, you get much more specific information with this convention. A big adavantage occurs when opener has all three honors because responder may elect to play 3NT knowing there is a running suit in partner's hand. That's a winning match-point decision.
-
This Better than Ogust convention is simple and more accurate
If you would like a more complete explanation of the Ogust agreement try:
Roy Wilson