The Flannery convention is an opening bid of 2♦ that shows exactly four spades and five hearts with 11-15 HCP. It replaces the weak two in diamonds and solves a rebid problem that 4-5 major hands cause after a 1♥ opening.
Flannery is a Standard American gadget, named after William Flannery. It is optional in 2/1 Game Force systems and is not part of SAYC or standard Acol, so treat it as a partnership agreement and mark it on your card. Most pairs play 2♦ as a weak two instead: you can see what a 2♦ opening means in every system.
How the Flannery Convention Works
Open 1♥ with four spades and five hearts and a minimum hand, and listen to partner respond 1NT (forcing in 2/1 Game Force). Now what? 2♠ would be a reverse, showing a strong hand. 2♥ shows six hearts. 2 of a minor shows a minor suit you may not have. The spade fit is often lost.
Flannery removes the problem before it starts: one opening bid shows the shape and the strength. Partner can place the contract at once, or ask for more with 2NT. Opener with four spades, five hearts and 16+ HCP still opens 1♥ and reverses into spades later.
Requirements
Open 2♦ Flannery when:
- You hold exactly four spades and five hearts. Some pairs also allow 4-6, but most open 1♥ with six hearts.
- You have 11-15 HCP. A few partnerships use 10-15 or 11-16; check the range on your card.
- You would otherwise open 1♥.
Do not open Flannery with 5-5 in the majors (open 1♠), with 4-4, or with a strong hand. Your side gives up the weak 2♦ opening to play it, so a hand with long diamonds and a weak hand needs another plan, such as a 3♦ preempt or a pass.
Rule of ThumbFlannery 2♦ = four spades, five hearts, 11-15 HCP. No other shape and no other strength.
Responding to Flannery
Responder knows nine of opener's cards before saying a word. Common responses:
| Response | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pass | Weak, long diamonds, no interest in the majors |
| 2♥ or 2♠ | To play: pick the longer combined fit |
| 2NT | Artificial, asks for shape and strength, invitational or better |
| 3♣ or 3♦ | Natural, long suit; agree whether it is to play or invitational |
| 3♥ or 3♠ | Invitational |
| 3NT, 4♥, 4♠ | To play |
| 4♣ or 4♦ | Transfers to 4♥ or 4♠ in many partnerships, so opener declares |
With two cards in each major, prefer hearts: you have a seven-card fit there and only six in spades. With three spades and two hearts, either seven-card fit can work; many players choose the 4-3 spade fit, where the short trump hand can ruff.
Answers to the 2NT Ask
After 2♦ - 2NT, opener shows the minor-suit cards:
| Opener rebids | Shape and strength |
|---|---|
| 3♣ | 4-5-1-3 (three clubs) |
| 3♦ | 4-5-3-1 (three diamonds) |
| 3♥ | 4-5-2-2, minimum |
| 3♠ | 4-5-2-2, maximum |
| 3NT | 4-5-2-2, maximum with the minor honors |
| 4♣ | 4-5-0-4 |
| 4♦ | 4-5-4-0 |
A short suit opposite responder's strength is the key fact: it tells responder whether 3NT has a hole, or whether a suit game will ruff a loser. Some partnerships add a further ask after 3♣ or 3♦ to learn minimum or maximum.
Example Hands
South opens Flannery 2♦. North asks with 2NT, South shows a minimum 4-5-2-2, North chooses 3NT.
South opens 2♦ Flannery with 13 HCP and 4-5-2-2 shape. North has 13 HCP.
South has the textbook hand: four spades, five hearts, 13 HCP. Over 2♦, North has 13 HCP, three spades and two hearts. Game is sure, but which game? North asks with 2NT. South rebids 3♥: 4-5-2-2 with a minimum. North now knows the partnership has seven cards in each major and no short suit on South's side, and North holds both minors. North bids 3NT.
North declares 3NT and makes nine tricks on any lead, as a double dummy check confirms. On this layout 4♥ by South also makes ten tricks, so at matchpoints the heart game would score a little more. The important part is how easy the auction was. Without Flannery, South opens 1♥ and the partnership needs several rounds to find the four spades and the 4-5-2-2 shape.
Two more examples of opening bids:
- ♠AJ73 ♥KQ1086 ♦42 ♣Q5: 12 HCP, 4-5-2-2. Open 2♦.
- ♠AQ73 ♥AKJ86 ♦K4 ♣95: 17 HCP. Too strong: open 1♥ and reverse into 2♠.
Common Mistakes
- Wrong shape. Flannery shows exactly four spades. With five spades you open 1♠ like every other system.
- Wrong strength. A 16-count belongs in 1♥. A 9-count with 4-5 majors should pass or, by agreement, open a weak two.
- Responder bidding 2♥ or 2♠ with a good hand. Those bids are sign-offs. With game interest, bid 2NT or jump.
- Forgetting the system is on. Partner opens 2♦ and you treat it as a weak two in diamonds. This happens more often than players admit: put the convention on your card and review it.
- Hunting for game with a weak misfit. With a misfit and a weak hand, 2♥ or 2♠ is the end of the auction. Do not look for game when the opener has at most 15.
The Flannery Bid Tree
In one view:
- 2♦ = 4 spades, 5 hearts, 11-15
- Pass = long diamonds, weak
- 2♥ / 2♠ = sign-off
- 2NT = ask
- 3♣ = 4-5-1-3, 3♦ = 4-5-3-1
- 3♥ = 4-5-2-2 min, 3♠ = 4-5-2-2 max, 3NT = 4-5-2-2 max with minor honors
- 4♣ = 4-5-0-4, 4♦ = 4-5-4-0
- 3♣ / 3♦ = natural, by agreement
- 3♥ / 3♠ = invitational
- 3NT / 4♥ / 4♠ = to play
- 4♣ / 4♦ = transfers (optional)
Practice: Flannery
Partner opens 2♦ Flannery (four spades, five hearts, 11-15). Your call?
Partner opens 2♦ Flannery. You hold 14 HCP with two spades, two hearts and both minors. What do you bid?
Your hand:
Flannery hands come up about once in every few sessions, which is exactly why players forget the replies. Bid random deals in the BridgeDummy Bidding Room against EPBot robots, or compare your choices with the field in the bidding puzzles, where each call is tested over many deals that fit the auction. For the opening bid Flannery replaces, see weak two bids. The reverse problem that Flannery avoids is explained in reverse bids, and the full family of openings is in bridge conventions.