A Standard Version utilizing Two Diamonds
Presented by Mike
Savage
Flannery
is a convention designed to handle minimum opening hands with five hearts and
four spades. In the original version (the most popular) an
opening bid of 2D is Flannery. In a
later version, 2H is used for Flannery; the only
difference is that Pass replaces the 2H response - all other bids
remain the same.
The basic structure is almost universally
played the same way but various experts differ on the meanings of a few
responses. The structure presented below is a standard one with some of
those other options shown.
2D = Shows 5 hearts, 4 spades and 11-15 HCP (some
experts vary this a little ±). There are a
few players
who also use Flannery with 6 hearts but
in any case, it’s a hand that’s not strong enough to reverse.
Responses:
Pass = Bid when you
have no interest in game after Flannery, a long diamond
suit and no major fit.
2H or 2S = To play with no game interest and responder has shown his
best fit. 2H might be bid with
only 2 hearts and 2S, with only 3 spades - if there
is no better bid. These two responses
cover a wide
range of HCP – from 0 to up to as many as 11/12 when you have a poor fit.
2NT = Asks opener to
describe his strength and shape.
Responses
over 2NT:
3C or 3D = First
option: Shows a three or four-card minor along with your hearts and
spades
Original meaning: Shows a three-card
minor along with your hearts and spades.
3H = Shows 4-5-2-2
distribution and is a minimum.
3S = Shows 4-5-2-2
distribution and is a maximum.
3NT = Shows
4C or 4D = Show a 4-card
minor if you play a 3C or 3D response to show specifically three.
3C = First
option: Shows a weak or
non-invitational hand with a long club suit and no major fit.
Another
option: A few partnerships play this as
natural and forcing.
3D = First option: Shows
a long good suit with an invitational hand and denies a major fit.
Another option: A few partnerships play this as natural and forcing.
3H
or 3S = First option: Invitational – usually based more on a
good fit and shape than on HCP.
Second option: Some partnerships play
this natural and forcing with slam interest.
3NT
= To play with no major fits.
4C
or 4D = First option: Transfer to the corresponding major (4C = hearts, 4D = spades).
Over 4C, respond 4H with a minimum and 4D with a maximum.
Over 4D, respond 4S with a minimum
and
4H with a maximum.
Second option: Some
partnerships play this natural & forcing, usually with slam interest.
Miscellaneous: 1. If
you play Flannery, almost all players play that a response of 1S to 1H
shows a
five-card suit as partner
would have opened Flannery if he had four spades and five hearts (unless, of course, he had a
hand strong enough to reverse).
2. Third seat, non-vul vs. vul, you might
choose to open Flannery with two points less
than the bottom
of your normal range. This can be a very effective pre-emptive tool.
3. When defending against Flannery, a trump lead
is often the best lead for the defenders.
4. Some partnerships play that after 2D-2NT: 3C or 3D show a stiff or
a void but since
2NT does not establish a known
trump suit, it seems better to play this response after
2NT as a fragment
- which might eventually wind up being the trump suit.