Improving Your 2/1 Structure (1)

Two-over-one Game Force is a popular bidding system structure in Hong Kong.

I would like to initiate a series of article on how to improve this structure.

Today we will talk about the response to 1 opening.

Below shows one of the starting response package.

• 1NT=6-12 HCP, forcing 1 round
• 2 =13+ HCP, 3+ cards , game forcing
• 2=13+ HCP, 4+ cards , game forcing
• 2=13+ HCP, 5+ cards , game forcing
• 2=8-10 HCP, 3 cards  (constructive raise)
• 2NT=13+ HCP, 4+ cards , game forcing
• 3=6-9 HCP, 4+ cards 
• 3=10-12 HCP, 4+ cards 
• 3/4/4=13+ HCP, 4+ cards , singleton or void in the suit bid
• 3NT=To play
• 3/4=Preemptive
• 4=To play

There are a few points you may do to improve the structure.

The first thing is to hide the Splinter bids into 1 bid and give a limitation to it.

In theory, Splinters are used to find perfect slam.

That is, a slam with about 27 HCP and no/little wastage in a short suit, say x vs xxx.

Therefore, you cannot bid Splinter with a wide range. The range has to be POLARIZED.

11-14 HCP would be a good choice for a direct splinter, more than that will need to start with either a 2/1 response or Jacoby 2NT.

The next thing you should do is to change 2 to nebulous game forcing, allowing the bid with 2 cards club only.

In other words, 2 will show either a natural long suit, or a balance hand without 5 cards heart or diamond.

This treatment can save some valuable bidding spaces, especially when responder has 3+ cards support in spade.

The advantage is enormous if you also have a good follow up after setting trump at the 2-level.

With that said, the 2 response will be now promising 5+ cards.

After that, changing the Bergen Raise to an inverted version could save some bidding space for slam exploration.

One artificial step for invitation against the constructive Bergen Raise would be sufficient, but the extra step for invitational Bergen Raise may be critical for your slam.

Finally, you are now freeing 3NT, 4, 4 and you may make them as some very restrictive and spectacular hands showing.

It's all for today and below is a quick summary of it.

• 1NT=6-12 HCP, forcing 1 round
• 2 =13+ HCP, 2+ cards , game forcing
• 2=13+ HCP, 5+ cards , game forcing
• 2=13+ HCP, 5+ cards , game forcing
• 2=8-10 HCP, 3 cards  (constructive raise)
• 2NT=13+ HCP, 4+ cards , game forcing
• 3=10-12 HCP, 4+ cards 
• 3=6-9 HCP, 4+ cards 
• 3=13+ HCP, 4+ cards , singleton or void somewhere
• 3/4=Preemptive
• 4=To play