4th Seat Two Bids

Roy Wilson




Opening Bids in Fourth Seat

    There Are NO Weak Bids in 4th Seat!

Why not, you ask...   Well, because there's nobody left to preempt, so don't do it.  You will just make your partner mad, and your opponents will laugh at you.

After three passes and you have less than an opening hand, just put it back in the board.

So what does a 4-seat bid of either 2 or 2 mean when it happens?  It depends on which system you are playing and what agreements you have with your partner.
    The 2/1 System
    If you are playing 2/1 then typically the bid shows a 6-card suit with 10-14 points.  Most players also require a good holding in honors, often two of the top three or sometimes three of the top five.  Usually there is no expectation of making game, but there is the hope of getting a good part-score.

    The Precision System
    Also a good 6-card suit with an agreed upon number of honors, but the point-count is the same as any other normal opening bid.  For most players this is 11-16, but Extended Precision uses a range of 11-17.

    ACOL System
    The British ACOL sustem seems to have two camps regarding opening at the two level:  Many are using weak twos, similar to our 2/1 system, but others are still using the older agreement which requires about 18-21 points.  If they are using weak two-bids they will generally use the same agreement as 2/1 bidders, but if they prefer standard ACOL there is no need to make an exception for 4th seat bids.

    Montreal Relay System
    If you play Montreal, you probably have the agreement that the only difference between a 2-level opening bid and a normal 1-level call is the need for a 6+card suit.  The point-count range remains the same - Usually 11-17.

    Basic Requirement
    The most basic agreement, though, is that the partnership agree on something.  Anything!
    In some European countries they play 2-level opening bids as very strong and natural.  Some Asian teams prefer a range of 14-17 points with at least a 6-card suit.  There is no "World Standard" so if you prefer something entirely different you can define the bids anyway you prefer.