Practice on Cuebids
Direct practice for this topic is not mapped yet. Use Cuebids scenarios to build hands for this agreement.
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Last updated
2026-07-31
What is Flannery 2?
Flannery 2 is an artificial opening bid showing a limited hand with five hearts and exactly four spades. The classic range is around 11-15 HCP, though partnerships can tune the range.
The convention exists because a normal 1 opening can create a rebid problem. After 1 - 1NT, opener may be too weak to reverse into 2 but too shapely to describe cleanly with a minor rebid.
Flannery opening
- 2 is artificial and shows five hearts plus exactly four spades.
- The hand is limited; strong 5-4 major hands start naturally.
Responder choices
Responder can place the contract quickly because opener's shape is known. Weak hands can sign off in a major or pass with long diamonds. Direct 3 and 3 require agreement. In the natural-minor treatment used for the bullets below, 3 is a club signoff while 3 is invitational because a weak diamond hand simply passes. In an honor-inquiry treatment, those bids instead ask whether opener holds a top-three honor in the named minor for notrump purposes. Invitational hands with a fit raise a major, and strong hands usually start with 2NT to learn more.
- Pass: a weak hand with six or more diamonds; the artificial 2 opening is normally passable.
- 2 or 2: natural signoff.
- 2NT: artificial asking bid, invitational or better.
- 3 in the natural-minor treatment: six or more clubs and a signoff.
- 3 in the natural-minor treatment: six or more diamonds and invitational, since weak diamond hands pass instead.
- 3 or 3: invitational raise, typically around 10-12 points with a fit.
- 4: transfer to 4; 4: transfer to 4 in the classic structure, though some pairs play these as keycard asks instead.
- 3NT, 4, or 4: practical game choices.
Responder chooses spades
- Responder prefers spades and places the part-score.
- Opener has exactly four spades, so responder can judge fit immediately.
Responder asks with 2NT
- 2NT asks opener to describe strength and shape more precisely.
- The follow-up structure is partnership-specific.
Transfer to game in hearts
- In the classic structure, 4 transfers opener to 4.
- This places the known five-card heart suit in game with opener as declarer.
Transfer to game in spades
- In the classic structure, 4 transfers opener to 4.
- Opener has exactly four spades, so responder should use this only with a known game fit.
Opener's rebids after 2NT
One classic structure lets opener show minor-suit shape after the artificial 2NT ask and, on the one shape where the bidding room allows it, minimum versus maximum strength as well. That is usually enough for responder to choose game, slam exploration, or notrump.
Partnerships may use different continuations, so agree on one table and stick to it. The following responses belong to the classic structure used in this article.
- Opener holds 4-5 in the majors, so the four remaining cards split 3-1, 2-2, or 4-0 between the minors. The scheme is built around which of those three it is.
- A 3-1 split: bid three of the three-card minor. The singleton is then the other minor.
- A 2-2 split: bid 3 when minimum, 3 when maximum. The step tells responder the strength because the shape is already known.
- A 2-2 split with a maximum and an honor in each doubleton: 3NT instead of 3, which upgrades the notrump prospects.
- A 4-0 split: jump to four of the four-card minor, showing a void opposite it.
- Ranges here run about 11-13 for the minimum and 14-15 for the maximum, in line with the opening.
Opener shows minor-suit shape
- In the classic scheme, 3 shows three clubs and a singleton diamond.
- With diamonds well stopped and no major fit, responder chooses 3NT.
Invitational heart raise
- 3 invites with heart support, typically around 10-12 points.
- Opener accepts with a maximum and passes with a minimum.
Competition
Since Flannery starts at the two level and is artificial, opponents may compete. Partnerships should decide whether doubles by responder are penalty, whether systems are on after interference, and how to show a strong hand when the 2NT ask is no longer available.
The classic default is that the specialized responses and rebids stay on over an overcall and that responder's double is penalty rather than a stolen-bid double, but this needs explicit agreement.
Hand examples
A Flannery hand should have exactly the major-suit shape promised. Opening Flannery with 5-5 majors or only three spades breaks the reason the convention works.
Textbook Flannery shape
- Five hearts, four spades, and limited opening values.
- This is the hand type Flannery is designed to describe.
Too strong for Flannery
- The shape fits, but the strength is above many Flannery ranges.
- Open 1 and plan a stronger continuation by partnership style.
Responder passes 2
- With a weak hand and six diamonds, responder simply passes the artificial opening.
- Game is remote and 2 figures to be the best part-score.
Common mistakes
- Using Flannery with only three spades or with 5-5 majors.
- Forgetting that responder 2NT is artificial.
- Failing to agree what happens after interference.
- Letting the Flannery range overlap too much with natural one-heart auctions.
FAQ
Why not just open 1?
With five hearts and four spades, a limited opener may have no comfortable rebid after a 1NT response. Flannery shows the shape immediately.
Is Flannery common in every system?
No. It is optional and works best for partnerships willing to give up the natural meaning of 2.
Does playing Flannery change other auctions?
Yes. Since limited 4=5 hands open 2, a 1 opening tends to deny four spades unless opener is strong enough to reverse. Many pairs therefore treat the 1 response to 1 as promising five spades, by agreement.