Weak Twos

Ogust

A structured 2NT inquiry revealing both hand quality and suit quality after a weak two opening.

What Is Ogust?

Origin and Purpose

Ogust is a 2NT inquiry convention named after Harold A. Ogust, an American bridge expert and theorist who developed it in the mid-20th century. The convention addresses a practical problem: when partner opens with a weak two bid (2♥ or 2♠), you as responder often have a strong hand and need more information before choosing the final contract. The range of a weak two — typically 6–10 HCP with a 6-card suit — is wide enough that responder cannot always act safely without knowing whether opener is at the top or bottom of that range, and whether the 6-card suit is solid enough to provide tricks.

The Inquiry: What 2NT Asks

When responder bids 2NT after partner's weak two, it is an artificial game-force inquiry (or at minimum a one-round force). It says: "Partner, describe your hand further." Opener's responses are structured around two dimensions: hand quality (is your HCP count at the top or bottom of your weak-two range?) and suit quality (do you have two of the top three honors in your suit?). The five Ogust responses are: 3♣ = bad hand, bad suit; 3♦ = bad hand, good suit; 3♥ = good hand, bad suit; 3♠ = good hand, good suit; and 3NT = a solid 7-card suit (AKQxxxx or better). The step-by-step logic is: the first two responses (3♣, 3♦) show a minimum-range hand; the next two (3♥, 3♠) show a maximum-range hand; and within each tier, the lower bid shows the weaker suit.

Defining "Good" and "Bad"

The definitions must be agreed with partner before play. Good hand typically means 8–9 HCP — the maximum end of the weak-two range. Some partnerships define it as "would have opened in third seat" or "near-opening values." Good suit means two of the top three honors in the long suit: AK, AQ, or KQ combinations count; a suit headed by only the ace, only the king, or only the queen (with fillers) is a "bad" suit. Critically, QJT is not a good suit — the top three honors are A, K, and Q, and J/T are not counted. This distinction matters because responder can calculate trick potential from suit quality even if the HCP are minimal.

After Receiving the Response

Once opener responds to 2NT, the auction is not over. Responder is now the captain and can: pass (extremely rare, since 2NT was already a force); sign off in opener's suit at the three-level (declining game); bid game in opener's suit; bid 3NT; or probe for slam if the response was 3♠ or 3NT. The Ogust response gives responder a precise picture — it is not just "max or min" but "max/min combined with suit quality" — which allows much more accurate game and slam decisions than a simple feature ask (like the "2NT feature" convention).

Core Rules

After 2♥ – 2NT or 2♠ – 2NT (Ogust Inquiry)

The 2NT bid by responder forces opener to describe both hand strength and suit quality simultaneously using this five-step response schedule:

Response	Hand Quality	Suit Quality	Typical HCP	Suit Description
3♣	Bad	Bad	5–7 HCP	0–1 top honor (A or K or Q, not two of them)
3♦	Bad	Good	5–7 HCP	2 of top 3 honors: AK, AQ, or KQ
3♥	Good	Bad	8–9 HCP	0–1 top honor in the long suit
3♠	Good	Good	8–9 HCP	2 of top 3 honors: AK, AQ, or KQ
3NT	Special	Solid	Varies	AKQxxxx (or equivalent solid 7-card suit)

Important — Responses use the opener's suit as anchor: If opener opened 2♥, the responses 3♥ and 3♠ do not show those suits as new — they are still describing the weak-two hand. The bid names are just labels for the response steps. Opener always describes the 2♥ or 2♠ suit originally opened.

"Good suit" definition: Two of the top three honors — A, K, Q. The combinations AK, AQ, and KQ all qualify. A suit like ♠QJT9xx has only one top honor (Q) — it is a bad suit. A suit like ♠KQ9xxx has two top honors (KQ) — it is a good suit. Jack and Ten do not count.

"Good hand" definition: Typically 8–9 HCP — the upper end of the weak-two opening range. Some partnerships use 8+ HCP as the threshold; confirm with partner. A hand with 5–7 HCP is always a "bad" hand regardless of suit quality.

After the Ogust Response — What Can Responder Do?

Responder's Follow-Up	Meaning
3 of opener's major	Sign-off — declining game, often with a fit but limited values
4 of opener's major	Sign-off in game — enough to play game opposite opener's description
3NT	To play — usually when opener has a running suit (after 3NT response)
4NT	RKCB — slam try opposite a good/good (3♠) or solid (3NT) response
New suit	Usually a slam try, forcing, exploring fit

Note on 2♣: After a 2♣ opening (strong, artificial), a 2NT response has a completely different meaning — it is part of the 2♣–2♦–2NT structure or a Waiting/Negative response sequence. Ogust only applies to weak twos in 2♥ and 2♠ (and by partnership agreement, possibly 2♦ in Multi or Precision systems).

Decision Tree

Use these two trees: the first to find opener's Ogust response, the second to guide responder after receiving it.

Tree 1: Opener's Response to 2NT (Ogust)

After 2♥ – 2NT or 2♠ – 2NT:

Do I have a bad hand (5–7 HCP)? ▶

Is my suit bad (0–1 top honor)? ▶

Bid 3♣ — bad hand, bad suit. Example: ♥J97653, 6 HCP.

Is my suit good (2 of top 3 honors: AK, AQ, or KQ)? ▶

Bid 3♦ — bad hand, good suit. Example: ♥KQ8765, 7 HCP.

Is my suit solid (AKQxxxx or better)? ▶

Bid 3NT — solid suit. Example: ♥AKQ9754, 9 HCP.

Do I have a good hand (8–9 HCP)? ▶

Is my suit bad (0–1 top honor)? ▶

Bid 3♥ — good hand, bad suit. Example: ♥AJ9754, 9 HCP.

Is my suit good (2 of top 3 honors)? ▶

Bid 3♠ — good hand, good suit. Example: ♥AKJ875, 9 HCP.

Tree 2: Responder's Decision After 3♣ (Bad Hand, Bad Suit)

After 2♥ – 2NT – 3♣ — what does responder do now?

Is game likely? (Partner has 5–7 HCP and a weak suit) ▶

Usually no. Opener's hand is minimum and the suit is unreliable. Responder typically needs 19+ HCP to have realistic game chances and should pass or sign off in 3♥ with a fit.

Do I have slam interest? ▶

Almost never after 3♣. Opener is at the bottom of the weak-two range with a poor suit. Sign off and move on.

Should I sign off in 3♥ (or 3♠)? ▶

Yes — with a fit and no game prospects, 3♥ (or 3♠) is the best contract. It may even be the part-score target to keep the opponents from finding their fit. Opener passes.

Memory aid for Ogust responses: Think of it as a 2×2 grid. Bad hand = responses 3♣ and 3♦ (the two lowest). Good hand = responses 3♥ and 3♠ (the two higher). Within each pair: the lower bid = bad suit, the higher bid = good suit. Solid suit = 3NT (special case, jumps out of the grid).

Quiz

Ten questions in three levels. Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.

Level 1 (Q1–Q4): Foundations · Level 2 (Q5–Q7): Intermediate · Level 3 (Q8–Q10): Advanced

Q1. You open 2♠. Partner bids 2NT (Ogust). You hold:

♠ K Q 9 8 6 5 ♥ 7 4 ♦ Q 6 3 ♣ 5 4
7 HCP — bad hand, KQ in spades

What is your Ogust response?

Correct: 3♦ — bad hand, good suit. Your hand has 7 HCP — that is a "bad hand" (bottom of the weak-two range). However, KQ in spades counts as a "good suit" because you have two of the top three honors (K and Q). The correct response is 3♦: bad hand, good suit. Note that the ♦Q in the side is irrelevant to suit quality — only the honors in your long spade suit count.

Q2. You open 2♥. Partner bids 2NT (Ogust). You hold:

♠ 5 4 ♥ A J 9 7 5 4 ♦ K 6 5 ♣ Q 4
9 HCP — good hand, only A in hearts

What is your Ogust response?

Correct: 3♥ — good hand, bad suit. With 9 HCP you have a "good hand" — maximum range for a weak two. But in your heart suit, only the Ace qualifies as a top honor. The Jack is not a top-three honor. So your suit (AJ9754) has only one top honor = bad suit. Bid 3♥: good hand, bad suit. If you held ♥AK9754 instead, you would bid 3♠ (good hand, good suit).

Q3. Partner opens 2♠. You bid 2NT (Ogust). Partner responds 3♠ (good hand, good suit). You hold:

♠ K 5 ♥ A Q 7 4 ♦ A K 3 2 ♣ J 6 5
18 HCP — strong hand, considering slam

What do you bid next?

Correct: 4NT (RKCB — Roman Keycard Blackwood). Partner has shown 8–9 HCP and two top honors in spades. Combined with your 18 HCP, you have 26–27 HCP and a known 7-card spade fit (likely 8-card). Slam is excellent. Use 4NT (RKCB with spades as trumps) to check keycards. Opposite the right response, you will bid 6♠ or even 7♠. Just bidding 4♠ is a significant underbid.

Q4. Partner opens 2♥. You bid 2NT (Ogust). Partner responds 3NT (solid suit). You hold:

♠ A 5 4 ♥ 2 ♦ K Q 6 5 ♣ A J 5 4
15 HCP — strong hand, singleton heart

What is the best final contract?

Correct: Pass — 3NT is likely cold. Partner has shown AKQxxxx (solid 7-card heart suit). In notrump, that suit runs for 7 tricks. Add your outside aces and kings, and 9 tricks are trivially easy. Your singleton heart is irrelevant in notrump — you don't need trump support for a running suit. 3NT should be cold. 4♥ would also make but there is no reason to go past 3NT when notrump plays better. Some might consider 6♥ but with only 15 HCP opposite a weak-two opener, slam is aggressive.

Level 2 — Intermediate

Q5. You open 2♥. Partner bids 2NT (Ogust). You hold:

♠ 5 4 ♥ J 9 8 7 6 5 ♦ Q 7 6 ♣ 5 4
4 HCP — minimum weak two, J is the only heart honour

What is your Ogust response?

Correct: 3♣ — bad hand, bad suit. With 4 HCP you are firmly at the bottom of the weak-two range — a bad hand. In your heart suit the J is not a top-three honour (A, K and Q are). That means your suit has zero top honours — a bad suit. Both criteria fail, so bid 3♣. This is the most warning Ogust can send: partner now knows the suit could have holes and the hand has no extra values. Responder will sign off almost every time.

Q6. You open 2♠. Partner bids 2NT (Ogust). You hold:

♠ Q J 10 9 8 7 ♥ K 4 ♦ 5 4 ♣ 8 7 6
7 HCP — solid-looking suit but only one top honour

How do you classify the spade suit for Ogust purposes?

Correct: bad suit. "Good suit" in Ogust means exactly two of the top three honours — any combination of A, K and Q. The Q alone (even with J10) counts as only one top honour. So QJ109876 is a bad suit for Ogust: you bid 3♣ (bad hand — 7 HCP — bad suit). The J, 10 and 9 are useful playing cards but they do not meet the good-suit threshold. This is one of the most common errors at the table — players see a solid-looking suit and over-promote it.

Q7. Partner opens 2♠. You bid 2NT (Ogust). Partner responds 3♦ (bad hand, good suit). You hold:

♠ J 5 4 ♥ A Q 5 ♦ A K 6 5 ♣ A J 4
17 HCP — strong hand with three-card spade support

What is the correct action?

Correct: 4♠. Partner has 5–7 HCP and a good suit (two top spade honours — KQ, AK, or AQ). Combined with your 17 HCP you have 22–24 HCP. More importantly, partner's good suit means the trump suit is nearly self-sufficient: KQ (or better) opposite your ♠J54 will produce reliable tricks. Game in spades is correct — sign off would be a significant underbid with 17 HCP. Slam is out of reach: even at maximum (7 + 17 = 24 HCP), the partnership lacks the firepower for 6♠.

Level 3 — Advanced

Q8. You open 2♥. Partner bids 2NT (Ogust). You hold:

♠ 4 3 ♥ A K Q 9 8 7 6 ♦ 5 4 ♣ 5 4
8 HCP — three top honours in a 7-card suit

Which response correctly describes this hand?

Correct: 3NT — solid suit. The 3NT response is reserved for a solid 7-card suit — AKQxxxx or occasionally AKJxxxx. This is not simply "good hand, good suit"; it is a special case where the trump suit will run for all seven tricks with no outside entry needed. Partner can now pass (collecting the seven running heart tricks plus outside winners) or convert to 4♥. With AKQ9876 you meet the exact criterion. 3♠ (good/good) would be wrong here because the two-response categories cannot capture the full self-sufficiency of a solid suit — that is exactly what 3NT is for.

Q9. Partner opens 2♥. You bid 2NT (Ogust). Partner responds 3♥ (good hand, bad suit). You hold:

♠ A K 4 ♥ Q 6 5 ♦ A K 5 4 ♣ J 7 6
16 HCP — strong hand, three-card heart fit

Should you try for slam?

Correct: sign off in 4♥. A bad heart suit means only one top honour — the A alone, or more often something like AJ9xxx or KJ9xxx. Against a missing Q or K in the trump suit, a slam will almost certainly produce a trump loser (or two). Combined HCP of 24–25 looks enough but slam needs reliable trumps. The bad suit flag overrules the point count. 3NT is tempting with stoppers but seven heart tricks are not guaranteed. The right action is 4♥ — game, no more. Contrast with Q3 where the good/good response invited RKCB; bad suit is a clear warning to stop at game.

Q10. Partner opens 2♠. You bid 2NT (Ogust). Partner responds 3♠ (good hand, good suit). You hold:

♠ A 4 ♥ A K 4 ♦ K Q 5 4 ♣ K 6 5 4
18 HCP — four outside controls

You bid 4NT (RKCB). Partner responds 5♦ (0 or 3 keycards in 1430). How many keycards does partner hold?

Correct: partner has 3 keycards. This is the RKCB arithmetic that separates intermediate from advanced players. 5♦ = 0 or 3 keycards (in 1430). You personally hold the ♠A and ♥A — that is 2 keycards in your own hand. If partner had 0, the partnership would have only 2 keycards total. With two missing aces you would never be in a slam auction — so 0 is impossible. Therefore partner has 3 keycards: the remaining two aces plus the trump king (♠K), or ♠K + two side aces. Combined: 5 of 5 keycards accounted for — bid 6♠. This deductive step is essential when using RKCB after any pre-emptive opening.

Hand Examples

Example 1: Using Ogust to Stop Below Game

The auction: 2♠ – (P) – 2NT – (P) – 3♣ – (P) – 3♠ – All Pass

NORTH (Opener)

♠ K J 9 8 7 5

♥ 5 4

♦ Q 7 6

♣ 8 3

6 HCP — bad hand, bad suit (K alone = 1 top honor)

SOUTH (Responder)

♠ A Q 2

♥ K Q 6

♦ A K 4

♣ J 9 7 5

19 HCP — strong hand, curious about slam

EAST

♠ 6 4 3

♥ A J 8 2

♦ 9 5 2

♣ K 6 4

8 HCP — passes throughout

WEST

♠ 10

♥ 10 9 7 3

♦ J 10 8 3

♣ A Q 10 2

7 HCP — passes throughout

Auction explained: South has 19 HCP and considers slam. After 2NT (Ogust), North bids 3♣ — bad hand (6 HCP), bad suit (only K in spades). South now knows the full picture: at most 25 HCP combined, and the spade suit will likely lose tricks (♠KJxxxx opposite ♠AQ2 = losers if missing AQ). South correctly signs off in 3♠. 4♠ would be a dubious contract; slam is out of the question.

Example 2: Identifying a Slam with Ogust

The auction: 2♥ – (P) – 2NT – (P) – 3♠ – (P) – 4NT – (P) – 5♥ – (P) – 6♥ – All Pass

NORTH (Opener)

♠ 7 4

♥ A K J 9 7 5

♦ Q 6 3

♣ 5 4

9 HCP — good hand, AK in hearts = good suit

SOUTH (Responder)

♠ A K 5

♥ Q 6 2

♦ A K 5

♣ A Q 7 3

20 HCP — powerful hand with heart support

EAST

♠ Q J 9 8 3

♥ 8 3

♦ 8 7 4

♣ K 9 2

7 HCP — passes throughout

WEST

♠ 10 6 2

♥ 10 4

♦ J 10 9 2

♣ J 10 8 6

3 HCP — passes throughout

Auction explained: South has 20 HCP. After 2NT, North bids 3♠ — good hand (9 HCP), good suit (AK = 2 top honors). Now South can count: 29 HCP combined, a known 9-card heart fit (North has AKJ975, South has Qxx), and all outside suits controlled. South uses 4NT (RKCB). North shows 2 keycards with 5♥ (using 0314 responses). South knows all keycards are present and bids 6♥. The slam makes easily — drawing trumps and running the established suits. Without Ogust, South might have settled for 4♥.

Common Partnership Misunderstandings

1. Forgetting the Suit-Quality Threshold

A player holds ♥QJ10976 and tells partner "good suit" because it looks nice. But Q-J-10 is only one top honor — the Queen. The Jack and Ten do not count as top-three honors. The correct response with this suit at any HCP count is "bad suit."

Fix: Repeat aloud before every session: "Good suit = two of A, K, Q. Period. Jack and Ten are irrelevant for Ogust." QJT is not good. AJT is not good (only one top honor — the Ace). KQx is good. AQx is good. AKx is good. That's the complete list of good-suit holding patterns at the top of the suit.

2. Applying Ogust Only to Major-Suit Weak Twos Without Discussing Extensions

Standard Ogust applies to 2♥ and 2♠ openings. Some pairs who play a Multi 2♦ (which can be a weak two in either major) or Precision 2♦ (diamonds) want to use Ogust after those openings as well. Without explicit discussion, one partner assumes Ogust is on and the other assumes 2NT over 2♦ is natural or has a different meaning.

Fix: Confirm before the game: "We play Ogust over 2♥ and 2♠ only. Over 2♦ (if we play Multi), we use [whatever you've agreed]." Mark it on your convention card.

3. Using Ogust Over a 2♣ Strong Opening

A player forgets context and bids 2NT after partner's 2♣ opening thinking they are asking Ogust. But 2♣ is a strong, artificial opening — a completely different beast. Over 2♣, a 2NT response has its own specific meaning (often a balanced 8+ HCP hand or a specific relay). Ogust has absolutely no application after a strong 2♣.

Fix: Commit to memory: Ogust applies only to weak two bids — specifically 2♥ and 2♠ by agreement. Over 2♣ (strong and artificial), your partnership's 2♣ structure takes over entirely.

Practice Sequences

Study these 6 complete sequences after a weak 2♥ or 2♠ opening. Each covers a different Ogust response and follow-up.

Sequence 1 — Ogust Response: 3♣ (Bad Hand, Bad Suit) → Sign Off

West	North	East	South
	2♥	P	2NT*
P	3♣**	P	3♥
P	P
Ogust inquiry. *Bad hand, bad suit. South signs off in 3♥ knowing game is unlikely.

Sequence 2 — Ogust Response: 3♦ (Bad Hand, Good Suit) → Game Decision

West	North	East	South
	2♠	P	2NT*
P	3♦**	P	4♠
P	P
Ogust. *Bad hand, good suit. South has enough outside values to bid game despite minimum HCP — good suit means fewer losers.

Sequence 3 — Ogust Response: 3♥ (Good Hand, Bad Suit) → 4♥

West	North	East	South
	2♥	P	2NT*
P	3♥**	P	4♥
P	P
Ogust. *Good hand, bad suit. South bids 4♥ based on combined HCP, accepting the risk of suit quality. Game is reasonable.

Sequence 4 — Ogust Response: 3♠ (Good Hand, Good Suit) → Slam Try

West	North	East	South
	2♠	P	2NT*
P	3♠**	P	4NT
P	5♣	P	6♠
P	P
Ogust. *Good hand, good suit. South launches RKCB (4NT). North's 5♣ shows 0 or 3 keycards; South with 3 outside aces bids 6♠.

Sequence 5 — Ogust Response: 3NT (Solid Suit) → Pass

West	North	East	South
	2♥	P	2NT*
P	3NT**	P	P
Ogust. *AKQxxxx solid suit. South has outside entries and passes — the solid suit plus entries produces 9 tricks in notrump.

Sequence 6 — Ogust Response: 3♦ (Bad Hand, Good Suit) → 3NT Evaluation

West	North	East	South
	2♥	P	2NT*
P	3♦**	P	3NT
P	P
Ogust. *Bad hand, good suit (e.g., KQxxxxx). South has stoppers in all side suits and enough outside tricks — bids 3NT using the running heart suit.

Expert Mistakes

Even experienced players make these errors. Recognizing the pitfalls leads to better partnership results.

Mistake 1: Treating 3♦ (Bad Hand, Good Suit) as Game-Invitational

A player receives the 3♦ response and thinks "good suit — let's go to game." But 3♦ explicitly says bad hand (5–7 HCP). A "bad hand with a good suit" is not a game-invitational message. The good-suit component just means fewer trump losers — it does not compensate for a minimum HCP count if responder's hand is not strong enough to produce game alone.

Fix: Treat each half of the Ogust message independently. "Bad hand" = 5–7 HCP. "Good suit" = 2 top honors. Game feasibility depends on the sum of both hands, not suit quality alone. If responder needs 18+ HCP to consider game even opposite a "good suit" opener, do not bid game with 15 HCP.

Mistake 2: Not Defining "Good Suit" With Partner Before the Session

Two partners sit down and assume they agree on Ogust. Mid-session, opener holds ♥AJ9765 (one top honor) and bids 3♠ (good hand, good suit) thinking the Ace qualifies. But their partner expects two top honors. The result: a slam auction based on false information — and a bad score.

Fix: Before every session confirm: "Good suit in Ogust = two of the top three honors (AK, AQ, KQ). One honor only = bad suit, regardless of length or intermediate cards. Agreed?" This 30-second conversation prevents disasters.

Mistake 3: Using the Ogust Response Steps Backwards

Under pressure or nerves, a player reverses the response pairs: they bid 3♥ for bad/bad and 3♣ for good/bad. Now 3♠ and 3♦ are also reversed. The entire information structure is scrambled. This error is surprisingly common among players who learned Ogust informally and never drilled the correct order.

Fix: Drill the mnemonic: 3♣ = Club minimum (bad/bad); 3♦ = Diamond minimum (bad/good); 3♥ = Heart maximum (good/bad); 3♠ = Spade maximum (good/good). Low bids = bad hand. High bids = good hand. Within each pair, lower = worse suit, higher = better suit. Write it on your convention card and review it before play.

Convention Card

Here is how to document Ogust on your ACBL convention card, in the "Weak Two Bids" section.

WEAK TWO BIDS — OGUST RESPONSES

Convention: Ogust ✓ (2NT response to 2♥ or 2♠ is artificial)

Applies to: 2♥ and 2♠ openings (not 2♣ or 2♦ unless separately noted)

2NT response: Artificial one-round force — asks opener to describe hand + suit quality

3♣ = Bad hand (5–7 HCP), bad suit (0–1 top honor)

3♦ = Bad hand (5–7 HCP), good suit (2 of top 3 honors)

3♥ = Good hand (8–9 HCP), bad suit (0–1 top honor)

3♠ = Good hand (8–9 HCP), good suit (2 of top 3 honors)

3NT = Solid suit (AKQxxxx or better — running 7-card suit)

"Good suit" defined as: Two of the top three honors: AK, AQ, or KQ in the long suit

"Good hand" defined as: 8–9 HCP (maximum range for weak two bid)

QUICK REFERENCE — OGUST RESPONSE MEMORY CARD

3♣ bad / bad

3♦ bad / good

3♥ good / bad

3♠ good / good

3NT solid suit (AKQxxxx)

Format: [hand quality] / [suit quality]

Alert reminder: The 2NT Ogust response must be alerted at the table. Announce it as "Ogust — asking for hand and suit quality." The opener's responses (3♣ through 3NT) should also be alerted and their meanings explained to the opponents.