Lebensohl Over Weak Two Bids

Lebensohl over Weak Two Bids is used when your left-hand opponent (LHO) preempts, your partner makes a takeout double and your right-hand opponent (RHO) passes.

West     2//

Partner     Double

East     Pass

You     ?

Your responses may be ambiguous under normal methods. What would a 3 response mean? Is it weak, invitational or even forcing?

This is where Lebensohl comes in. Lebensohl is an artificial 2NT bid that shows a wide variety of hands. It offers greater flexibility in describing your strength. Of course, you lose the ability to make a natural 2NT response.

Lebensohl should be viewed as part of an entire response structure, rather than just the 2NT bid. So, I’ve outlined the whole structure below.

With a bad hand, your objective is to get out as cheaply as possible. Bidding a new suit at the 2-level is a signoff that shows 0-7 points.

QJ83 542 T94 J52

West     2 North     Double East     Pass You     2 1 1 0-7 points, signoff.

If you can't bid your suit at the 2-level, then you can bid 2NT as an artificial relay to 3. You can then pass (with clubs) or bid your suit.

982 KT832 T9 765

West     2 Pass North     Double 3 2 East     Pass Pass You     2NT 1 3 3 1 Lebensohl. 2 Artificial relay. 3 0-7 points, signoff.

Playing normal methods, you'd be forced to bid 3 and hope that partner passes. But with Lebensohl, you can bid your lousy hand with confidnce.

Buckle in. This is where Lebensohl gets interesting.

Lebensohl is not only used to show weak hands, but invitational ones too. You can bypass a 2-level sign-off and bid 2NT Lebensohl to show 8-11 points. After partner bids 3, you bid your suit naturally.

AK863 J4 864 T32

West     2 Pass North     Double 3 2 East     Pass Pass You     2NT 1 3 3 1 Lebensohl. 2 Artificial relay. 3 Natural, invites 4.

If you had a bad hand, you would've bid 2 immediately. But by going through Lebensohl, you're promising invitational values. (Note: A direct jump to 3 would be game-forcing, which is discussed further below.)

Now a corollary. If you bypass Lebensohl to bid a new suit at the 3-level immediately, then you're showing 8-11 points and inviting game.

864 Q9 8642 AQJT3

West     2 North     Double East     Pass You     3 1 1 Natural, invitational values.

In the above sequence, you would have bid 2NT Lebensohl to sign off with a weak club hand. But by skipping 2NT, you're showing game-invitational strength.

Jumping in a new suit is natural and game-forcing.

J8 AK932 87 KQ76

West     2 North     Double East     Pass You     3 1 1 Natural, game-forcing.

Here's the wrinkle, though. With good balanced hands, you may be interested in no-trumps instead. Lebensohl provides two ways of describing your values.

The first is an immediate jump to 3NT, natural. This denies a stopper in the opponents' suit.

952 AJ9 K87 AJT3

West     2 North     Double East     Pass You     3NT 1 1 Natural, denies a spade stopper.

Partner can pass with a spade stopper, or start scrambling at the 4-level without one.

With that in mind, using Lebensohl en route to 3NT promises a stopper in the enemy suit.

A832 KJ7 Q543 KT9

West     2 Pass North     Double 3 2 East     Pass Pass You     2NT 1 3NT 3 1 Lebensohl. 2 Relay. 3 Natural, promises a stopper.

Just remember, "Slow implies, fast denies."

When Doubler has a Good Hand
If the doubler has a good hand and hears 2NT Lebensohl, she's allowed to bid a new suit, thus bypassing the 3 relay.

Lebensohl in Balancing Seat
How you respond to takeout doubles in balancing seat is up to you and your partner. The easiest method is to keep Lebensohl on, but to increase the point requirements for invitational or game-forcing hands.

Lebensohl After a 1NT Opening
Lebensohl is also played after partner opens 1NT and the next player interferes. The approach is quite similar. To learn more, please read Lebensohl (After a 1NT opening bid).

Lebensohl was originally attributed to a successful bridge player in the 70's named Ken Lebensold. He denied any responsibility though, possibly foreseeing the thousands of Lebensohl bidding accidents to come. The true origin of the strange appellation is therefore unknown.