Ogust Convention in Bridge: The Artificial 2NT Enquiry

By Paul Dalley · Updated

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After partner opens a weak 2, it has become fairly standard for a 2NT response to be an artificial enquiry.

Why?

Since we already know quite a lot about partner's hand, we ask for a little bit more information to give us the full picture - which will put us in a good position to decide the way forward.

So, I am talking about this situation

*2NT is artificial, asking about the hand - often referred to as Ogust.

Partner has asked us about our hand, what are we now able to say?

Option 1: Easy, simple and effective responses.

My recommended responses, which happen to be the simplest

3 of any other suitshortage, and at least a decent hand, not a minimum
3NTgood hand but no shortage
repeating 3 of your suitbad hand / minimum

So in this example, we would have the straightforward bid of 3♥, showing heart shortage.

*2NT is artificial, asking about the hand - often referred to as Ogust.

Option 1

I like this structure because showing shortage always puts partner in a good position to gauge whether our hands complement each other, whether 3NT is appropriate, whether slam is in the picture, etc.

Related: Points opposite Shortage: Part 1 - Fundamentals

Option 2: Good or bad hand, good or bad suit

Some players like these responses

3♣Minimum hand, and bad suit
3♦Minimum hand, but good suit
3♥Maximum hand, bad suit
3♠Maximum hand, and good suit!

The advantage of this approach is you might stay out of for example 4♠ if you know partner has a bad spade suit, you might favour 3NT instead on some occasions, or you may just stay in a partscore.

It is also useful sometimes to know whether partner is a maximum or minimum hand.

Contrast with the two approaches

Option 2 gives you more info about the suit quality. Option 1 focuses on showing shortage, as a useful way to evaluate the partnership fit. Both are completely playable and fine, its mostly a matter of style and preference.

As mentioned I prefer option 1.

I've written a more thorough article on weak 2's - check here: Weak Two Bids in Bridge: Opening and Responses

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