When you bid two no trumps, game hovers tantalisingly into view. At the same time, you still have the three level to explore further to find out which game, if any. If theopponents are still thinking of bidding, then the two no-trump bid forces them to put their heads on the block at the three level. All this in one bid! I am thinking of asking a bidding box manufacturer to make me a special set with some extra two no trump cards in them. If they are worried about cost then they can keep some of those useless green pass cards.

You will not be surprised to learn from this preamble that my advice you should find as many uses of two no trumps
as you can. Here are some suggestions:

1.  TWO NO TRUMPS AS TWO PLACES TO PLAY

You hold: ªK6 ©JT4 ¨QJ76 §AT86. The bidding begins:
 
 

NORTH	PARTNER	SOUTH	YOU
	Pass	1 heart	Pass
2 hearts	Double	Pass	?

What do you bid?

Without any prior agreements you really have to bid a minor suit and hope that you choose the suit in which your partner holds four. Since your partner has passed once, you are not really interested in bidding at more than the three level.

If you play two no-trumps here as two places to play, you can make this bid now. Partner will normally bid their lowest four card suit and you will play in a 4-4 fit rather than a 4-3 fit. Of course, you will have to give up playing two no-trumps as 11 points with hearts. Good job too!

2. TWO NO TRUMPS AS FIT SHOWING RESPONSE TO AN OVERCALL

When the opponents open the bidding, they look on overcallers with little respect. You are like an interloper with "new" money. Psychologically, you are throwing down a challenge. In these days of wide range overcalls, it becomes especially important to get the right message to your partner after they overcall. Are you now bidding to suggest a lead? Are you bidding to show a double fit? Are you making a preemptive bid to waste more bidding space? Are you making a serious attempt to buy the contract in a part score or game?

2 no trumps has an important part to play in your armoury of bids to describe the wide variety of hand types. For example, you hold:

ªJ4 ©KJ64 ¨AT76 §QJ3.

The bidding starts:
 

EAST	PARTNER	WEST	YOU
1 Spade	2 Hearts	2 Spades	?

You are extremely unlikely to need a natural two no trump bid on this auction. I'm not even sure what it would mean, given the wide variety of hands on which partner might overcall two hearts.  It is much more useful to play that two no trumps shows a good four card raise in partner's suit. One advantage, depending on opponents action, is that partner may be able to make a further game try below the level of three hearts.

This mirrors a use of two notrumps as a response to 1X, showing a high card raise to 3X (or better still to 3X or 5X).
However, I'm sure that you are all playing this already so its probably not worth discussing.

3. TWO NO TRUMPS AS LEBENSOHL RESPONSE TO TAKEOUT DOUBLES

The bidding begins:
 

EAST	PARTNER	WEST	YOU
2 Spades  (weak)	Double	Pass	?

You have a wide variety of hand types that you might want  to describe here, including:
  a) a weak single suited hand with which you want to be left quietly at the three level
  b) a hand with four hearts (with or without a spade stop) with which you want to investigate game.
  c) a hand with a suit and some values with which you want to make encouraging noises.

The only way you can describe all these hand types is to use two no trumps as a relay, forcing partner to bid three clubs.

The full scheme would be:
With type (a) hands, bid two no trumps and then either pass three clubs or bid three of a red suit over it.
With type (b) hands, bid three spades immediately with four hearts and no spade stop or two no trumps then three spades with four hearts and a spade stop.
Bid a suit immediately at the three level with hands of type (c). Note that these bids show some values (jusy how much you will have to agree with your partner0 because you did not go via two no trumps.

4. TWO NO TRUMPS TO CLARIFY HAND TYPES AFTER PARTNER REVERSES.
 

Playing pairs, you hold: ªA765 ©K6 ¨AQ6 §JT86. The bidding begins:
 
 
 

EAST	PARTNER	WEST	YOU
Pass	1 Club	Pass	1 spade
Pass	2 Hearts	Pass	?

What do you do now?

Playing traditional methods, you have two real choices. you can either bid three no trumps, confirming the good diamond stop but giving up on the chance of a club slam, or you can bid 3D (fourth suit forcing) intending to bid 4 Clubs next time to set up a forcing to game sequence. (Note that you should not bid three diamonds and then bid 3 NT over 3H or 3S, as this would imply a doubtful diamond stop). What you would really like to do is make a forcing three club bid immediately.

As usual, the two no-trump bid comes to your rescue. My advice is to play 2NT by responder after openers reverse as showing a weak hand within the context of the bidding so far. Opener is forced to bid three clubs and responder can either pass or place the contract. The corollary of this is that all sequences not involving 2 NT are forcing and natural - so you can make a forcing 3C bid with the above hand.

You can even use a similar scheme when responder's first bid is at the two level. Now a reverse by opener is forcing to game, but responder can indicate game-only ambitions by going via 2NT and genuine slam interest by bidding at the three level immediately.

Does anyone have some more two no-trump bids for my collection?