Two suiter
Encyclopedia
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
, a two suiter is a hand containing cards mostly from two of the four suits
Suit (cards)
In playing cards, a suit is one of several categories into which the cards of a deck are divided. Most often, each card bears one of several symbols showing to which suit it belongs; the suit may alternatively or in addition be indicated by the color printed on the card...
. Traditionally a hand is considered a two suiter if it contains at least ten cards in two suits, with the two suits not differing in length by more than one card. Depending on suit quality and partnership agreement different classification schemes are viable. The more modern trend is to lower the threshold of ten cards to nine cards and consider 5-4 distributions also two suiters.
The six possible combinations are given the names "major suit
Major suit
In the card game contract bridge, the major suits are spades and hearts . The major suits are of prime importance for tactics and scoring as they outrank the minor suits while bidding and also outscore them...
s" (spades and hearts), "minor suit
Minor suit
In contract bridge the minor suits are diamonds and clubs . They are given that name because contracts made in those suits score less than contracts made in the major suits , and they rank lower in bidding. In particular, one can make game with a bid of 4 in a major suit, while a bid of 5 is...
s" (diamonds and clubs), "black suits" (spades and clubs), "red suits" (hearts and diamonds), "pointed suits" (spades and diamonds), and "rounded suits" (hearts and clubs).
When including two suited hands with 5-4 distribution, two suiters have a high likelihood of occurrence
Bridge probabilities
In the game of bridge mathematical probabilities play a significant role. Different declarer play strategies lead to success depending on the distribution of opponent's cards. To decide which strategy has highest likelihood of success, the declarer needs to have at least an elementary knowledge of...
, and the modern preemptive
Preempt
Preempt is a bid in contract bridge whose primary objectives are to thwart opponents ability to bid to their best contract, with some safety, and to fully describe one's hand to one's partner in a single bid. A preemptive bid is usually made by jumping, i.e. skipping one or more bidding levels...
style is to incorporate such two-suited hands in the arsenal of preemptive openings
Preempt
Preempt is a bid in contract bridge whose primary objectives are to thwart opponents ability to bid to their best contract, with some safety, and to fully describe one's hand to one's partner in a single bid. A preemptive bid is usually made by jumping, i.e. skipping one or more bidding levels...
. Example of such a preemptive conventional opening is the Muiderberg convention
Muiderberg convention
The Muiderberg convention in the card game bridge is also known as the Dutch Two opening. It is a two-level preemptive opening based on a two-suiter with precisely a five-card major and a minor suit...
. Some take this aggressive style even further and utilise Ekren
Ekren convention
In the game of bridge Ekren refers to a preemptive opening of 2 defined as 4-4, 4-5, 5-4 or 5-5 in the majors and 3-10 hcp. This conventional preempt was designed by Bjørn Olav Ekren from Norway...
to preemptively open on a 4-4 in the majors.
Conventional overcall
Overcall
In contract bridge, an overcall is a bid made after an opening bid has been made by an opponent; the term refers only to the first such bid. A direct overcall is a bid made directly over the opening bid by right-hand opponent; an overcall in the 'last seat' is referred to as a balancing...
s such as Michaels
Michaels cuebid
The Michaels cuebid is a conventional bid used in the card game contract bridge. First devised by Mike Michaels of Miami Beach, it is an overcaller's cuebid in opponent's opening suit and is normally used to show a two-suited hand with at least five cards in each suit and eight or more points.After...
, Unusual notrump
Unusual notrump
In the card game of bridge, the unusual notrump is a conventional bid showing two lower unbid suits.When the right-hand opponent opens 1 or 1, the immediate overcall of 2 NT shows at least 5-5 in the minor suits and, presumably, a weakish hand...
, Ghestem
Ghestem
In the game of bridge, Ghestem is a conventional overcall structure, utilising 2NT, 3, and the cuebid over an opposing opening at the one level to denote two-suited hands in two of the remaining three suits....
and Raptor
Raptor convention
The Raptor 1NT overcall over an opposing major suit opening is a contract bridge convention that indicates a two-suited hand with exactly four cards in the unbid major and a longer suit in an unbid minor....
are designed to introduce a two suiter over an opening bid of the opponents. Conventions like Landy
Landy
Landy is the first bridge conventional defense against over opponent's 1NT opening and one of the first conventions ever introduced. It was invented by Alvin Landy. Over 1NT, the overcall of 2 shows both major suits, while all other bids are natural...
, DONT
DONT
DONT is a conventional overcall against an opposing 1NT opening bid. DONT, an acronym for Disturb Opponents' Notrump, was designed by Marty A. Bergen, and is therefore also referred to as 'Bergen over Notrump'. Although the method is often criticized for being too nebulous, it remains fairly popular...
, Lionel and CoCa
Comfy Canapé
In the card game bridge, CoCa or Comfy Canapé is a conventional defense against opposing 1NT openings. When playing CoCa, over a 1NT opening of the opponents, both a double as well as a 2 overcall are conventional and establish spades and hearts, respectively as anchor suits...
can be used to denote a two suiter over an opposing 1NT bid.
See also
- Single suiterSingle suiterIn contract bridge, a single suiter is a hand containing at least six cards in one suit and with all other suits being at least two cards shorter than this longest suit. Many hand patterns can be classified as single suiters. Typical examples are 6-3-2-2, 6-3-3-1 and 7-3-2-1...
- Three suiterThree suiterIn the game of Contract bridge a three suiter denotes a hand containing at least four cards in three of the four suits. As a bridge hand contains thirteen cards, only two hand patterns can be classified as three suiters: 4-4-4-1 and 5-4-4-0.In natural bidding systems, strong three suiters are...
- Balanced handBalanced handIn the game of bridge a balanced hand denotes a hand containing no singleton or void and at most one doubleton. As a bridgehand contains thirteen cards, only three hand patterns can be classified as balanced: 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 and 5-3-3-2...
- MichaelsMichaelsMichaels is an arts and crafts retail chain. It currently operates more than 1040 Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores located in 49 U.S. states and in Canada. The company owns and operates the Aaron Brothers retail chain which consists of more than 140 stores...
- Unusual notrumpUnusual notrumpIn the card game of bridge, the unusual notrump is a conventional bid showing two lower unbid suits.When the right-hand opponent opens 1 or 1, the immediate overcall of 2 NT shows at least 5-5 in the minor suits and, presumably, a weakish hand...
- GhestemGhestemIn the game of bridge, Ghestem is a conventional overcall structure, utilising 2NT, 3, and the cuebid over an opposing opening at the one level to denote two-suited hands in two of the remaining three suits....
- RaptorRaptor conventionThe Raptor 1NT overcall over an opposing major suit opening is a contract bridge convention that indicates a two-suited hand with exactly four cards in the unbid major and a longer suit in an unbid minor....
- MuiderbergMuiderberg conventionThe Muiderberg convention in the card game bridge is also known as the Dutch Two opening. It is a two-level preemptive opening based on a two-suiter with precisely a five-card major and a minor suit...
- EkrenEkren conventionIn the game of bridge Ekren refers to a preemptive opening of 2 defined as 4-4, 4-5, 5-4 or 5-5 in the majors and 3-10 hcp. This conventional preempt was designed by Bjørn Olav Ekren from Norway...